One thing for certain, we won't find all the answers in the history books.
Being a pragmatist, I'm guessing that it would be difficult for even
the most broad minded man raised as Roosevelt was raised, to relate to
Blacks as equals. I could understand that FDR needed the Dixiecrat's
vote to push his reforms through congress, but I don't see where he
then supported legislation to set conditions that would make Blacks
more equal. In fact, the case could be made that FDR was racist when
he approved the government rounding up Japanese Americans on the West
Coast.
It's very hard for me to believe that he approved out of concern for
their safety, as some believed, when a large majority of them, upon
being released, had no home or property to return to. To this day
there are Japanese Americans here in Western Washington with whom the
government has never settled. Nearly 75 years!
Carl Jarvis
On 11/13/19, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
About FDR, it's interesting. It's certainly possible that he was a political
realist and he short changed the Negro in order to get the rest of his
program passed. It's also possible that he just didn't care. I read that
really long, 3 volume book about Eleanor. When you read books about her, you
get the impression that if it weren't for her prodding and pushing, FDR
might have been a very different kind of president. Who knows? Look at the
families they came from and at the influence of his mother. The big
influence in Eleanor's young life was education in a European girls' school
and the influence of its female director. Also, Eleanor was a lesbian, or at
least, bisexual. I imagine that feeling different from other girls, as she
must have, might have made her more empathetic to people who didn't fit in.
Again, who knows?
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Wednesday, November 13, 2019 4:30 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: [blind-democracy] RE: [blind-democracy] Re:
[blind-democracy] RE: [blind-democracy] Why working people shouldn’t join
the liberals’ impeachment crusade
Miriam,
No problem with what you say. And I agree that some presidents like LBJ
were people I would never invite to Thanksgiving dinner. But in LBJ's case,
as well as with FDR, they exhibited a level of social awareness that other
presidents did not have, in spite of their facades. Speaking of FDR, whom I
remind you was our family Saint, when I was a boy, it was years before I
realized that he dealt with the Dixicrats. turning a blind eye and deaf ear
to the problems of the Negroes, and his racist behavior toward the Japanese
Americans.
I become impatient with people who say, "It might not be perfect, but our
form of government is better than any others".
Carl Jarvis
On 11/12/19, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Carl,
I differentiate between the fact that all of the presidents are part
of, and represent a flawed system that doesn't serve all of its
citizens, and a President who openly flouts the law and the moral
values that he is supposed to be upholding. There's a difference
between someone who harbors racist feelings and a president who
exhibits them openly and encourages them in others, from a man who is
a typical male chauvinist, and one who openly sexually abuses large
numbers of women and brags about it. I'm sure that every wealthy
person has found ways of skirting the law, but Trump does it brazenly
and openly. It is a terrible mistake, both ethically and
pragmatically, not to have attempted to publicly stop him from
continuing, regardless of whether or not the people who are doing the
impeaching are free of sin. And by the way, LBJ, one of the two
presidents who got social legislation passed, was a real bastard of a
human being, just in case you forgot. He was a bully and he treated
people horribly. But he passed important legislation that helped
people and he hid or suppressed his racism. We don't expect our
presidents to be saints. There were FDR's extra marital relationships,
as well as the many that JFK had. But both those men, and the press, kept
their frolicks under wraps because we expect a certain demeanor and
dignity from our presidents.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Tuesday, November 12, 2019 6:36 PM
To: blind-democracy <blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: [blind-democracy] RE: [blind-democracy]
Why working people shouldn’t join the liberals’ impeachment crusade
gree. "the reason given for impeachment is inadequate."
Why? Because regardless of the reason, impeachment will solve nothing
at all. Yes, I do believe that Donald Trump has "earned" the right to
face impeachment. Yes, I believe that Donald Trump is unstable. Yes,
I believe that he is corrupt, self serving, a womanizer, a
narcissistic bully and more. But some of those who sit in judgement
of Donald Trump are cut from the same cloth, and serve the same Master.
.
Even if Donald Trump goes to excesses, at the core he is just another
of the "good old boys". Although I do not oppose impeachment, nothing
will change, fundamentally. In my entire 84 years there has never
been a president who was not under the spell of the Ruling Class. Nor
a Congress. The Establishment never gave up control. Even under
duress in the 30's and 40's, FDR made changes on behalf of the
Establishment by convincing the Ruling Class that in order to survive
they must give back some of their gains. Since 1932 only two
presidents have taken measures that provided relief to the Lower and
Working Classes: FDR and LBJ.
Today all indications are that the Great American Empire is falling in
on itself, and there is little we, the Working Class can do to prevent
it. If we try, and many have, we are attacked by the bully boys of
the Establishment, and jailed for all the reasons that should be
calling us Heroes.
Carl Jarvis
On 11/12/19, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
So I see impeachment differently and I have mixed feelings about it.
I accept that we are living in an unfair, degraded corporate system,
but here it is. Given the history and culture of the US and the
financial and military power of the ruling elite, I sincerely doubt
that this system will be overthrown by a peaceful or not so peaceful,
socialist revolution. It's more likely to be taken over by the
Fascist Right. However, impeachment is a recognized means for
bringing to justice, a public official who has completely disregarded
the norms and rules of government. From the day he took office, Trump
did that in terms of his implementation of racist policies, his
public statements which incited people to violence, his clear
disrespect for recognized norms and rules, his blatant use of his
office to enrich himself and his family, his installation of family
members in government positions for which they weren't qualified, and
his demonstrated disrespect for a free press. There were his
manipulation of funds to pay off women who might damage his
reputation, his use of a private security force in addition to the
secret service, all kinds of stuff. I just don't think that those
things should have been allowed to proceed without immediate moves to
stop him, and that would either be impeachment or removal from office
because of mental incompetence. Neither Republicans nor Democrats
would do what obviously had to be done, because of political reasons.
The Democrats chose, what they thought would be, a more acceptable
path, but which was obviously stupid. Now, it's just too late and
politically dumb, and again, the reason given for impeachment is
inadequate.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx On Behalf Of Roger Loran
Bailey (Redacted sender "rogerbailey81" for DMARC)
Sent: Tuesday, November 12, 2019 1:23 PM
To: blind-democracy <blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [blind-democracy] Why working people shouldn’t join the
liberals’
impeachment crusade
Commenting on the below article. I am so glad that the Militant
published this article making it clear that they do not support
Donald Trump in any way. These articles expressing disdain for the
impeachment drive have been making me very uncomfortable. I could see
that they were not expressing support for Trump, but I was afraid
that it was not clear to everyone and I can't blame Virginia
Wilkinson for thinking that the Militant did support Trump. It really
seemed to be coming close to that.
I am not a supporter of impeachment myself. The reasons given here
for not giving impeachment our support are legitimate enough, but in
my case I just don't see it as our fight. It is a question of
squabbling among the bourgeoisie and if Trump is impeached or if
Trump is removed from office it really doesn't effect the rest of us
all that much. I don't see that Mike Pence would be any better than
Trump. But having disdain for the impeachment drive is a far cry from
supporting Trump.
I can only say that I would really like the Militant to make that as
clear?? in every article about that subject as it does in this article.
https://themilitant.com/2019/11/09/why-working-people-shouldnt-join-t
h
e-liberals-impeachment-crusade/
Reply to a reader
Why working people shouldn???t join the liberals??? impeachment
crusade
??By Terry Evans
Vol. 83/No. 42
November 18, 2019
In a letter to the Militant?? reader Virginia Wilkinson says she
started reading the paper for its good labor coverage, but cannot
???sympathize with your support for Donald Trump, who has shown no
signs of genuine support for working people.???
But the Militant?? has never offered one ounce of support to the
president.
For 90 years since it first came out, the Militant?? has never backed
any Democrat, Republican or other capitalist politician. And there is
no question Donald Trump ??? a real estate mogul ??? rules for the
propertied class.
The Militant?? campaigned in every 2016 issue for Alyson Kennedy, the
Socialist Workers Party candidate for U.S. president, and urged
workers to break from the two parties of capitalist rule, the
Democrats and Republicans, no matter who they nominated.
The paper???s headline that Wilkinson cites ??? ???Liberals Drive to
Oust Trump Built on Fear of Working Class??? ??? accompanies an
article that explains, ???All wings of the Democratic Party, like
Trump and all the Republicans, defend the interests of the
country???s capitalist rulers at home and stand ready to wield
Washington???s military might to advance their interests abroad.???
And the Militant?? champions battles by labor and all those oppressed
and exploited against the bosses, their politicians and the
government in power that serves them, including Trump???s.
But there are crucial questions for working people in opposing the
campaign of the liberals and their craven media that seek to overturn
the 2016 election. Their real target is the working people who voted
for Trump, or who couldn???t bring themselves to vote for any of the
bosses???
candidates.
This includes millions of workers Hillary Clinton called
???deplorable,???
who were looking for a change from what successive Democratic and
Republican administrations have done to aid the bosses in their
assaults on workers.
These attacks have not let up during the so-called economic recovery
that followed the 2007 financial crisis. Millions were drawn to vote
for someone like Trump, who stood outside the factions of both
bourgeois parties, and who demagogically claimed he would halt the
carnage facing working people and ???drain the swamp??? in Washington.
The liberals ??? who have backed the capitalist rulers??? drive to
boost profits whenever they???ve been in office ??? think they???re
entitled to ???regulate??? and control the lives of the rest of us,
especially those who don???t vote the way they think we should.
Democratic Congressman Al Green says the reason Trump must be
impeached is to prevent people from reelecting him.
Rising fear of working people
Liberals along with the ruling rich have a rising fear of working
people.
They fear us because growing numbers of working people recognize that
the bosses and their parties have no solution to the crisis of their
system that doesn???t involve making workers pay. This has made more
workers open to fighting declining living and working conditions and
to discussing an independent working-class political road forward.
The capitalist rulers fear coming working-class struggles ??? battles
in which our confidence in our own capacities will grow, as we
acquire consciousness of ourselves as a fighting class with interests
in common with other workers worldwide.
The Militant?? tells the truth about the methods used by the liberals
in their witch hunt of the president that are dangerous for the
working class.
These include using and praising Washington???s political police, the
FBI and CIA; grand juries and secret star chamber ???hearings???; and
hearsay claims from secret witnesses you have no chance to confront
or refute.
All these are features of the capitalist ???justice??? system
that???s regularly used against workers. But in this case it involves
an effort to impeach and indict a capitalist politician who was
elected to the presidency. They???re taking steps to limit the
franchise to prevent us ???voting the wrong way.???
They trample on constitutional protections working people have fought
for???
from the Bill of Rights to the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the
U.S.
Constitution conquered in the second American Revolution. These are
crucial to protect our ability to discuss and act in our own class
interests without government disruption. The anti-Trump ???resistance???
sets precedents to be used against fighting workers and opponents of
Washington???s wars as the crisis of capitalism deepens, as the
rulers have done time and time again.
Opposing the liberals??? drive to oust the president can???t be
equated with giving him one iota of political support. Working people
have nothing to gain from relying on the bosses, their parties or
their government, and everything to win by organizing ourselves
independently of them to fight for our own class interests. Jealously
guarding our hard-won rights is a cornerstone of working people???s
line of march forward.
In This Issue
Front Page Articles ???Asarco strike deserves support of all workers
???US-Chinese rulers??? rivalry grows despite new trade deal
??????Break from bosses 2-party system, build a labor party???
???New book ???The Turn to Industry??? boosts fall ???Militant,???
book drive ???Why working people shouldn???t join the liberals???
impeachment crusade ???California blackout, fire show need for
workers control of power companies
Feature Articles ???Iraqi protests grow, demand halt to Tehran???s
interference ???Socialist Workers Party 2020 campaign program
Also In This Issue ???As competition heats up, retail bosses tell
workers, ???Speed up???
???DC meeting: ???US hands off Cuba and Venezuela???
???UK election: ???Workers need our own political party???
???Fight continues to keep last abortion clinic in Missouri ???Israel
protest: ???Don???t deport Filipino classmates???
???Courts back two capitalist parties??? ballot monopoly ???After GM
workers settle, workers at Ford debate, vote on new contract ???Fall
Campaign to sell Militant subscriptions and books (week 4)
???Socialist Workers Party Fund Drive (week 4)
Books of the Month ??????Communism is not a doctrine, but a movement???
25, 50 and 75 years ago
Letters
?? Copyright 2019 The Militant?? -?? 306 W. 37th Street, 13th floor
-?? New
York, NY 10018?? -?? themilitant@xxxxxxx
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Okay, thank
--
---
David Hume
??? In our reasonings concerning matter of fact, there are all
imaginable degrees of assurance, from the highest certainty to the
lowest species of moral evidence. A wise man, therefore, proportions
his belief to the evidence. ???
??? David Hume,