From #Occupied Boston (#TomemonosBoston)-Day Thirty-Two - An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers!–No Mas- The Class-War Lines Are Being Drawn- There Is A Need To Unite And Fight Or Get Picked Off One By On-All Out November 2, 2011 In Solidarity With Occupy Oakland’s General Strike!-This Is Our John Brown Moment –Strike The Blow!

Click on the headline to link to updates from the Occupy Boston website.Occupy Boston started at 6:00 PM, September 30, 2011. I will post important updates as they appear on that site.
********
We Created The Wealth, Let's Take It Back! Labor And The Oppressed Must Rule!
********
#TomemonosBoston

Somos la Sociedad conformando el 99% -Dewey Square, Cercerde South Station

#Tomemonos Boston se reuniarin en el Dewey Square en Downtown Boston a discutir cambios que la ciudadania puede hacer en el gobierno que afecte un cambio social positivo.
******
Markin comment October 25, 2011

Comment made in reaction to the police raid on the Occupy Oakland site.

And as always-everybody, young or old, needs to stand by this slogan - An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers Everywhere! Hands Off Occupy Oakland!
*****
Markin comment October 26, 2011:

Comment made in reaction to the police raid on the Occupy Atlanta site.

This having to send solidarity messages almost daily is getting too redundant, way too redundant. Forget this notion of each occupation site being a separate operation. The Occupy Movement had better unite to fight nationally (and internationally) or they (and you know who the "they" is) will pick it off one by one like they are doing now. It is the same struggle, same fight! An injury to one is an injury to all!

**********
Markin comment October 27, 2011:

The news from the Occupy movement the past few days has been grim, from the woods (okay, sort of woods) of New Hampshire to the hard-bitten cities of Oakland and Atlanta, Occupy sites have been raided by police (and other agencies) and torn down. Each such defeat for the Occupy movement only emboldens the local satraps of bourgeois order in other locales to emulate their fellow authorities. I say No mas, no more, nix. The Occupy movement has prided itself on its decentralized structure and for the first few weeks that held up fairly well. That time, however, is now passing.

The signs are clear that the bourgeoisie (the one-percent and their hangers-on) have decided that enough is enough. Enough of unsightly campsites, unruly crowds, and worst of all, those slogans being shouted in the streets about taking their dough away. The bourgeoisie will let many thing pass but not threats to their control of society and to their dough. So the Occupy movement needs to gear up, stop thinking that it is dealing with a rational enemy, and think more about the class-war lines that are being drawn by them (and you know who the “them” is) even as I write.

Movements like the Occupy movement, which has moved many people off dead-center, do not come around often enough to squander the valuable human resources that have accrued in our current fight for social justice. I will more write about this situation as events unfold but for now, as I made a point of in the headline to this entry, those who support, and/or defend the Occupy movement had better think about uniting forces, nationally and internationally, in a much more politically organized way than has been done thus far. Frankly I am getting tired of, almost daily, cutting and pasting my main slogans- An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers Everywhere! Hands Off Occupy -------! - and just changing the name of the city. It is the same struggle, same fight for all!
*********
Markin comment October 28, 2011:

The grim news out of Occupy Oakland over the past few days, where serious causalities have been taken, only emphasizes the pressing need for a unified, united, huge response not only by those who already adhere to the Occupy movement or already are committed to defending it, but to other elements in the labor, student, and general progressive movement who have thus far stood on the sidelines. The class-war lines are being drawn, drawn sharply, by the bourgeoisie (the one percent, its hangers-on, and its police and military forces) and the Occupy movement and others best prepare now to defend against the “push back.” Thus, all efforts need to be made everywhere to stand in solidarity with the call by Occupy Oakland for a city-wide general strike (see below) there. An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers!–No Mas- The Class-War Lines Are Being Drawn- There Is A Need To Unite And Fight, Nationally And Internationally, Or Get Picked Off One By On-All Out November 2, 2011 In Solidarity With Occupy Oakland’s General Strike!

************
Markin comment October 29, 2011:

As noted in the headline the Occupy movement cannot continue to take defeats like those imposed by the police raids and brutality in Oakland (and elsewhere). The general strike called for November 2, 2011 by Occupy Oakland is the start of our push-back. All Oakland labor, beginning with the powerful long-shore workers at the Port of Oakland, must shut down business as usual that day. All out students, workers, and oppressed peoples of Oakland. And the rest of us should shut down what we can in solidarity. This is our John Brown moment. They don’t come often to the downtrodden and oppressed as history shows- so we had better strike the blow now.
**********

Markin comment October 30, 2011

I swear the footage from Denver of peaceful marchers being trampled by the Cossacks (oops, police) reminds me of scenes from-January 9, 1905 in Russia. If you are not familiar with that date and those events, see Wikipedia.


Press Release: Resounding Silence, General Strike Over Marine Injured by Oakland Police

October 27th, 2011

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 27, 2011*
Contacts: OccupyBostonMedia@gmail.com
Twitter: @occupyBOS_media
MEDIA BLACKOUT ENTERS SECOND DAY AS IRAQ VETERAN SCOTT OLSEN REMAINS IN SERIOUS CONDITION, OCCUPY OAKLAND CALLS FOR GENERAL STRIKE NOVEMBER 2

Scott Olsen, 24—a former member of the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines and a veteran of two tours in Iraq—remains in serious condition at Highland Hospital in Oakland with a fractured skull and brain swelling. Riot police fired a projectile into Olsen’s face on Tuesday before throwing flash grenades at his fellow protesters while they attempted to move him to safety. Despite the severity of Olsen’s injuries, local and national media have largely ignored the story. As of Thursday morning, The Boston Herald and FOX 25 had no definite plans to cover the incident, nor had Oakland’s citizen review board opened an official inquiry.

Videos posted to YouTube depicting a member of the riot police throwing a flash grenade at protesters attempting to help the injured Olsen have stirred international outrage, but coverage remains minimal.

Last night, thousands marched to retake Oscar Grant Plaza for Occupy Oakland before calling for a general strike on November 2, saying:
We as fellow occupiers of Oscar Grant Plaza propose that on Wednesday, November 2, 2011, we liberate Oakland and shut down the 1%. We propose a city-wide general strike and we propose that we invite all students to walk out of school. Instead of workers going to work and students going to school, the people will converge on downtown Oakland to shut down the city.All banks and corporations should close down for the day or we will march on them.
********
Occupy Boston stands in solidarity with Scott Olsen and with Occupy Oakland as we continue our peaceful pursuit of international economic justice. We are the 99%, and we are no longer silent.

From The "Occupy Oakland" Website- All Out In Oakland To Block The Port Of Oakland-Close All The West Coast Ports In Solidarity With Oakland And The Longview, Washington Longshoremen-Shut Down The Gulf And East Coast Ports In Solidarity!

Click on the headline to link to Occupy Oaklandand information on a march to close down the Port Of Oakland on November 2, 2011.

Markin comment:

All Out On November 2, 2011 In Oakland To Block The Port Of Oakland-Close All The West Coast Ports In Solidarity With Oakland And The Longview, Washington Longshoremen-Shut Down The Gulf And East Coast Ports In Solidarity

Songs To While Away The Class Struggle By-In Honor Of The Frontline Fighters Arrested Defending Occupy Denver, October 29, 2011- Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up"

Click on the headline to link to a YouTube film clip of Bob Marley performing his classic song of struggle, Get Up, Stand Up.

Markin comment:

In this series, presented under the headline Songs To While Away The Class Struggle By, I will post some songs that I think will help us get through the “dog days” of the struggle for our communist future. I do not vouch for the political thrust of the songs; for the most part they are done by pacifists, social democrats, hell, even just plain old ordinary democrats. And, occasionally, a communist, although hard communist musicians have historically been scarce on the ground. Thus, here we have a regular "popular front" on the music scene. While this would not be acceptable for our political prospects, it will suffice for our purposes here.
*****
Markin comment October 30, 2011:

All honor to those arrested defending Occupy Denver Ya, they got up, they stood up. Defend The Occupy Denver Site! Defend The Occupation! Defend The Occupiers! Drop All Charges Against Those Who Defended Occupy Denver Now!
******
Markin comment October 26, 2011:

This having to send solidarity messages almost daily is getting too redundant, way too redundant. Forget this notion of each occupation site being a separate operation. We had better unite to fight nationally (and internationally) or they (and you know who the "they" is) will pick us off one by one like they are doing now. It is the same struggle, same fight! An injury to one is an injury to all!
******
Bob Marley Get Up, Stand Up Lyrics

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don't give up the fight!

Preacher man, don't tell me,
Heaven is under the earth.
I know you don't know
What life is really worth.
It's not all that glitters is gold;
'Alf the story has never been told:
So now you see the light, eh!
Stand up for your rights. come on!

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don't give up the fight!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: don't give up the fight!

Most people think,
Great god will come from the skies,
Take away everything
And make everybody feel high.
But if you know what life is worth,
You will look for yours on earth:
And now you see the light,
You stand up for your rights. jah!
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/bob+marley/get+up+stand+up_20021743.html ]
Get up, stand up! (jah, jah! )
Stand up for your rights! (oh-hoo! )
Get up, stand up! (get up, stand up! )
Don't give up the fight! (life is your right! )
Get up, stand up! (so we can't give up the fight! )
Stand up for your rights! (lord, lord! )
Get up, stand up! (keep on struggling on! )
Don't give up the fight! (yeah! )

We sick an' tired of-a your ism-skism game -
Dyin' 'n' goin' to heaven in-a Jesus' name, lord.
We know when we understand:
Almighty god is a living man.
You can fool some people sometimes,
But you can't fool all the people all the time.
So now we see the light (what you gonna do?),
We gonna stand up for our rights! (yeah, yeah, yeah! )

So you better:
Get up, stand up! (in the morning! git it up! )
Stand up for your rights! (stand up for our rights! )
Get up, stand up!
Don't give up the fight! (don't give it up, don't give it up! )
Get up, stand up! (get up, stand up! )
Stand up for your rights! (get up, stand up! )
Get up, stand up! (... )
Don't give up the fight! (get up, stand up! )
Get up, stand up! (... )
Stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up!
Don't give up the fight! /fadeout/

Out In The Be-Bop 1940s Night-I’ll Get By As Long As I Have You-For Prescott And Delores Breslin

Click on the headline to link to a YouTube film clip Bing Crosby performing Far Away Places to give a little flavor to this sketch.

CD Review

Sentimental Journey, Pop Vocal Classics, Volume 2: 1947-1950, Rhino Records, 1993

Scene: Brought to mind by the sepia-toned family album-style photograph that graces the cover of this CD and by the song Far Away Places.

“Prescott James Breslin get your dirty hands off that wall this minute, yelled Delores Breslin (nee LeClerc), Mother Breslin to some, including the yelled at Prescott, honey, to Prescott Breslin, Senior, Father Breslin to the junior one being yelled at just this minute. Just as Mother Breslin, hell, let’s call her Delores, was getting ready for cascade rant number two aimed in Prescott, Junior’s direction wafting through the air, the radio WJDA air, came the melodious voice of Bing Crosby singing in that sweet, nuanced voice of his, Far Away Places. Their song. Their forever memory song.

Delores flashed back to the night in 1943 over at the Stardust Ballroom on East Grand in Old Orchard Beach that she, then a typist for the State Insurance Company right here in Olde Saco (and making good money for a single, no high maintenance girl) and Marine PFC Prescott Breslin, stationed after serious service in the Pacific wars (Guadalcanal, etc.) at the Portsmouth Naval Base met while they were playing that song on the jukebox between sets. Sets being performed by the Be-Bop Sextet, a hot, well, be-bop band that was making a national tour to boost civilian morale while the boys were off fighting. They hit it off right away, made Far Away Places their song, and prepared for a future, a joint future, once the war was over, and they could get their dream, shared dream, little white house, with or without picket fence, maybe a dog, and definitely kids, a few although they never specified a number. The perfect dream to chase the old Great Depression no dough blues and World War II fighting dust away, far away. And to be to breath a decent breathe, a not from hunger breathe.

Just then Delores snapped back into the reality, the two by four reality, of their made due, temporary veterans’ housing set up by the Olde Saco Housing Authority (at the request of and funded by the War Department) to house the housing-hungry returning vets and give them a leg up. Add on the further reality that Prescott’s job at the Macadam’s Textile Mill was none too sure now that rumors were circulating around town that the mill-owners were thinking of relocating to North Carolina. And the biggest reality of all: well, Prescott, Junior, Kendrick, and most recently still in the cradle Joshua. And three is enough, more than enough thank you. But as that terrific tenor of Dick Haymes singing Little White Lies was making its way into her air space she fell back to thinking about that now old dream of the little white house, with or without picket fence, a dog and a few (exactly three, thank you) that was coming just around next corner. And just as she was winding up to blast young Prescott, his dirty hands, and that wall, maybe a little less furiously that she intended before, her thoughts returned to her Prince Charming, Starlight Ballroom1943, and their song. Their forever memory song. Yes, she would get by.

From #Occupied Boston (#TomemonosBoston)-Day Thirty-Two- An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers!–No Mas- The Class-War Lines Are Being Drawn- There Is A Need To Unite And Fight Or Get Picked Off One By On-All Out November 2, 2011 In Solidarity With Occupy Oakland’s General Strike!-This Is Our John Brown Moment –Strike The Blow!

Click on the headline to link to updates from the Occupy Boston website.Occupy Boston started at 6:00 PM, September 30, 2011. I will post important updates as they appear on that site.
********
We Created The Wealth, Let's Take It Back! Labor And The Oppressed Must Rule!
********
#TomemonosBoston

Somos la Sociedad conformando el 99% -Dewey Square, Cercerde South Station

#Tomemonos Boston se reuniarin en el Dewey Square en Downtown Boston a discutir cambios que la ciudadania puede hacer en el gobierno que afecte un cambio social positivo.
******
Markin comment October 25, 2011

Comment made in reaction to the police raid on the Occupy Oakland site.

And as always-everybody, young or old, needs to stand by this slogan - An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers Everywhere! Hands Off Occupy Oakland!
*****
Markin comment October 26, 2011:

Comment made in reaction to the police raid on the Occupy Atlanta site.

This having to send solidarity messages almost daily is getting too redundant, way too redundant. Forget this notion of each occupation site being a separate operation. The Occupy Movement had better unite to fight nationally (and internationally) or they (and you know who the "they" is) will pick it off one by one like they are doing now. It is the same struggle, same fight! An injury to one is an injury to all!

**********
Markin comment October 27, 2011:

The news from the Occupy movement the past few days has been grim, from the woods (okay, sort of woods) of New Hampshire to the hard-bitten cities of Oakland and Atlanta, Occupy sites have been raided by police (and other agencies) and torn down. Each such defeat for the Occupy movement only emboldens the local satraps of bourgeois order in other locales to emulate their fellow authorities. I say No mas, no more, nix. The Occupy movement has prided itself on its decentralized structure and for the first few weeks that held up fairly well. That time, however, is now passing.

The signs are clear that the bourgeoisie (the one-percent and their hangers-on) have decided that enough is enough. Enough of unsightly campsites, unruly crowds, and worst of all, those slogans being shouted in the streets about taking their dough away. The bourgeoisie will let many thing pass but not threats to their control of society and to their dough. So the Occupy movement needs to gear up, stop thinking that it is dealing with a rational enemy, and think more about the class-war lines that are being drawn by them (and you know who the “them” is) even as I write.

Movements like the Occupy movement, which has moved many people off dead-center, do not come around often enough to squander the valuable human resources that have accrued in our current fight for social justice. I will more write about this situation as events unfold but for now, as I made a point of in the headline to this entry, those who support, and/or defend the Occupy movement had better think about uniting forces, nationally and internationally, in a much more politically organized way than has been done thus far. Frankly I am getting tired of, almost daily, cutting and pasting my main slogans- An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers Everywhere! Hands Off Occupy -------! - and just changing the name of the city. It is the same struggle, same fight for all!
*********
Markin comment October 28, 2011:

The grim news out of Occupy Oakland over the past few days, where serious causalities have been taken, only emphasizes the pressing need for a unified, united, huge response not only by those who already adhere to the Occupy movement or already are committed to defending it, but to other elements in the labor, student, and general progressive movement who have thus far stood on the sidelines. The class-war lines are being drawn, drawn sharply, by the bourgeoisie (the one percent, its hangers-on, and its police and military forces) and the Occupy movement and others best prepare now to defend against the “push back.” Thus, all efforts need to be made everywhere to stand in solidarity with the call by Occupy Oakland for a city-wide general strike (see below) there. An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers!–No Mas- The Class-War Lines Are Being Drawn- There Is A Need To Unite And Fight, Nationally And Internationally, Or Get Picked Off One By On-All Out November 2, 2011 In Solidarity With Occupy Oakland’s General Strike!

************
Markin comment October 29, 2011:

As noted in the headline the Occupy movement cannot continue to take defeats like those imposed by the police raids and brutality in Oakland (and elsewhere). The general strike called for November 2, 2011 by Occupy Oakland is the start of our push-back. All Oakland labor, beginning with the powerful long-shore workers at the Port of Oakland, must shut down business as usual that day. All out students, workers, and oppressed peoples of Oakland. And the rest of us should shut down what we can in solidarity. This is our John Brown moment. They don’t come often to the downtrodden and oppressed as history shows- so we had better strike the blow now.
**********

Markin comment October 30, 2011

I swear the footage from Denver of peaceful marchers being trampled by the Cossacks (oops, police) reminds me of scenes from-January 9, 1905 in Russia. If you are not familiar with that date and those events, see Wikipedia.


Press Release: Resounding Silence, General Strike Over Marine Injured by Oakland Police

October 27th, 2011

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 27, 2011*
Contacts: OccupyBostonMedia@gmail.com
Twitter: @occupyBOS_media
MEDIA BLACKOUT ENTERS SECOND DAY AS IRAQ VETERAN SCOTT OLSEN REMAINS IN SERIOUS CONDITION, OCCUPY OAKLAND CALLS FOR GENERAL STRIKE NOVEMBER 2

Scott Olsen, 24—a former member of the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines and a veteran of two tours in Iraq—remains in serious condition at Highland Hospital in Oakland with a fractured skull and brain swelling. Riot police fired a projectile into Olsen’s face on Tuesday before throwing flash grenades at his fellow protesters while they attempted to move him to safety. Despite the severity of Olsen’s injuries, local and national media have largely ignored the story. As of Thursday morning, The Boston Herald and FOX 25 had no definite plans to cover the incident, nor had Oakland’s citizen review board opened an official inquiry.

Videos posted to YouTube depicting a member of the riot police throwing a flash grenade at protesters attempting to help the injured Olsen have stirred international outrage, but coverage remains minimal.

Last night, thousands marched to retake Oscar Grant Plaza for Occupy Oakland before calling for a general strike on November 2, saying:
We as fellow occupiers of Oscar Grant Plaza propose that on Wednesday, November 2, 2011, we liberate Oakland and shut down the 1%. We propose a city-wide general strike and we propose that we invite all students to walk out of school. Instead of workers going to work and students going to school, the people will converge on downtown Oakland to shut down the city.All banks and corporations should close down for the day or we will march on them.
********

Occupy Boston stands in solidarity with Scott Olsen and with Occupy Oakland as we continue our peaceful pursuit of international economic justice. We are the 99%, and we are no longer silent.

From #Occupied Boston (#TomemonosBoston)-Day Thirty-One Round-Up- An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers!–No Mas- The Class-War Lines Are Being Drawn- There Is A Need To Unite And Fight Or Get Picked Off One By On-All Out November 2, 2011 In Solidarity With Occupy Oakland’s General Strike!-This Is Our John Brown Moment!

Click on the headline to link to updates from the Occupy Boston website.Occupy Boston started at 6:00 PM, September 30, 2011. I will post important updates as they appear on that site.
********
We Created The Wealth, Let's Take It Back! Labor And The Oppressed Must Rule!
********
#TomemonosBoston

Somos la Sociedad conformando el 99% -Dewey Square, Cercerde South Station

#Tomemonos Boston se reuniarin en el Dewey Square en Downtown Boston a discutir cambios que la ciudadania puede hacer en el gobierno que afecte un cambio social positivo.
******
Markin comment October 25, 2011

Comment made in reaction to the police raid on the Occupy Oakland site.

And as always-everybody, young or old, needs to stand by this slogan - An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers Everywhere! Hands Off Occupy Oakland!
*****
Markin comment October 26, 2011:

Comment made in reaction to the police raid on the Occupy Atlanta site.

This having to send solidarity messages almost daily is getting too redundant, way too redundant. Forget this notion of each occupation site being a separate operation. The Occupy Movement had better unite to fight nationally (and internationally) or they (and you know who the "they" is) will pick it off one by one like they are doing now. It is the same struggle, same fight! An injury to one is an injury to all!

**********
Markin comment October 27, 2011:

The news from the Occupy movement the past few days has been grim, from the woods (okay, sort of woods) of New Hampshire to the hard-bitten cities of Oakland and Atlanta, Occupy sites have been raided by police (and other agencies) and torn down. Each such defeat for the Occupy movement only emboldens the local satraps of bourgeois order in other locales to emulate their fellow authorities. I say No mas, no more, nix. The Occupy movement has prided itself on its decentralized structure and for the first few weeks that held up fairly well. That time, however, is now passing.

The signs are clear that the bourgeoisie (the one-percent and their hangers-on) have decided that enough is enough. Enough of unsightly campsites, unruly crowds, and worst of all, those slogans being shouted in the streets about taking their dough away. The bourgeoisie will let many thing pass but not threats to their control of society and to their dough. So the Occupy movement needs to gear up, stop thinking that it is dealing with a rational enemy, and think more about the class-war lines that are being drawn by them (and you know who the “them” is) even as I write.

Movements like the Occupy movement, which has moved many people off dead-center, do not come around often enough to squander the valuable human resources that have accrued in our current fight for social justice. I will more write about this situation as events unfold but for now, as I made a point of in the headline to this entry, those who support, and/or defend the Occupy movement had better think about uniting forces, nationally and internationally, in a much more politically organized way than has been done thus far. Frankly I am getting tired of, almost daily, cutting and pasting my main slogans- An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers Everywhere! Hands Off Occupy -------! - and just changing the name of the city. It is the same struggle, same fight for all!
*********
Markin comment October 28, 2011:

The grim news out of Occupy Oakland over the past few days, where serious causalities have been taken, only emphasizes the pressing need for a unified, united, huge response not only by those who already adhere to the Occupy movement or already are committed to defending it, but to other elements in the labor, student, and general progressive movement who have thus far stood on the sidelines. The class-war lines are being drawn, drawn sharply, by the bourgeoisie (the one percent, its hangers-on, and its police and military forces) and the Occupy movement and others best prepare now to defend against the “push back.” Thus, all efforts need to be made everywhere to stand in solidarity with the call by Occupy Oakland for a city-wide general strike (see below) there. An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers!–No Mas- The Class-War Lines Are Being Drawn- There Is A Need To Unite And Fight, Nationally And Internationally, Or Get Picked Off One By On-All Out November 2, 2011 In Solidarity With Occupy Oakland’s General Strike!

************
Markin comment October 29, 2011:

As noted in the headline the Occupy movement cannot continue to take defeats like those imposed by the police raids and brutality in Oakland (and elsewhere). The general strike called for November 2, 2011 by Occupy Oakland is the start of our push-back. All Oakland labor, beginning with the powerful long-shore workers at the Port of Oakland, must shut down business as usual that day. All out students, workers, and oppressed peoples of Oakland. And the rest of us should shut down what we can in solidarity. This is our John Brown moment. They don’t come often to the downtrodden and oppressed as history shows- so we had better strike the blow now.
**********
Press Release: Resounding Silence, General Strike Over Marine Injured by Oakland Police

October 27th, 2011

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 27, 2011*
Contacts: OccupyBostonMedia@gmail.com
Twitter: @occupyBOS_media
MEDIA BLACKOUT ENTERS SECOND DAY AS IRAQ VETERAN SCOTT OLSEN REMAINS IN SERIOUS CONDITION, OCCUPY OAKLAND CALLS FOR GENERAL STRIKE NOVEMBER 2

Scott Olsen, 24—a former member of the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines and a veteran of two tours in Iraq—remains in serious condition at Highland Hospital in Oakland with a fractured skull and brain swelling. Riot police fired a projectile into Olsen’s face on Tuesday before throwing flash grenades at his fellow protesters while they attempted to move him to safety. Despite the severity of Olsen’s injuries, local and national media have largely ignored the story. As of Thursday morning, The Boston Herald and FOX 25 had no definite plans to cover the incident, nor had Oakland’s citizen review board opened an official inquiry.

Videos posted to YouTube depicting a member of the riot police throwing a flash grenade at protesters attempting to help the injured Olsen have stirred international outrage, but coverage remains minimal.

Last night, thousands marched to retake Oscar Grant Plaza for Occupy Oakland before calling for a general strike on November 2, saying:
We as fellow occupiers of Oscar Grant Plaza propose that on Wednesday, November 2, 2011, we liberate Oakland and shut down the 1%. We propose a city-wide general strike and we propose that we invite all students to walk out of school. Instead of workers going to work and students going to school, the people will converge on downtown Oakland to shut down the city.All banks and corporations should close down for the day or we will march on them.
********
Occupy Boston stands in solidarity with Scott Olsen and with Occupy Oakland as we continue our peaceful pursuit of international economic justice. We are the 99%, and we are no longer silent.

Out In The 1950s Be-Bop Night- Josh Breslin Comes Of Age- Kind Of

Click on the headline to link to a YouTube film clip of Elvis Presley performing I Forgot To Remember To Forget.

CD Review

The Heart Of Rock ‘n’ Roll: 1953-1955, various artists, Time-Life Music, 1997

Scene: Brought to mind by the black and white family album-style photograph that graces the cover of this CD. On this one we are treated to a photograph of a well-groomed boy and girl, teenagers of course, who else would listen to rock and roll in the be-bop 1950s night. Every parent, every square parent, and they were legion, who had any sense at all was banning, confiscating, burning, or otherwise destroying every record, 45 RPM or long-playing, that came through the front door with junior and missy. Reason? Said rock ‘n’ roll led to communistic thoughts, youth tribal hanging together (to the exclusion, no, to the denials of the existence of, parents), bad teeth, acne, brain-death, or most dreaded the “s” word, s-x.

But let’s leave the world of parents and concentrate on the couple in the photo, Josh Breslin, and his date, his first date, his first date ever, Julie Dubois, who are just now shuffling the records looking to see if Earth Angel by the Penquins is in the stack to chase away the awkwardness both are feeling on this first date. It turns out that both are crazy about that platter so they are reaching way back in their respective minds' recesses to come up with every arcane fact they know about the song, the group, how it was produced, anything to get through that next few moment until the next dance started.

Now Josh always thought he was cool, at least cool when he was dealing with his boy gang boys. But this girl thing was a lot harder than it looked, once he had exhausted every possible fact about Earth Angel and then had to reach way back in the mind’s recesses again when he tried to do the same for The Clover’s version of Blue Velvet. No sale, Julie didn’t like that one; she smirked, not dreamy enough. Then ditto when, Julie, seriously trying to hold up her end went on and on about Elvis’ Blue Moon cover. No sale, no way, no dice said Josh to himself and then to Julie since they had vowed, like some mystical rite of passage passed down from eternal teenager-ness, be candid with each other. Finally, Julie’s shuffling through the platters produced The Turban’s When You Dance and things got better. Yes, this was one tough night, on tough first date, first date ever night.

Maybe the whole thing was ill-fated from the beginning. Josh’s friend, maybe best friend, at Olde Saco Junior High, Rene Leblanc, was having his fourteenth birthday party, a party that his mother, as mothers will, insisted on being a big deal. Big deal being Rene inviting boys and girls, nice boys and girls, dressed in suits, or a least jackets and ties (boys), and party dresses (girls) and matched-up (one boy, one girl). Mrs. Leblanc was clueless that such square get-ups and social arrangements in the be-bop teen night would “cramp” every rocking boy and girl that Rene (or Josh) knew. But the hardest part was that Josh, truth, had never had a boy-girl date and so therefore had no girl to bring to Rene’s party. And that is where Julie, Rene’s cousin from over in Ocean City, came in. She, as it turned out, had never had a girl-boy date. And since when Mrs. Leblanc picked Josh up on party night and then went over to Ocean City for Julie, introduced then, and there was no love at first sight clang, Josh figured that this was to be one long, long night.

So the couple, the nervous couple, nervous now because the end of the stack was being reached when mercifully Marvin and Johnny’s Cherry Pie came up, both declared thumbs, both let out a simultaneous spontaneous laugh. And the reason for that spontaneous laugh, as they were both eager to explain in order to have no hurt feelings, was that Josh had asked Julie if she was having a good time and she said, well, yes just before they hit Cherry Pie pay-dirt. Just then Rene came over and shouted over the song being played on the record player, TheMoonglow’s Sincerely, “Why don’t you two dance instead of just standing there looking goofy?” And they both laughed again, as they hit the dance floor, this time with no explanations necessary.

From The Archives-The Struggle To Win The Youth To The Fight For Our Communist Future-PSYCHOANALYSIS AND FEMINISM by Juliet Mitchell (1975)

Markin comment on this series:

One of the declared purposes of this space is to draw the lessons of our left-wing past here in America and internationally, especially from the pro-communist wing. To that end I have made commentaries and provided archival works in order to help draw those lessons for today’s left-wing activists to learn, or at least ponder over. More importantly, for the long haul, to help educate today’s youth in the struggle for our common communist future. That is no small task or easy task given the differences of generations; differences of political milieus worked in; differences of social structure to work around; and, increasingly more important, the differences in appreciation of technological advances, and their uses.

There is no question that back in my youth I could have used, desperately used, many of the archival materials available today. When I developed political consciousness very early on, albeit liberal political consciousness, I could have used this material as I knew, I knew deep inside my heart and mind, that a junior Cold War liberal of the American For Democratic Action (ADA) stripe was not the end of my leftward political trajectory. More importantly, I could have used a socialist or communist youth organization to help me articulate the doubts I had about the virtues of liberal capitalism and be recruited to a more left-wing world view. As it was I spent far too long in the throes of the left-liberal/soft social-democratic milieu where I was dying politically. A group like the Young Communist League (W.E.B. Dubois Clubs in those days), the Young People’s Socialist League, or the Young Socialist Alliance representing the youth organizations of the American Communist Party, American Socialist Party and the Socialist Workers Party (U.S.) respectively would have saved much wasted time and energy. I knew they were around but not in my area.

The archival material to be used in this series is weighted heavily toward the youth movements of the early American Communist Party and the Socialist Workers Party (U.S). For more recent material I have relied on material from the Spartacus Youth Clubs, the youth group of the Spartacist League (U.S.), both because they are more readily available to me and because, and this should give cause for pause, there are not many other non-CP, non-SWP youth groups around. As I gather more material from other youth sources I will place them in this series.

Finally I would like to finish up with the preamble to the Spartacist Youth Club’s What We Fight For statement of purpose:

"The Spartacus Youth Clubs intervene into social struggles armed with the revolutionary internationalist program of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Trotsky. We work to mobilize youth in struggle as partisans of the working class, championing the liberation of black people, women and all the oppressed. The SYCs fight to win youth to the perspective of building the Leninist vanguard party that will lead the working class in socialist revolution, laying the basis for a world free of capitalist exploitation and imperialist slaughter."

This seems to me be somewhere in the right direction for what a Bolshevik youth group should be doing these days; a proving ground to become professional revolutionaries with enough wiggle room to learn from their mistakes, and successes. More later.
********
From Young Spartacus, March 1975-

PSYCHOANALYSIS AND FEMINISM by Juliet Mitchell. New York: Random House, Pantheon Books, $8.95 hardcover, 456 pp.

A Review by Ed Clarkson

The pioneering theories of Sigmund Freud have engendered stormy controversy in scientific, literary and political circles ever since their embryonic formulation around the turn of the century. The birth of the psychoanalytic movement was attended by a split between co-workers Freud and Breuer, and dissension was frequently to beset the developing psychoanalytic school as many of Freud's collaborators and followers rejected central tenets of his theories—the role of the unconscious, the importance of sexuality and its energizer libido, and the critical significance of the Oedipus conflict in personality development.

Likewise in the communist movement heated debates have raged over the validity of Freudianism as a science of human behavior. As a consequence of the growing bureaucratic degeneration of the backward and isolated Soviet workers state, Freudian theory came under attack in the Soviet Union in the mid-1920's from both Stalinist-Bukharinist bureaucratic philistines in the party and the intelligentsia following Pavlov, whose ideas had the dual advantage of being more ostensibly materialistic and having a Russian origin—no small consideration for the proponents of ^"socialism in one country."

Marxism vs. Freudianism?

It was the embattled Trotsky who insisted against the vulgar materialists that Freudian psychoanalytic theory required attentive consideration. In a 1926 essay on culture and socialism, which is breathtaking in its brilliance, Trotsky evaluates Freud as follows:
"The school of the Viennese psychoanalyst Freud proceeds in a different way [than Pavlov]. It assumes in advance that the driving force of the most complex and delicate of psychic processes is a physiological need. In this general sense it is materialistic, if you leave aside the question whether it does not assign too big a place to the sexual factor at the expense of others, for this is already a dispute within the frontiers of materialism.

But the psychoanalyst does not approach problems of consciousness experimentally, going from the lowest phenomena to the highest, from the simple reflex to the complex reflex; instead, he attempts to take all these intermediate stages in one jump, from above downwards, from the religious myth, the lyrical poem, or the dream, straight to the physiological basis of the psyche....

"The attempt to declare psychoanalysis 'incompatible' with Marxism and simply turn one's back on Freudian-ism is too simple, or, more accurately, too simplistic. But we are in any case not obliged to adopt Freudianism. It is a working hypothesis that can produce and undoubtedly does produce deductions and conjectures that proceed along the lines of materialist psychology."

Psychological theories conflict with dialectical materialism when they attempt to demonstrate that human beings are innately incapable of organizing society in such a manner that would qualitatively advance their material conditions of existence. For instance, Robert Audrey's theory of territoriality and Konrad Lorenz' theory of aggression are counterposed to Marxism precisely because they set out to prove that human cooperation beyond the narrow limits established by class, particularly capitalist, society is impossible.

There is a historical fatalism to be found in Freud's thought, especially in his pessimistic post-WWI writings, in which Thanatos (the death wish) hovers over a self-immolating humanity. Because Freud's petty-bourgeois world view does intrude upon his effort to formulate a scientific theory .of behavior, many in the working-class movement regard Freudianism with hostility.

In Civilization and Its Discontents (1930) Freud declares that the possibilities • for human satisfaction and happiness are "limited from the start by our constitution," and "the natural human aversion to work gives rise to the most difficult social problems." The abolition of private property would "in no way alter the individual difference in power and influence." Commenting on a by then Stalinized Soviet Union, Freud confirms his skepticism by accepting the bureaucracy's claims of "socialist" society:

"The Russian Communists, too, hope to be able to cause human aggressiveness to disappear by guaranteeing the satisfaction of all material needs and by establishing equality in other respects among all members of the community. That, in my opinion, is an illusion. They themselves are armed to-day with the most scrupulous care and not the least important of the methods by which they keep their supporters together is hatred of everyone beyond their frontiers." -"Why War?," Collected Papers, Vol. 5

Freud and Feminism

While his views on Marxism and the Soviet Union brought Freud denunciation by the Stalinists and fellow-traveling intellectuals, His theories of femininity similarly evoked considerable antipathy from "feminists. For Freud, two themes were of "paramount importance" in analysis: "the wish for a penis in women and, in men, the struggle against passivity [toward other men]... “("Analysis Terminable and Interminable^ *° Collected Papers Vol. 5). To feminists this theory of penis envy seemed to doom women td the status of biological second-class citizenship—men in wish, but not in being.

In the context of the general anti-Marxist and anti-Freudian biases of New Left feminism, the "socialist-feminism" of Juliet Mitchell's first book, Woman's Estate (1971), appeared as a left bulge in "Movement" feminism. A quasi-Marxist and a "scientific" Freudian, Mitchell argued that Marxism was both relevant to the liberation of women (which it certainly is) and in harmony with the feminist "principle" of women" organizing separately as women (which it is not). Woman's Estate even criticized, albeit mildly, the implications of the anti-Leninist basis of New Left feminism:
"Feminist consciousness will not \// 'naturally' develop into socialism, nor should it. If we simply develop feminist consciousness (as radical feminists suggest) we will get, not political consciousness, but the equivalent of national chauvinism among Third World nations or economist!) among working-class organizations."

The penchant of American behaviorist psychologists to focus on "antisocial" behavior, recently expressed in the extreme by Skinner's apologetics for a benevolent totalitarianism, has prompted the radical petty-bourgeois intelligentsia, yesterday sympathetic to the "progressive" pragmatism of Skinner's Walden II, to search elsewhere for a psychological justification for their liberalism. Much in vogue in the feminist milieu have been the humanist psychology of Maslow, the hyper-genital theories of Reich and the "schizophrenia-is-good-for-you" ravings of Laing.

Debunking Reich and Laing

Juliet Mitchell's most recent book, Psychoanalysis and Feminism, is an 1 attempt to come to terms with a declining movement which has become hardened in its anti-Marxism, anti-Freudianism and virulent bourgeois feminism. By this time, the reconciliation attempted in Woman's Estate between an eclectic Marxism, Freudianism and anti-capitalist feminism had obviously become untenable. Something had to give; it was Juliet Mitchell's "Marxism."

For those who prefer Freud to his detractors, Psychoanalysis and Feminism will prove, at least in part, an eminently satisfying work. Mitchell presents an intelligent and for the most part accurate exposition of the core elements of Freudian theory, especially the analysis of femininity. This is combined with insightful critiques of the "radical psychotherapists" Reich and Laing and of Freud's feminist critics, Simone de Beauvoir, Betty Friedan, Eva Figes, Germaine Greer, Shoal-Smith Firestone and Kate Millet.

Mitchell argues convincingly that most criticisms of psychoanalysis are based on a misunderstanding of an important distinction in Freudian psychology: the distinction between the psychic representation of the conflict of social reality with instinctual forces (the data of psychoanalysis) and the biological instincts themselves. Freud fully realized that he was dealing only with the former; the latter he regarded as the subject of investigation for a future, more advanced science.

Reich asserts the matter in more "basic" terms: the repression of sexual energy is bad, its "ultimate" orgasmic expression good; heterosexual genitality is natural, homosexuality unnatural; the vagina is thus the biological counterpart of the penis. Lost are Freud's insights into the inherently bisexual natural of human sexual development and the extent to which the conflict between human drives and social reality both shape (through sublimation) and distort happiness and role. For Reich, instinct is all. Similarly, where Freud analyzes both normal and abnormal behavior as manifested through the a-logical operations of the unconscious, Laing sees the delusional world of the schizophrenic as a logical response to a current conflict. For Laing, humans are simply reactive.
Although Mitchell is frequently brilliant and incisive in her defense of the "science" of psychoanalysis, she is disquieted by Freud's insistence that all understanding of behavior, in the final analysis, must be grounded on the bedrock of biology. In Mitchell's schema biological determinism has no place, and her uneasiness with its presence in Freudian theory leads her to distort precisely that area of Freudianism she is most concerned to defend—his hypotheses concerning the "psychological consequences of the anatomical distinction between the sexes."

Freudianism and the Oppression of Women

Generally Freud carefully distinguishes between the psychological impact of biological factors and the factors themselves. When Freud takes up the problem of the psychological development of women, however, he sidesteps this distinction.
Freud posits that the fear of castration for males is caused not merely by the sight or conception of penisless beings (women), but in addition by an actual, although perhaps implied, threat of castration. The female case is different:

"A momentous "discovery which little girls are destined to make [is that] they notice the penis of a brother or playmate, strikingly visible and of larger proportions, at once recognize it as the superior counterpart of their own small and inconspicuous organ, and from that time forward fall a victim to envy for the penis.... A little girl... makes her judgment and her decision in a flash. She has seen it and knows that she is without and wants to have it." (our emphasis)

— "Some Psychological Consequences of the Anatomical Distinction Between the Sexes," Collected Papers, Vol. 5

For Freud, the esteem for the penis is established not socially, but phylo-genetically: "The penis (to follow Ferenczi) owes its extraordinarily high narcissistic cathexis to its organic significance for the propagation of the species" (ibid.). The penis is valorized because of its role in reproduction.

Although the clitoris is "analogous to the male organ," Freud regards the vagina as the "true female organ" (Female Sexuality). Freud thus considers women as constitutionally inferior to men.

Freud's error is a logical one, based, no doubt, on the intrusion of male chauvinist assumptions into his scientific thinking. His letters to his wife are1 adequate testimony to his susceptibility to such influences. They reek of sexism, although of the icky-poo, "women-as-the-salt-of-the-earth" variety. Mitchell's aversion to Freud's biologicisms, however, is motivated not by political opposition to their anti-feminist implications, but by the desire for an idealistic revision of psychoanalysis which could provide the long-sought feminist "answer" to Marxist dialectical materialism.

Mitchell Contra Engels
In Psychoanalysis and Feminism, Mitchell sweeps aside the self-proclaimed Marxist orientation of Woman's Estate and poses anew the, "fundamental question of the cause of women's oppression:

"The longevity of the oppression of women must be based on something more than conspiracy, something more complicated than biological handicap and more durable than economic exploitation (although in differing degrees all these may feature)."

The missing link turns out to be "culture"; specifically, patriarchal culture:
"It seems to be the case that contemporary anthropology supports Freud's contention that human society in many ways equals patriarchy rather than Engels' notion that patriarchy can be limited to strictly literate civilization."

Using the anthropological theories of academic doyen Claude Levi-Strauss, Mitchell argues that since the exchange of women by men between kinship groupings (exogamy) has characterized all human societies, all human society has been patriarchal, i.e., "fathers not men" have "determinate power." The Oedipus complex now becomes for Mitchell the internalized manifestation of the cultural tyranny represented in the incest taboo. With the dissolution of the Oedipus complex, "man finally enters into his humanity."

Mitchell realizes that kinship systems are obviously neither operative nor relevant in modern capitalist society and therefore maintains that the bourgeois nuclear family is socially redundant, merely "created to give that law [the patriarchal law] a last hearing." The struggle against the oppression of women no longer must be directed against capitalism or even the "domination of men," but must become a "struggle based on a theory of the social non-necessity at this stage of development of the laws instituted by patriarchy."

This contention that fathers have "determinate" power flies in the face of the fact that their role in anthropologically earlier (avuncular) societies was not significantly greater than the mother's. Nor is the father's son prohibited from copulating with the father's wife (the Oedipus complex as understood by Freud), although biological mother-son sexual relationships have apparently generally been taboo. The most primitive societies seldom have mechanisms for identifying either the father’s sons or his mates (i.e., the nuclear family).

Incest (the prohibition of heterosexual copulation between certain biologically related individuals) only imperfectly correlates with the more primitive forms of unilinearity (kinship determined by membership to either the mother's or the father's clan) and exogamy (marrying out of one's clan). The incest taboo as such is a more recent historical development associated with increasingly differentiated social arrangements and the rise of the monogamous family.

Completely absent from Mitchell's analysis is any sense why the "law of patriarchy" should endure. Basing his hypothesis on inadequate anthropological data (Morgan's studies), Engels wrongly inferred that a matriarchal stage preceded the development of patriarchy. But the essence of Engels' method, however, is the appreciation of the role of social relationships (the emergence of private property) in causing a qualitative perforation of the condition of women. Mitchell draws her analysis, however, from Freud's unfounded, fanciful hypothesis that in the dawn of primitive society exogamy and the incest taboo resulted from the successful alliance of sons against the sexual privileges of the all-powerful father, which resulted in the cannibalization of the father and the sharing out of his women.

Forward to the Pages of Ms.

Psychoanalysis and Feminism thus floats above any concern for the actual oppression of women. The degradation suffered by women imprisoned within the nuclear family and oppressed by capitalist society simply becomes the equivalent perforce of men exchanging women. Prostitution, social isolation, divestiture of legal rights, sole responsibility for child raising—all features of the monogamous nuclear family noticeably absent in most primitive societies —recede in importance for Juliet Mitchell. The bourgeois nuclear family is "not in itself important. V Rather, it is the kinship system, which "in our society... barely can be seen to regulate social relationships," that is the source of women's oppression, because "it is within kinship structures that women, as women, are situated"!

Mitchell has accomplished an idealist subversion of even that rudimentary Marxist understanding revealed in Woman's Estate. Now she conceptualizes culture as having its own dynamic (exactly what, remains unstated) and being transmitted through the unconscious independent of material conditions. Mitchell now recognizes "two autonomous areas: the economic mode of capitalism and the ideological mode of patriarchy."

In Woman's Estate Mitchell envisioned the revolution as the product of a coalition of oppressed groups, each raising its consciousness of its own particular oppression by a theoretical operation-bootstrap and then working to a point of solidarity. From her revised perspective, Mitchell has come to consider even a tactical unity between the women's liberation movement and the labor movement as unnecessary:

"Because patriarchy is by no means identical with capitalism the successes and strengths of the two revolutionary movements [the women's liberation movement and the working-class movement] will not follow along neatly parallel paths."

Not only are these paths not "neatly parallel," but they may in fact diverge. Mitchell readily admits that "It is perfectly possible for feminism to make more gains under social democracy than it does in the first years of socialism." Indeed, if capitalism has already rendered women's oppression redundant, then it is difficult to explain why the liberation of women could not occur under any form of capitalist government, from reformist Laborism or the popular front to fascism. In fact, the most optimum conditions could well be a fascism where there are sufficiently strong drives toward racial purity as to necessitate the challenging of the "utility" of the incest taboo.

The politics of Psychoanalysis and Feminism are a justification for "Movement” feminism at any of its-stages, from the radical, anti-capitalist; New Left period through its current trivial, careerist and venal expression. For Juliet Mitchell the battle against cultural oppression no longer need be waged in the streets; the need for a Popular Front against Patriarchy can 'be propagated with equal efficacy from the pages of MS.

From #Occupied Boston (#TomemonosBoston)-Day Thirty-One Round-Up- An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers!–No Mas- The Class-War Lines Are Being Drawn- There Is A Need To Unite And Fight Or Get Picked Off One By On-All Out November 2, 2011 In Solidarity With Occupy Oakland’s General Strike!-This Is Our John Brown Moment!

Click on the headline to link to updates from the Occupy Boston website.Occupy Boston started at 6:00 PM, September 30, 2011. I will post important updates as they appear on that site.
********
We Created The Wealth, Let's Take It Back! Labor And The Oppressed Must Rule!
********
#TomemonosBoston

Somos la Sociedad conformando el 99% -Dewey Square, Cercerde South Station

#Tomemonos Boston se reuniarin en el Dewey Square en Downtown Boston a discutir cambios que la ciudadania puede hacer en el gobierno que afecte un cambio social positivo.
******
Markin comment October 25, 2011

Comment made in reaction to the police raid on the Occupy Oakland site.

And as always-everybody, young or old, needs to stand by this slogan - An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers Everywhere! Hands Off Occupy Oakland!
*****
Markin comment October 26, 2011:

Comment made in reaction to the police raid on the Occupy Atlanta site.

This having to send solidarity messages almost daily is getting too redundant, way too redundant. Forget this notion of each occupation site being a separate operation. The Occupy Movement had better unite to fight nationally (and internationally) or they (and you know who the "they" is) will pick it off one by one like they are doing now. It is the same struggle, same fight! An injury to one is an injury to all!

**********
Markin comment October 27, 2011:

The news from the Occupy movement the past few days has been grim, from the woods (okay, sort of woods) of New Hampshire to the hard-bitten cities of Oakland and Atlanta, Occupy sites have been raided by police (and other agencies) and torn down. Each such defeat for the Occupy movement only emboldens the local satraps of bourgeois order in other locales to emulate their fellow authorities. I say No mas, no more, nix. The Occupy movement has prided itself on its decentralized structure and for the first few weeks that held up fairly well. That time, however, is now passing.

The signs are clear that the bourgeoisie (the one-percent and their hangers-on) have decided that enough is enough. Enough of unsightly campsites, unruly crowds, and worst of all, those slogans being shouted in the streets about taking their dough away. The bourgeoisie will let many thing pass but not threats to their control of society and to their dough. So the Occupy movement needs to gear up, stop thinking that it is dealing with a rational enemy, and think more about the class-war lines that are being drawn by them (and you know who the “them” is) even as I write.

Movements like the Occupy movement, which has moved many people off dead-center, do not come around often enough to squander the valuable human resources that have accrued in our current fight for social justice. I will more write about this situation as events unfold but for now, as I made a point of in the headline to this entry, those who support, and/or defend the Occupy movement had better think about uniting forces, nationally and internationally, in a much more politically organized way than has been done thus far. Frankly I am getting tired of, almost daily, cutting and pasting my main slogans- An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers Everywhere! Hands Off Occupy -------! - and just changing the name of the city. It is the same struggle, same fight for all!
*********
Markin comment October 28, 2011:

The grim news out of Occupy Oakland over the past few days, where serious causalities have been taken, only emphasizes the pressing need for a unified, united, huge response not only by those who already adhere to the Occupy movement or already are committed to defending it, but to other elements in the labor, student, and general progressive movement who have thus far stood on the sidelines. The class-war lines are being drawn, drawn sharply, by the bourgeoisie (the one percent, its hangers-on, and its police and military forces) and the Occupy movement and others best prepare now to defend against the “push back.” Thus, all efforts need to be made everywhere to stand in solidarity with the call by Occupy Oakland for a city-wide general strike (see below) there. An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers!–No Mas- The Class-War Lines Are Being Drawn- There Is A Need To Unite And Fight, Nationally And Internationally, Or Get Picked Off One By On-All Out November 2, 2011 In Solidarity With Occupy Oakland’s General Strike!

************
Markin comment October 29, 2011:

As noted in the headline the Occupy movement cannot continue to take defeats like those imposed by the police raids and brutality in Oakland (and elsewhere). The general strike called for November 2, 2011 by Occupy Oakland is the start of our push-back. All Oakland labor, beginning with the powerful long-shore workers at the Port of Oakland, must shut down business as usual that day. All out students, workers, and oppressed peoples of Oakland. And the rest of us should shut down what we can in solidarity. This is our John Brown moment. They don’t come often to the downtrodden and oppressed as history shows- so we had better strike the blow now.
**********
Press Release: Resounding Silence, General Strike Over Marine Injured by Oakland Police

October 27th, 2011

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 27, 2011*
Contacts: OccupyBostonMedia@gmail.com
Twitter: @occupyBOS_media
MEDIA BLACKOUT ENTERS SECOND DAY AS IRAQ VETERAN SCOTT OLSEN REMAINS IN SERIOUS CONDITION, OCCUPY OAKLAND CALLS FOR GENERAL STRIKE NOVEMBER 2

Scott Olsen, 24—a former member of the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines and a veteran of two tours in Iraq—remains in serious condition at Highland Hospital in Oakland with a fractured skull and brain swelling. Riot police fired a projectile into Olsen’s face on Tuesday before throwing flash grenades at his fellow protesters while they attempted to move him to safety. Despite the severity of Olsen’s injuries, local and national media have largely ignored the story. As of Thursday morning, The Boston Herald and FOX 25 had no definite plans to cover the incident, nor had Oakland’s citizen review board opened an official inquiry.

Videos posted to YouTube depicting a member of the riot police throwing a flash grenade at protesters attempting to help the injured Olsen have stirred international outrage, but coverage remains minimal.

Last night, thousands marched to retake Oscar Grant Plaza for Occupy Oakland before calling for a general strike on November 2, saying:
We as fellow occupiers of Oscar Grant Plaza propose that on Wednesday, November 2, 2011, we liberate Oakland and shut down the 1%. We propose a city-wide general strike and we propose that we invite all students to walk out of school. Instead of workers going to work and students going to school, the people will converge on downtown Oakland to shut down the city.All banks and corporations should close down for the day or we will march on them.
********

Occupy Boston stands in solidarity with Scott Olsen and with Occupy Oakland as we continue our peaceful pursuit of international economic justice. We are the 99%, and we are no longer silent.

From #Occupied Boston (#TomemonosBoston)-Day Thirty Round-Up- An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers!–No Mas- The Class-War Lines Are Being Drawn- There Is A Need To Unite And Fight Or Get Picked Off One By On-All Out November 2, 2011 In Solidarity With Occupy Oakland’s General Strike!

Click on the headline to link to updates from the Occupy Boston website.Occupy Boston started at 6:00 PM, September 30, 2011. I will post important updates as they appear on that site.
********
We Created The Wealth, Let's Take It Back! Labor And The Oppressed Must Rule!
********
#TomemonosBoston

Somos la Sociedad conformando el 99% -Dewey Square, Cercerde South Station

#Tomemonos Boston se reuniarin en el Dewey Square en Downtown Boston a discutir cambios que la ciudadania puede hacer en el gobierno que afecte un cambio social positivo.
******
Markin comment October 25, 2011

Comment made in reaction to the police raid on the Occupy Oakland site.

And as always-everybody, young or old, needs to stand by this slogan - An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers Everywhere! Hands Off Occupy Oakland!
*****
Markin comment October 26, 2011:

Comment made in reaction to the police raid on the Occupy Atlanta site.

This having to send solidarity messages almost daily is getting too redundant, way too redundant. Forget this notion of each occupation site being a separate operation. The Occupy Movement had better unite to fight nationally (and internationally) or they (and you know who the "they" is) will pick it off one by one like they are doing now. It is the same struggle, same fight! An injury to one is an injury to all!

**********
Markin comment October 27, 2011:

The news from the Occupy movement the past few days has been grim, from the woods (okay, sort of woods) of New Hampshire to the hard-bitten cities of Oakland and Atlanta, Occupy sites have been raided by police (and other agencies) and torn down. Each such defeat for the Occupy movement only emboldens the local satraps of bourgeois order in other locales to emulate their fellow authorities. I say No mas, no more, nix. The Occupy movement has prided itself on its decentralized structure and for the first few weeks that held up fairly well. That time, however, is now passing.

The signs are clear that the bourgeoisie (the one-percent and their hangers-on) have decided that enough is enough. Enough of unsightly campsites, unruly crowds, and worst of all, those slogans being shouted in the streets about taking their dough away. The bourgeoisie will let many thing pass but not threats to their control of society and to their dough. So the Occupy movement needs to gear up, stop thinking that it is dealing with a rational enemy, and think more about the class-war lines that are being drawn by them (and you know who the “them” is) even as I write.

Movements like the Occupy movement, which has moved many people off dead-center, do not come around often enough to squander the valuable human resources that have accrued in our current fight for social justice. I will more write about this situation as events unfold but for now, as I made a point of in the headline to this entry, those who support, and/or defend the Occupy movement had better think about uniting forces, nationally and internationally, in a much more politically organized way than has been done thus far. Frankly I am getting tired of, almost daily, cutting and pasting my main slogans- An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers Everywhere! Hands Off Occupy -------! - and just changing the name of the city. It is the same struggle, same fight for all!
*********
Markin comment October 28, 2011:

The grim news out of Occupy Oakland over the past few days, where serious causalities have been taken, only emphasizes the pressing need for a unified, united, huge response not only by those who already adhere to the Occupy movement or already are committed to defending it, but to other elements in the labor, student, and general progressive movement who have thus far stood on the sidelines. The class-war lines are being drawn, drawn sharply, by the bourgeoisie (the one percent, its hangers-on, and its police and military forces) and the Occupy movement and others best prepare now to defend against the “push back.” Thus, all efforts need to be made everywhere to stand in solidarity with the call by Occupy Oakland for a city-wide general strike (see below) there. An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers!–No Mas- The Class-War Lines Are Being Drawn- There Is A Need To Unite And Fight, Nationally And Internationally, Or Get Picked Off One By On-All Out November 2, 2011 In Solidarity With Occupy Oakland’s General Strike!

************

Press Release: Resounding Silence, General Strike Over Marine Injured by Oakland Police

October 27th, 2011

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 27, 2011*
Contacts: OccupyBostonMedia@gmail.com
Twitter: @occupyBOS_media
MEDIA BLACKOUT ENTERS SECOND DAY AS IRAQ VETERAN SCOTT OLSEN REMAINS IN SERIOUS CONDITION, OCCUPY OAKLAND CALLS FOR GENERAL STRIKE NOVEMBER 2

Scott Olsen, 24—a former member of the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines and a veteran of two tours in Iraq—remains in serious condition at Highland Hospital in Oakland with a fractured skull and brain swelling. Riot police fired a projectile into Olsen’s face on Tuesday before throwing flash grenades at his fellow protesters while they attempted to move him to safety. Despite the severity of Olsen’s injuries, local and national media have largely ignored the story. As of Thursday morning, The Boston Herald and FOX 25 had no definite plans to cover the incident, nor had Oakland’s citizen review board opened an official inquiry.

Videos posted to YouTube depicting a member of the riot police throwing a flash grenade at protesters attempting to help the injured Olsen have stirred international outrage, but coverage remains minimal.

Last night, thousands marched to retake Oscar Grant Plaza for Occupy Oakland before calling for a general strike on November 2, saying:
We as fellow occupiers of Oscar Grant Plaza propose that on Wednesday, November 2, 2011, we liberate Oakland and shut down the 1%. We propose a city-wide general strike and we propose that we invite all students to walk out of school. Instead of workers going to work and students going to school, the people will converge on downtown Oakland to shut down the city.All banks and corporations should close down for the day or we will march on them.
********

Occupy Boston stands in solidarity with Scott Olsen and with Occupy Oakland as we continue our peaceful pursuit of international economic justice. We are the 99%, and we are no longer silent.

In The Be-Bop 1960s Night- When "Stewball" Stu Stewart ’57 Chevy Ruled The “Chicken” Roads

Click on the headline to link to a YouTube film clip of Chuck Berry performing his classic School Day to give a flavor of the times to this piece

CD Review

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Era: 1957, various artists, Time-Life Music, 1987

Scene: Brought to mind by the cover artwork that graces the front of the booklet that accompanies this CD. The artwork contains, in full James Dean-imitation pout, one good-looking, DA-quaffed, white muscle-shirted young man, an alienated young man, no question, leaning, leaning gently, very gently, arms folded, on the hood of his 1950’s classic automobile, clearly not his father’s car, but also clearly for our purposes let us call it his “baby.”

And that car, that extension of his young manhood, his young alienated manhood, is Friday night, Saturday night, or maybe a weekday night if it is summer, parked (priority parked, meaning nobody with some Nash Rambler, nobody with some foreign Volkswagen, no biker even , in short, nobody except somebody who is tougher, a lot tougher, than our alienated young man better breathe on the spot while he is within fifty miles of the place) directly in front of the local teenage (alienated or not) "hot spot." And in 1950s’ America, a teenage America with some disposal income (allowance, okay), that hot spot is likely to be, as here, the all-night Mel’s (or Joe’s, Adventure Car-Hop, whatever) drive-in restaurant opened to cater to the hot dog, hamburger, French fries, barbecued chicken cravings of exhausted youth. Youth exhausted after a hard night, well, let’s just call it a hard night and leave the rest to your knowing imagination, or their parents’ evil imaginations.

And in front of the restaurant, in front of that leaned-on “boss” automobile stands one teenage girl vision. One blondish, pony-tailed, midnight sun-glassed, must be a California great American West night teeny-bopper girl holding an ice cream soda after her night’s work. The work that we are leaving to fertile (or evil, as the case may be) imaginations. Although from the pout on Johnny’s (of course he has to be a Johnny, with that car) face maybe he “flunked out” but that is a story for somebody else to tell. Here’s mine.
********
Not everybody, not everybody by a long-shot, who had a “boss” ’57 cherry red Chevy was some kind of god’s gift to the earth; good-looking, good clothes, dough in his pocket, money for gas and extras, money for the inevitable end of the night stop at Jimmy John’s Drive-In restaurant for burgers and fries (and Coke, with ice, of course) before taking the date home after a hard night of tumbling and stumbling (mainly stumbling). At least that is what one Joshua Breslin, Josh, me, freshly minted fifteen- year old roadside philosopher thought as for the umpteenth time “Stewball” Stu left me by the side of Albemarle Road and rode off into the Olde Saco night with his latest “hot” honey, fifteen year old teen queen Sally Sullivan.

Ya, Stewball Stu was nothing but an old rum-dum, a nineteen year old rum-dum, except he had that “boss” girl-magnet ’57 cherry red Chevy (painted that color by Stu himself) and he had his pick of the litter in the Olde Saco, maybe all of Maine, night. By the way Stu’s official name, was Stuart Stewart, go figure, but don’t call him Stuart and definitely do not call him “Stewball” not if you want to live long enough not to have the word teen as part of your age. The Stewball thing was strictly for local boys, jealous local boys like me, who when around Stu always could detect a whiff of liquor, usually cheap jack Southern Comfort, on his breathe, day or night.

Figure this too. How does a guy who lives out on Tobacco Road in an old run-down trailer, half-trailer really, from about World War II that looked like something out of some old-time Hooverville scene, complete with scrawny dog, and tires and cannibalized car leavings every which way have girls, and nothing but good-looking girls from twelve to twenty (nothing older because as Stu says, anything older was a woman and he wants nothing to do with women, and their women’s needs, whatever they are)? And the rest of us get his leavings, or like tonight left on the side of Route One? And get this, they, the girls from twelve to twenty actually walk over to Tobacco Road from nice across the other side of the tracks homes like on Atlantic Avenue and Fifth Street, sometimes by themselves and sometime in packs just to smell the grease, booze, burnt rubber, and assorted other odd-ball smells that come for free at Stu’s so-called garage/trailer.

Let me tell you about Stu, Sally, and me tonight and this will definitely clue you in to the Stu-madness of the be-bop Olde Saco girl night. First of all, as usual, it is strictly Stu and me starting out. Usually, like today, I hang around his garage on Saturdays to get away from my own hell-house up the road and I am kind of Stu’s unofficial mascot. Now Stu had been working all day on his dual-exhaust carburetor or something, so his denims are greasy, his white tee-shirt (sic) is nothing but wet with perspiration and oil stains, he hasn’t taken a bath since Tuesday (he told me that himself with some sense of pride) and he was not planning to do so this night, and of course, drinking all day from his silver Southern Comfort flask he reeked of alcohol (but don’t tell him that if you read this and are from Olde Saco because, honestly, I want to live to have twenty–something as my age). About 7:00 PM he bellows out to me, cigarette hanging from his mouth, a Lucky, let’s go cruising.

Well, cruising means nothing but taking that be-bop ’57 cherry red Chevy out on East Grand and look. Look for girls, look for boys from the hicks with bad-ass cars who want to take a chance on beating Stu at the “chicken run” down at the flats on the far end of Sagamore Beach, look for something to take the edge off the hunger to be somebody number one. At least that last is what I figured after a few of these cruises with Stu. Tonight it looks like girls from the way he put some of that grease (no not car grease, hair-oil stuff) on his nappy hair. Yes, I am definitely looking forward to cruising tonight once I have that sign because, usually whatever girl Stu might not want, or maybe there are a couple of extras, or something I get first dibs. Ya, Stu is righteous like that.

So off we go, stopping at my house first so I can get a little cleaned up and put on a new shirt and tell my brother to tell our mother that I will be back later, maybe much later, if she ever gets home herself before I do. The cruising routine in Olde Saco means up and down Route One (okay, okay Main Street), checking out the lesser spots (Darby’s Pizza Palace, Hank’s Ice Cream joint, the Colonial Donut Shoppe where I hang during the week after school and which serves a lot more stuff than donuts and coffee, sandwiches and stuff, and so on). Nothing much this Saturday. So we head right away for the mecca, Jimmy John’s. As we hit Stu’s “saved” parking spot just in front I can see that several stray girls are eyeing the old car, eyeing it like tonight is the night, tonight is the night Stu, kind of, sort of, maybe notices them (and I, my heart starting to race a little in anticipation and glad that I stopped off at my house, got a clean shirt, and put some deodorant on and guzzled some mouthwash, am feeling tonight is the night too).

But tonight is not the night, no way. Not for me, not for those knees-trembling girls. Why? No sooner did we park than Sally Sullivan came strolling (okay I don’t know if she was strolling or doo-wopping but she was swaying in such a sexy way that I knew she meant business, that she was looking for something in the Olde Saco night and that she had “found” it) out to Stu’s Chevy and with no ifs, ands, or buts asked, asked Stu straight if he was doing anything this night. Let me explain before I tell you what Stu’s answer was that this Sally Sullivan is nothing but a sex kitten, maybe innocent-looking, but definitely has half the boys, hell maybe all the boys at Olde Saco High, including a lot of the guys on the football team drooling over her. I know, because I have had more than one sleepless night over her. See, she is in my English class and because Mr. Murphy let’s us sit where we want I usually sit with a good view of her. So Stu says, kind of off-handedly, like having the town teen fox come hinter on him was a daily occurrence, says kind of lewdly, “Well, baby I am if you want to go down Sagamore Rocks right now and look for dolphins?” See, Sagamore Rocks is nothing but the local lovers’ lane here and “looking for dolphins” is the way everybody, every teenage everybody in town says “going all the way,” having sex for the clueless. And Sally, as you can guess if you have been following my story said, “Yes” just like that. At that s why I was dumped, unceremoniously dumped, at my street while they roared off into the night. So like I said not every “boss” car owner is god’s gift to women, not by a long shot. Or maybe they are.

From #Occupied Boston (#TomemonosBoston)-Day Twenty-Nine Round-Up- An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers!–No Mas- The Class-War Lines Are Being Drawn- There Is A Need To Unite And Fight, Nationally And Internationally, Or Get Picked Off One By On-All Out November 2, 2011 In Solidarity With Occupy Oakland’s General Strike!

Click on the headline to link to updates from the Occupy Boston website.Occupy Boston started at 6:00 PM, September 30, 2011. I will post important updates as they appear on that site.
********
We Created The Wealth, Let's Take It Back! Labor And The Oppressed Must Rule!
********
#TomemonosBoston

Somos la Sociedad conformando el 99% -Dewey Square, Cercerde South Station

#Tomemonos Boston se reuniarin en el Dewey Square en Downtown Boston a discutir cambios que la ciudadania puede hacer en el gobierno que afecte un cambio social positivo.
******
Markin comment October 25, 2011

Comment made in reaction to the police raid on the Occupy Oakland site.

And as always-everybody, young or old, needs to stand by this slogan - An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers Everywhere! Hands Off Occupy Oakland!
*****
Markin comment October 26, 2011:

Comment made in reaction to the police raid on the Occupy Atlanta site.

This having to send solidarity messages almost daily is getting too redundant, way too redundant. Forget this notion of each occupation site being a separate operation. The Occupy Movement had better unite to fight nationally (and internationally) or they (and you know who the "they" is) will pick it off one by one like they are doing now. It is the same struggle, same fight! An injury to one is an injury to all!

**********
Markin comment October 27, 2011:

The news from the Occupy movement the past few days has been grim, from the woods (okay, sort of woods) of New Hampshire to the hard-bitten cities of Oakland and Atlanta, Occupy sites have been raided by police (and other agencies) and torn down. Each such defeat for the Occupy movement only emboldens the local satraps of bourgeois order in other locales to emulate their fellow authorities. I say No mas, no more, nix. The Occupy movement has prided itself on its decentralized structure and for the first few weeks that held up fairly well. That time, however, is now passing.

The signs are clear that the bourgeoisie (the one-percent and their hangers-on) have decided that enough is enough. Enough of unsightly campsites, unruly crowds, and worst of all, those slogans being shouted in the streets about taking their dough away. The bourgeoisie will let many thing pass but not threats to their control of society and to their dough. So the Occupy movement needs to gear up, stop thinking that it is dealing with a rational enemy, and think more about the class-war lines that are being drawn by them (and you know who the “them” is) even as I write.

Movements like the Occupy movement, which has moved many people off dead-center, do not come around often enough to squander the valuable human resources that have accrued in our current fight for social justice. I will more write about this situation as events unfold but for now, as I made a point of in the headline to this entry, the Occupy movement had better think about uniting its forces, nationally and internationally, in a much more politically organized way than has been done thus far. Frankly I am getting tired of, almost daily, cutting and pasting my main slogans- An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers Everywhere! Hands Off Occupy -------! - and just changing the name of the city. It is the same struggle, same fight for all!
*********
Markin comment October 28, 2011:

The grim news out of Occupy Oakland over the past few days, where serious causalities have been taken, only emphasizes the pressing need for a unified, united, huge response not only by those who already adhere to the Occupy movement or already are committed to defending it, but to other elements in the labor, student, and general progressive movement who have stood on the sidelines thus far. The class-war lines are being drawn, drawn sharply, by the bourgeoisie (the one percent, its hangers-on, and its police and military forces) and the Occupy movement and others best prepare now for the “push back.” Thus, all efforts need to be made everywhere to stand in solidarity with the call by Occupy Oakland for a city-wide general strike (see below) there. An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers!–No Mas- The Class-War Lines Are Being Drawn- There Is A Need To Unite And Fight, Nationally And Internationally, Or Get Picked Off One By On-All Out November 2, 2011 In Solidarity With Occupy Oakland’s General Strike!

************

Press Release: Resounding Silence, General Strike Over Marine Injured by Oakland Police

October 27th, 2011

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 27, 2011*
Contacts: OccupyBostonMedia@gmail.com
Twitter: @occupyBOS_media
MEDIA BLACKOUT ENTERS SECOND DAY AS IRAQ VETERAN SCOTT OLSEN REMAINS IN SERIOUS CONDITION, OCCUPY OAKLAND CALLS FOR GENERAL STRIKE NOVEMBER 2

Scott Olsen, 24—a former member of the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines and a veteran of two tours in Iraq—remains in serious condition at Highland Hospital in Oakland with a fractured skull and brain swelling. Riot police fired a projectile into Olsen’s face on Tuesday before throwing flash grenades at his fellow protesters while they attempted to move him to safety. Despite the severity of Olsen’s injuries, local and national media have largely ignored the story. As of Thursday morning, The Boston Herald and FOX 25 had no definite plans to cover the incident, nor had Oakland’s citizen review board opened an official inquiry.

Videos posted to YouTube depicting a member of the riot police throwing a flash grenade at protesters attempting to help the injured Olsen have stirred international outrage, but coverage remains minimal.

Last night, thousands marched to retake Oscar Grant Plaza for Occupy Oakland before calling for a general strike on November 2, saying:
We as fellow occupiers of Oscar Grant Plaza propose that on Wednesday, November 2, 2011, we liberate Oakland and shut down the 1%. We propose a city-wide general strike and we propose that we invite all students to walk out of school. Instead of workers going to work and students going to school, the people will converge on downtown Oakland to shut down the city.All banks and corporations should close down for the day or we will march on them.
********

Occupy Boston stands in solidarity with Scott Olsen and with Occupy Oakland as we continue our peaceful pursuit of international economic justice. We are the 99%, and we are no longer silent.

From #Occupied Boston (#TomemonosBoston)- An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers!–No Mas- The Class-War Lines Are Being Drawn- There Is A Need To Unite And Fight, Nationally And Internationally, Or Get Picked Off One By On-All Out November 2, 2011 In Solidarity With Occupy Oakland’s General Strike!

Click on the headline to link to updates from the Occupy Boston website.Occupy Boston started at 6:00 PM, September 30, 2011. I will post important updates as they appear on that site.
********
We Created The Wealth, Let's Take It Back! Labor And The Oppressed Must Rule!
********
#TomemonosBoston

Somos la Sociedad conformando el 99% -Dewey Square, Cercerde South Station

#Tomemonos Boston se reuniarin en el Dewey Square en Downtown Boston a discutir cambios que la ciudadania puede hacer en el gobierno que afecte un cambio social positivo.
******
Markin comment October 25, 2011

Comment made in reaction to the police raid on the Occupy Oakland site.

And as always-everybody, young or old, needs to stand by this slogan - An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers Everywhere! Hands Off Occupy Oakland!
*****
Markin comment October 26, 2011:

Comment made in reaction to the police raid on the Occupy Atlanta site.

This having to send solidarity messages almost daily is getting too redundant, way too redundant. Forget this notion of each occupation site being a separate operation. We had better unite to fight nationally (and internationally) or they (and you know who the "they" is) will pick us off one by one like they are doing now. It is the same struggle, same fight! An injury to one is an injury to all!

**********
Markin comment October 27, 2011:

The news from the Occupy movement the past few days has been grim, from the woods (okay, sort of woods) of New Hampshire to the hard-bitten cities of Oakland and Atlanta, Occupy sites have been raided and torn down. Each such defeat for the Occupy movement only emboldens the local satraps of bourgeois order in other locales to emulate their fellow authorities. I say No mas, no more, nix. The Occupy movement has prided itself on its decentralized structure and for the first few weeks that held up fairly well. That time, however, is now passing.

The signs are clear that the bourgeoisie (the one-percent and their hangers-on) have decided that enough is enough. Enough of unsightly campsites, unruly crowds, and worst of all, those slogans being shouted in the streets about taking their dough away. The bourgeoisie will let many thing pass but not threats to their control of society and to their dough. So we need to gear up, stop thinking we are dealing with a rational enemy, and think more about the class-war lines that are being drawn by them even as I write.

Movements like the Occupy movement, which has moved many people off dead-center, do not come around often enough for us to squander the valuable human resources we have accrued in our current fight for social justice. I will more write about this situation as events unfold but for now, as I made a point of in the headline to this entry, we had better think about uniting our forces, nationally and internationally, in a much more politically organized way than has been done thus far. Frankly I am getting tired of, almost daily, cutting and pasting my main slogans- An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers Everywhere! Hands Off Occupy -------! - and just changing the name of the city. It is the same struggle, same fight for all of us so let’s begin to act that way.

*********
Press Release: Resounding Silence, General Strike Over Marine Injured by Oakland Police

October 27th, 2011

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 27, 2011*
Contacts: OccupyBostonMedia@gmail.com
Twitter: @occupyBOS_media
MEDIA BLACKOUT ENTERS SECOND DAY AS IRAQ VETERAN SCOTT OLSEN REMAINS IN SERIOUS CONDITION, OCCUPY OAKLAND CALLS FOR GENERAL STRIKE NOVEMBER 2

Scott Olsen, 24—a former member of the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines and a veteran of two tours in Iraq—remains in serious condition at Highland Hospital in Oakland with a fractured skull and brain swelling. Riot police fired a projectile into Olsen’s face on Tuesday before throwing flash grenades at his fellow protesters while they attempted to move him to safety. Despite the severity of Olsen’s injuries, local and national media have largely ignored the story. As of Thursday morning, The Boston Herald and FOX 25 had no definite plans to cover the incident, nor had Oakland’s citizen review board opened an official inquiry.

Videos posted to YouTube depicting a member of the riot police throwing a flash grenade at protesters attempting to help the injured Olsen have stirred international outrage, but coverage remains minimal.

Last night, thousands marched to retake Oscar Grant Plaza for Occupy Oakland before calling for a general strike on November 2, saying:
We as fellow occupiers of Oscar Grant Plaza propose that on Wednesday, November 2, 2011, we liberate Oakland and shut down the 1%. We propose a city-wide general strike and we propose that we invite all students to walk out of school. Instead of workers going to work and students going to school, the people will converge on downtown Oakland to shut down the city.All banks and corporations should close down for the day or we will march on them.
********

Occupy Boston stands in solidarity with Scott Olsen and with Occupy Oakland as we continue our peaceful pursuit of international economic justice. We are the 99%, and we are no longer silent.

Up, Up And Away- George Clooney’s “Up In The Air”-A Film Review

Click on the headline to link to a Wikipedia entry for the film Up In The Air.

DVD Review

Up In The Air, starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Paramount Pictures, 2009

The last time that I reviewed a film starring George Clooney in this space he portrayed a much put-upon, but ultimately triumphant, fixer-man lawyer in the film Michael Clayton. I mentioned there that you may “buy” the fixer-man off, you may knock him around the courts a little with some silly law suit but in no way do you try to kill the bugger when he is doing what he does best, fixing things. Apparently, according the story line here where Clooney plays the hatchet-man for a company that “fires” high level people for those who do not want to get their hands messy, or place themselves in the line of fire if things go awry, that same poor judgment prevails here.

Oh no, no one is trying to kill Brother Clooney here, well, except maybe kill his spirit through the huge advances in communications technology that allow a company to avoid the expenses associated with flying all over the place in economic bad times to do the ”canning” and thus taking away an old school-style job from Clooney that he has become skilled at. It seems that somebody at headquarters got the bright idea to do the whole process by remote control, through computers. And the avatar of that idea was none other than a freshly- minted MBA (played by Anna Kendrick) out to win her spurs in the tough world of high-tech software innovations. Along the way though, as she tags along with Clooney on his aero-rounds, she gets “religion” and steps away to find a more socially useful way to flaunt her skills.

But back to George. See, he can see the writing on the wall a little but he is determined to run a rearguard action to defend his reason for existence, his style. Here he is clearly the first, well maybe not first but close, post-modern plastic card man who like Saul Bellows’ Dangling Man, or any one of a number of John Updike’s modern men, lives a purely existential life, and likes it. With the exception of a baffling relationship with a fellow female business-class traveler (played by fetching Vera Farmiga) who, shockingly (to Clooney) and incongruously (to me), turns out to be just another soccer mom on a lark his life, his solo life, is lived in hotels, airplanes, and rental cars. By the way (BTW for the cyber-slang crazed) George Clooney’s cool, clinical demeanor, and his quietly-determined quest for ever more frequent-flyer miles is perfect in this role. But one more time-don’t mess with the fixer-man, or the hatchet-man, not if his name is Clooney. Got it.

From #Occupied Boston (#TomemonosBoston)-Day Twenty-Eight Round-Up- An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers!–No Mas- The Class-War Lines Are Being Drawn- There Is A Need To Unite And Fight, Nationally And Internationally, Or Get Picked Off One By One

Click on the headline to link to updates from the Occupy Boston website.Occupy Boston started at 6:00 PM, September 30, 2011. I will post important updates as they appear on that site.
********
We Created The Wealth, Let's Take It Back! Labor And The Oppressed Must Rule!
********
#TomemonosBoston

Somos la Sociedad conformando el 99% -Dewey Square, Cercerde South Station

#Tomemonos Boston se reuniarin en el Dewey Square en Downtown Boston a discutir cambios que la ciudadania puede hacer en el gobierno que afecte un cambio social positivo.
******
Markin comment October 25, 2011

Comment made in reaction to the police raid on the Occupy Oakland site.

And as always-everybody, young or old, needs to stand by this slogan - An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers Everywhere! Hands Off Occupy Oakland!
*****
Markin comment October 26, 2011:

Comment made in reaction to the police raid on the Occupy Atlanta site.

This having to send solidarity messages almost daily is getting too redundant, way too redundant. Forget this notion of each occupation site being a separate operation. We had better unite to fight nationally (and internationally) or they (and you know who the "they" is) will pick us off one by one like they are doing now. It is the same struggle, same fight! An injury to one is an injury to all!

**********
Markin comment October 27, 2011:

The news from the Occupy movement the past few days has been grim, from the woods (okay, sort of woods) of New Hampshire to the hard-bitten cities of Oakland and Atlanta, Occupy sites have been raided and torn down. Each such defeat for the Occupy movement only emboldens the local satraps of bourgeois order in other locales to emulate their fellow authorities. I say No mas, no more, nix. The Occupy movement has prided itself on its decentralized structure and for the first few weeks that held up fairly well. That time, however, is now passing.

The signs are clear that the bourgeoisie (the one-percent and their hangers-on) have decided that enough is enough. Enough of unsightly campsites, unruly crowds, and worst of all, those slogans being shouted in the streets about taking their dough away. The bourgeoisie will let many thing pass but not threats to their control of society and to their dough. So we need to gear up, stop thinking we are dealing with a rational enemy, and think more about the class-war lines that are being drawn by them even as I write.

Movements like the Occupy movement, which has moved many people off dead-center, do not come around often enough for us to squander the valuable human resources we have accrued in our current fight for social justice. I will more write about this situation as events unfold but for now, as I made a point of in the headline to this entry, we had better think about uniting our forces, nationally and internationally, in a much more politically organized way than has been done thus far. Frankly I am getting tired of, almost daily, cutting and pasting my main slogans- An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!-Defend All The Occupation Sites And All The Occupiers Everywhere! Hands Off Occupy -------! - and just changing the name of the city. It is the same struggle, same fight for all of us so let’s begin to act that way.