The Infamous Ink

Chicago Rally, May 1 2008

Filed under: Chicago, International, Non-Academic, Civil Liberties, Digg.com, Chicago Students for a Democratic Society — Infamous Ink @ 2:02 am

Greetings Fellow Students, Members of the Community and Infamous Ink Readers:
This Thursday, May 1^st, people will turn out across the country to demonstrate and march in celebration of International Workers’ Day, to march for immigrant and labor rights, continuing the struggle of progressive movements through out the history of liberal-capitalism to effect economic and social change. Thursday’s marches are the occasion to recognize and enumerate the intolerable social and political situations enabled by that system today and to demand:

universal amnesty, equal rights in the workplace, the right to unionize, the Employee Free Choice Act, fair wages and full employment, the end of the occupation in Iraq, equal access to education, universal healthcare

CALLING ALL STUDENTS:

Leave campus to join fellow progressive labor and community organizations to

WITHHOLD LABOR and MARCH AND RALLY DOWNTOWN

Take part in a movement to change our society!

Join major events in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, San Antonio, Dallas Texas, Atlanta Ga, Phoenix, other cities in the United States and Latin America.

Meet at 11:00 am at Ashland and Ogden, and march together to Union Park for a public rally!

Here are five reasons why students of conscience should take part in Thursday’s mobilizations:

1. Student movements have played a major role in social struggles for democracy and civil rights. Students have a unique place in public discourse, as the young people in national institutions of learning, we have the task and privilege to envision and shape the future of our society.

2. Students come from communities that are effected by today’s political problems; we have friends and family who are serving in Iraq, who are threatened by deportation because they do not have legal documentation to work in this country, who do not have access to healthcare, and who labor without just compensation.

3. Students have a unique role in international political discourse. We inhabit the international institutions of higher education, and we benefit from access to funds to study and travel abroad. We study with fellow students and professors from around the world, and are thus empowered to develop a critical international perspective on political issues in this country.

4. Our ‘workplace,’ the university, is an ideal place of political discourse, we have logistical and practical tools to share information and organize ourselves that people working in other parts of society do not have access to.

5. We need to create an international community of citizens of conscience, willing to stand up and send a message to our political leaders, and the rest of society. We need to show that the American public is demanding comprehensive immigration policy reform that protects the civil and human rights of all workers, both native and foreign, who work in this country and contribute to this nation’s wealth.

The Chicago Students for a Democratic Society stand with other progressive community and labor organizations to march on May 1^st.

Take a stand! Join more than 100 students across Chicago that are already planning to come out.

Please look at the following links for more information:

[RIGHT HERE] Visit the site of one of the major coalition groups planning the May 1^st march.
[RIGHT HERE] - Read an article on the state of progressive politics of immigration and labor rights.
[RIGHT HERE] -Listen to an audio file of a panel discussion with organizers of the May 1^st marches for student organizers.

In solidarity,

Ben Blumburg, Ashleigh Campi, Ian Morrison

Chicago Students for a Democratic Society

The Platypus Affiliated Society

Comments (4)

RIP Heath

Filed under: Non-Academic — Infamous Ink @ 12:03 am

Unbelievable… Un-absolutely-flocking-believable. How could John Gibson say those things? I am an adamant supporter of civil liberties, especially the First Amendment, however; Mr. Gibson could have exercised a little self censorship and class when discussing the tragic loss of Heath Ledger.

To the people important in Mr. Ledger’s life, The Infamous Ink dot com extends our deepest sympathies in your time of mourning. Please, ignore the comments made by Gibson and FOX; they do not reflect the opinions of real human beings.

RIP HEATH LEDGER

1979 — 2008

You will be missed!

Comments (0)

The King of all Alarmists

Filed under: Non-Academic, Election 2008 — Ginger @ 6:19 pm

Norman Podhoretz speaks on the endless, noble struggle against Islamoevilcomminazifacism.http://tv.nationalreview.com/uncommonknowledge/post/?q=MTE3NDkzMDA0NDdjYWQ3ODMxZjc1NjE0NDllZGY4YTg=

“10 to 15 percent of the Muslims in the world are either active or passive supporters of Al Quaeda.”

I’d like, just once, for one of these crazy people to back up these numbers.

I had planned on writing a very passionate rebuke to Mr. Podhoretz’ interview, but now that it’s come to it, I simply don’t know what to say. Outrage exhaustion, you might call it.

It’s easy to forget the reality on the ground during the middle of an election.

Today in Iraq 48 people were killed.

But we’re “winning the war” and the “surge is working” because they’re dying less often than they were 6 months ago.

One day, whether Norman Podhoretz or John Mccain like it or not, we are going to have to leave Iraq, and indeed, the entire region, because we simply ran out of money. What will that scene look like? I do not know. My words are falling short today and my crystal ball is murky. Maybe another writer can do it better…

“The helicopter carrying the last American to leave Vietnam joined a swarm of helicopters over the South China Sea, driven from their roosts on land and running out of gasoline. How was that for Natural History in the 20th century: the sky filled with chattering, man-made pterodactyls, suddenly homeless, unable to swim a stroke, about to drown or starve to death. Below us, deployed as far as the eye could see, was the most heavily armed armada in history, in no danger whatsoever from anyone. We could have all the deep blue sea we wanted, as far as the enemy was concerned. Enjoy!” -Kurt Vonnegut

Comments (1)

Follow the Money

Filed under: Non-Academic, Election 2008 — Ginger @ 12:01 am

In a previous column when I endorsed John Edwards, I posted links to the candidate’s positions on the major issues.Now comes an even more important look: the contributors to their campaigns. These are the interests that will truly decide the actions that these people will take when and if they take office.The new front runner and savior of us all, Barack Obama:

[HERE] you can see huge names in the banking and energy industries. So much for the voice of the people and the politics of change. Obama is taking huge money from the richest, most powerful, most corrupt people in the country and he is going to serve THEM, not us.

Hillary “Inevitable” Clinton:[HERE], if you look closely, or not so closely, you’ll see alot of the same names on Hillary’s contribution list as on Obama’s.And finally, John “Oh Fuck I lost Iowa” Edwards:What’s noticeable [HERE] is that not only are the names not as big, the numbers aren’t as big as the other two Democratic players. Of course there’s still Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, but the majority of his contributions are coming from lawyers and from private progressive citizens through Actblue.

The major candidates on both sides of the aisle are taking millions from corporations. Until this changes, nothing will change. Change. Change. This is the buzzword for this campaign, but I don’t see anyone really trying to push through campaign finance reform, which is the only real first step towards true change.

Comments (3)

January 10, 2008

Bipolar Bush

Filed under: International, Non-Academic — Infamous Ink @ 11:39 pm

I don’t know who President Bush is kidding with his grandiose promise of a Middle East peace treaty and Palestinian state. I firmly believe that some of his foreign policies are a joke among other nations while the majority sound like imperialistic wet dreams; this newest announcement by the usurper of the title “Leader of the Free World” falls into the latter. That’s right Mr. President, your pledge to see the emergence of a solid Middle East policy and stable Palestinian state is a joke… and I’m not the only one laughing.

Sounding like a joke (or, at the very least, the the regurgitated media snip-its from the Carter administration) aside I suppose I have to commend our government’s verbal commitment to building a Palestinian state “that doesn’t look like swiss cheese”. It might go a long way to stabilizing the Middle Eastern states’ domestic policies in addition to preventing a full blown international incident (i.e. dirty bombs and covert operations) or, worse yet, war with Iran.
Although, they way things are going, it looks like we are about to repeat the infamous Gulf of Tonkin incident, which launched the United States into the Vietnam Conflict.

Comments (0)

January 5, 2008

So, Iowa is Over… Now What?

Filed under: International, Non-Academic, Presidential Endorsements — Infamous Ink @ 8:58 pm

Well, my big nerd self watched the Iowa returns at my neighborhood bar. I couldn’t stand to sit at home, without anyone around, and yell at the TV for their shoddy coverage of Edwards, Kucinich and hell, even Mr. Ron Paul.

Obama is after all one of my Senators and Clinton is a Chicagoan (whatever that means in the topsy-turvy world of political rhetoric) but neither of them deserve this blogs endorsement or my vote when the Illinois primary swings through here in February. I am going to stick to my guns, however foolish you Clinton and Obamacrats think it is, and back Edwards and I encourage other “card carrying Greens” to do the same.

Let’s face it, Obama is a hawk (something I will not touch with a ten foot pole right now) and Clinton is just another legacy campaign that is part of the strict oligarchy of old money and families that have been expanding their spheres of influence and control for nearly eight decades. Both are out of touch with the needs of the 307-some-odd million Americans that have had to tolerate nearly 8 years of oligarchical and ethically questionable rule by the Bush administration.

According to a poll on democrats.com fifty percent of respondents want Edwards as the next President of the United States. New Hampshire, does that sway you?

Don’t let CNN, FOX or even the well respected and trusted NPR sway your better judgment. John Edwards is America’s best viable option for President; remember, this election is not about precedent and history, it is about getting America back on track as a world leader in technology, production and the economy. It is about restoring the respect in our foreign policies among other nations, ridding human rights abuses from our shores, military bases, farms, factories and work places. This election is about the people, for the people and ultimately needs to be led by the people and John Edwards is the only candidate that can do that.

Comments (2)

January 2, 2008

Presidential Endorsement 2008

Filed under: Non-Academic, Presidential Endorsements — Infamous Ink @ 2:20 pm

As many of my readers know I keep a link up on my site for John Edwards. I sensed that wasn’t endorsement enough–especially with the Iowa caucuses right around the corner (Thursday, Jan. 3)–and it was time to ACTUALLY write one. So, here it is America… The Editor of TheInfamousInk.com endorses John Edwards for President in 2008.

In his Plan to Build One America, John Edwards promises to:

*End the War in Iraq: We should immediately withdraw 40,000
to 50,000 combat troops and bring home the rest within nine to
ten months. We also need a “diplomatic surge” to engage all
nations in the region in reaching a political solution in Iraq.

*Guarantee Universal Health Care: This is a moral issue. I will
stand up to the big drug and insurance companies and
guarantee health care for every American, while cutting costs
and improving care. My plan costs $90 billion to $120 billion.
To pay for it, I will repeal the Bush tax cuts for families above
$200,000 a year to pay for it.

*Support Middle‐Class Families: I will raise the minimum
wage, strengthen workers’ rights to organize and reject bad
trade deals. I will help families save, cut taxes for middle‐class
families, protect pensions and lift millions out of poverty.

*Teach Our Children: We must end No Child Left Behind’s
punitive approach and restore a comprehensive curriculum. I
support universal early childhood education, smaller classes
and better teacher pay. My College for Everyone plan will
make college affordable for every student willing to work
part‐time.

*Achieve Energy Independence and Fight Global Warming: The
crisis of global warming demands action today. I will cap and
reduce greenhouse gases by 80 percent by 2050, as scientists
say is necessary, and invest in innovation and renewable
energy to create new jobs that cannot be sent overseas.

*Revitalize Rural America: My Rural Recovery Act will invest
in local Main Street businesses, attract new industries like
renewable energy and strengthen rural schools. I will stand
up for family farms with country‐of‐origin labeling, antitrust
enforcement, a ban on packer ownership and a moratorium on
building or expanding concentrated animal feeding operations.

(Source: John Edwards’ Plan to Build One America)

Mr. Edwards is a true progressive and, I believe, both exemplifies American virtues and has what is best for America in his heart. Dare I compare him to John or Bobby?

John Edwards for President in 2008!