Blackest Friday

The Progressive American Abroad heads home this week, but not before discovering how the disease of late-stage capitalism has infected the entire world.

Blackest Friday

by C.A. Matthews 

Votes for Women!

There are several explanations about how the term "Black Friday" came about. One story tells us it was coined during the Suffragette era. On November 18, 1910, 300 women in London marched on parliament in support of women’s voting rights. The day became known as Black Friday due to the extreme violence of the police response.

But the most common reason given is the  Friday after Thanksgiving was the first day most retailers fell into the "black" on their ledgers and made a profit because Christmas shoppers began shopping in earnest. Hence, the name "Black Friday."

Black Friday has now become such an integral part of most American autumnal celebrations that it inspired new terms such as "Small Business Saturday" and "Cyber Monday" and "Giving Tuesday." One might assume all these new holidays were only present in North America because it's primarily Americans and Canadians who celebrate Thanksgiving. Nothing can be further from the truth as the sign above posted in the window of a British toy and model shop called Langley's attests.

The British have decided to adopt an American custom, but not the one centered around friends and family and giving thanks. Instead, they have taken a fancy to a manufactured holiday centered around consumerism and forcing workers to work long hours away from their families. Somehow it seems more than appropriate that this American tradition has to do with exploiting the masses in order to make the filthy rich even richer while simultaneously not helping the poor, downtrodden wage slaves. It is nothing if not downright sociopathic and sinister, the American virtues of the twenty-first century.

That's not to say that Americans have a monopoly on exploitation and conspicuous consumption. Living in an English city this past month hasn't made me blind to what's going on in these parts. The British are every bit as materialistic as your next Westerner. There are designer duds and high-end fashion shops everywhere. Pricey cars clog the thoroughfares just as badly, if not worse, than most American cities. They have just as many chain box stores, upscale eateries and fast food joints as any urban area in the US, and they are hungry for more. 

The British variety of banksters extend credit and create seductive commercials on the telly to entice people into crippling debt. Sorry to say, but Black Friday would exist in the UK with or without the title. The one-percent never met a working class anywhere that it didn't want to take advantage of, and the British public are ripe for the picking.

I find it a little sad to think how universal the philosophy of materialism has become during the Christmas season. We have taken a holiday (a "holy day") about God's gift of a savior to the world and flipped it on its head. We have made it all about us, the needy consumers and greedy capitalists who try to outdo each other in purchasing gifts that are often not wanted or even needed and will more than likely wind up in a landfill within a month or two. 

When and where did this orgy of avarice and waste begin?

Many historians credit Queen Victoria and her husband Albert with the popularization of Christmas trees, holiday decorations and gift-giving on a big scale. Victorian-era toy makers and card publishers made the most of the royal family's celebrations and encouraged others to do the same. British and Americans alike took to the new fad with great enthusiasm, never once looking back to remember the deeper meaning behind the holiday.

Perhaps it's fitting that the culture that made gift-giving the thing to do every December 25th has at last absorbed the ultimate consumer fest.

Happy Black Friday, Great Britain! May you (in time) grow weary of the endless cycle of buy, buy, buy! And remember: not everything that comes out of America is worth copying. Look at what's sitting in the Oval Office currently... Yeah, you really don't want to go there.

BREAKING NEWS from Good Jobs Nation: General Motors just announced that it will be laying-off thousands of American workers and closing down many plants all together.

Here’s the bottom line: Trump gave GM over $700 million in federal contracts — on top of massive tax breaks — without doing anything to prevent top executives from pocketing the money and betraying American workers.

With the stroke of a pen, Trump could act to save thousands of families from economic terror. Add your name here to demand that he take immediate action with an Executive Order!

Worth reading:
Pathological Consumption Has Become So Normalised That We Scarcely Notice It--
https://www.filmsforaction.org/articles/pathological-consumption-has-become-so-normalised-that-we-scarcely-notice-it/

Worth watching:
 Amazon workers strike in Italy, Spain, Germany, and the UK! https://youtu.be/KQCk0Ek7cRY
 
Reports say Amazon ask police to stop massive workers strike on Black Friday in Spain.  https://youtu.be/k6sTHIEXtu4

***

The epidemic of late stage capitalism needs to be wiped out once and for all--but we can't do it if we're not allowed to speak freely!

 The Revolution Continues has set up an easy way to donate to the cause of ending the scourge of the oligarchy and keeping it ad-free. Three years plus without obnoxious ads (that many news sites have to cover costs) has been great, but the editor does have to pay for internet, electricity, etc., out of her own pocket, and she would like to be able to pay her contributors in the future.

Please consider donating a buck, $5, $10 or $20--any amount you can share with us to keep this progressive site going without those awful ads is appreciated. Help us become a strong alternative voice protesting against the corrupt establishment and its paid-off corporate mouthpieces. Give to TRC today. Thank you.

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And thanks to a generous reader, we have a  domain name. Please share the link: http://therevolutioncontinues.com

Power to the people and not the corporations!

 ***

From Credo:

Disgraceful: The U.S. border patrol just tear gassed mothers with children and toddlers in diapers seeking asylum on our southern border.¹

Every day, Donald Trump's white supremacist war on immigrants grows worse. Just last week, the White House issued a memo authorizing the troops at the border to use lethal force against asylum seekers.² The tear-gassing of families shows that Trump's plan to have the military treat immigrants like enemy combatants in a war zone is no idle threat.

This is America under Trump, and it is shameful. Though Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis has the authority to order troops to use lethal force, he has not yet done so. In fact, Trump's order for lethal force may be unconstitutional.³ It is the responsibility of people of conscience to speak out and demand that Mattis put a check on Trump before the situation gets even worse.

Tell Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis: No lethal force at the border. Click here to sign the petition.

The reports of Customs & Border Patrol's actions are truly shocking:⁴

Children screamed and coughed amid the gas, The Associated Press reported. The wind carried the aerosol chemicals toward people hundreds of feet away who were not attempting to enter the U.S., the wire service noted. One woman collapsed unconscious amid the chaos, and two babies sobbed with tears running down their faces from the gas, Reuters reported.

CREDO members will continue to press to end the racist, anti-immigrant culture that gives birth to such horrors. That includes cracking down on ICE and the the Customs & Border Patrol's complicity in terror. The heads of the ICE and CBP unions were in the room with Trump last week when he gave the order for lethal force.⁵

Right now, we need an urgent call to stand down before tear gas turns into live bullets.

Tell Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis: No lethal force at the border. Click here to sign the petition.

Let’s be clear: The United States is not under attack. The families walking from Central America are survivors of deadly state and domestic violence, climate devastation and poverty.⁶ They are coming to exercise their right under U.S. law to petition for asylum.

But instead of fulfilling his legal obligation to evaluate their asylum claims,⁷ Trump plans to terrorize migrants with military force. His dangerous ploy is part of a white supremacist agenda that includes banning Muslims, restricting legal immigration, separating children from their families and denying citizenship to children of immigrants born in the United States.⁸

Further militarizing the border will do nothing to keep our country safe. But it will terrorize and harm vulnerable migrant families and add fuel to the fires of racism and xenophobia.

Tell Secretary of Defense James Mattis: No lethal force at the border. Click below to sign the petition:

https://act.credoaction.com/sign/no_lethalforce_border/?t=8&akid=30751%2E7206293%2EMrl8Kd

Thank you for speaking out,

Nicole Regalado, Campaign Manager CREDO Action from Working Assets

Add your name:

References:

1. Mary Papenfuss, "Activists, Politicians React With Horror At Border Scenes Of Tear-Gassed Children," HuffPost, Nov. 25, 2018.
2. Eliana Johnson, "Fiery West Wing meeting led to more power for military at U.S.-Mexico border," POLITICO, Nov. 22, 2018.
3. Ibid.
4. Papenfuss, "Activists, Politicians React With Horror At Border Scenes Of Tear-Gassed Children."
5. Johnson, "Fiery West Wing meeting led to more power for military at U.S.-Mexico border."
6. Washington Office on Latin America, "9 Questions (and Answers) About the Central American Migrant Caravan," Oct. 22, 2018.
7. Maya Rhodan, "President Trump Threatened to Turn Back Caravan Migrants If They Don't Claim Asylum in Mexico. That's Not Legal," TIME, Oct. 23, 2018.
8. William Cummings and David Jackson, "President Trump says he plans to end birthright citizenship with an executive order," USA Today, Oct. 30, 2018.

---

From Just Foreign Policy:

“I believe that we will win!”

Share: Bernie Sanders interview

Share: Mike Lee interview

Share: Pelosi & Schiff
co-sponsoring Yemen War Powers Resolution

Share: National Day of Action Monday

Call the Senate:

1-833-STOP-WAR
(1-833-786-7927)

This week, we have a world-historical opportunity to end the monstrous, deliberate-famine-causing, unconstitutional U.S.-Saudi war in Yemen. The Senate will vote. We will win the Senate vote. Then the House will vote. We will win the House vote. When we win the Senate vote and the House vote, Trump and Mattis will end unconstitutional U.S. participation in the Saudi regime’s deliberate-famine-causing war in Yemen. When Trump and Mattis end U.S. participation in the Saudi regime’s war, the Saudi regime will agree to a ceasefire. When the Saudi regime agrees to a ceasefire, the United Nations and aid agencies will be able to get the resources and people in to Yemen to stop the famine. When the UN and aid agencies stop the famine, we can turn our attention to trying to achieve some measure of accountability for the bipartisan participation of the United States government in this world-historical atrocity.

Our Senate champions Bernie Sanders and Mike Lee were on the Sunday talk shows, which Washington journalists watch to find out what’s going to happen in Washington in the next week. Today, Bernie Sanders and Mike Lee used their platforms in the national media to tell the American people about the coming Senate vote to end the war. 


Here’s the first thing you can do: help us spread the Good News about the coming Senate vote, however you spread Good News, to whomever you spread Good News: 

Bernie Sanders confident bill stopping U.S. support of Saudi Arabia in Yemen can pass

Full Lee Interview: 'Congress has to take some ownership in U.S. foreign policy'

Here’s a second thing you can do: help us spread the Good News about the coming House vote: 
Leader Pelosi, top Intel Dem Schiff Back Yemen War Powers Resolution Ahead of House Vote

Here’s a third thing you can do: help us spread the word about the National Day of Action to End the War in Yemen on Monday:
- including actions in Rhode Island, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, DC

Here’s a fourth thing you can do: mark your calendar to call your U.S. Senators Monday morning using the toll-free number provided by the Friends Committee on National Legislation: 1-833-STOP-WAR (1-833-786-7927). Using FCNL’s number adds pressure on your Senators to do the right thing, because it allows FCNL to tell your Senators how many calls they received, so your Senators can’t pretend they’re not hearing from constituents.

Thanks for all you’re doing and will do to help end this monstrous war and famine, 

Sarah Burns, Hassan El-Tayyab, and Robert Reuel Naiman
Just Foreign Policy

  

***

From Four Directions:

We hope you enjoyed the weekend with family and friends and realize it has been a few days since you've heard from us. We cannot thank you enough for your interest and support for our cause to bring equal voting rights to our brothers and sisters in Indian Country.

Navajo votes made the difference in Arizona this year, but suppression continues and Four Directions has been busy fighting to ensure that Native ballots count this year, 2020, and beyond.

Late last week we announced a joint effort with the Navajo Nation Department of Justice Attorney General, Ethel Branch, suing the state of Arizona to protect Navajo Nation members right to vote and have their vote count in the 2018 election.

The lawsuit demands that Arizona provide equal access to the ballot box for all future elections – in a state with eleven electoral votes and a 2020 Senate race already being targeted by political leaders – with the equal access of 70,000 voting age Navajo Tribal members at risk.
 
Navajo Nation Attorney General Branch issued a news release last week regarding this lawsuit. We have included the background of Federal District Court Judge Lanza and Judge Lanza’s order setting a hearing in the case for tomorrow morning in Phoenix (scroll to bottom of this email for documents) Judge Lanza was nominated by President Trump in January, 2018 and was confirmed by the United States Senate in September, 2018.

We will have more details on the lawsuit and the impact Native votes made in 2018 shortly so stay tuned.


Warmly,
OJ Semans (Executive Director, Four Directions)

Navajo Nation Office of the Attorney General Press Release
Navajo Nation v. Michelle Reagan Pleadings Document
Judge Lanza Confirmation
Politico: Arizona key battleground in 2020

www.fourdirectionsvote.com

 

We Won't Need Money On Mars

We Won't Need Money On Mars
by C.A. Matthews

After I walked out of a convention panel discussion on possible cooperative efforts for humankind to colonize/utilize space, it hit me: We won't need  money on Mars or experience any of the ensuing headaches it causes. 

Once we've settled more or less permanently on another celestial body far from Earth, we won't need to encourage the destructive "screw your neighbor" mentality of our current materialistic system of governance and society any longer.  Goodbye late-stage capitalism!

Money will become completely useless after we've left Earth. Here's why I think its days are numbered:

1. Once human beings are far from home, they will be forced to depend upon each other for life itself. This is no mean feat. Upon landing on Mars (or the Moon or really anywhere outside of Earth in our solar system) to set up a colony, humans will need to do three things right away: build a protective shelter, produce a breathable atmosphere, and find a way to provide food and water. There's no avoiding or delaying these essential things, so--

2. Colonists will have to focus their time and energy on creating and providing these essentials for themselves and the other colonists. Life on Mars won't become a reality TV show game where each participant fights to be the last man standing and willingly sacrifices others to "win" the game. Oh, no, no, no! Every single person who has traveled great distances to colonize a new world will be necessary for the survival of everyone else. Every scientist, technician, agriculturalist, biologist, botanist, doctor, medic, psychologist, engineer, computer programmer, chef, artist, writer, musician, juggler, mother, father, child will be essential to the success of the mission and cherished because--

3. Every life will be seen as sacred and vital. There will be no "throw away people" like the homeless are seen in our current society. Humans will have to work together to build a protective shelter, such as a dome in a crater where humans can breathe and not explode due to lack of pressure, and it will become a communal home for all. Basic needs will be met--food, water, clothing, shelter--because all individuals are considered worthy of having those needs met. What purpose will it serve to hoard loads of material objects to prove one individual is more worthy when all are considered equals?

We will truly live "in community' with each other or, in other words, we'll live communally when we move to another world. Mi casa es su casa takes on a whole new meaning when you're living hundreds of millions of miles away from Earth. Of course we'll need scientists and medical personnel, but we'll also need those who will keep us sane and functioning, and psychologists, entertainers and artists alike provide needed services in that area. People who can't relax and enjoy themselves after a hard day's work  are prone to depression, which could compromise the health and safety of all. So it would be foolish to expel creative personalities into the vacuum of space or not feed and care for them. Each and every individual is rare and precious to the community and cannot easily be replaced.

For once in human history, we won't (or at least we shouldn't) feel the need to slaughter our fellow human beings in vast numbers to steal their land

and natural resources. We'll have to live together in a shelter (pressurized dome) by necessity. We'll need every individual to help each and everyone else to survive on a harsh world that wasn't created with our kind of life in mind. There will be no need to encourage the materialistic urge to take from others in order to survive since it is self-defeating. The "economic games" we currently play will at last be revealed for what they are--selfish, evil and downright destructive acts of sociopaths.

For instance, how does foreclosing on thousands of families' homes in 2008 help those families or the community (country) at large? It doesn't. How does bailing out billionaire bankers and real estate tycoons help grow food or provide clean water for the community (country) at large? It doesn't. Why did the US government take the second action and not the first then? This lack of moral leadership simply won't work on Mars. Maintaining peace and harmony is an important part of keeping everyone alive far from home. Greed will not be tolerated. And let's face it, greed doesn't work very well for us nowadays, does it?

Humanity's future in space looks brighter in contrast to the present here on Earth since we'll at last be forced to confront the shortcomings of the capitalist system. Before we pack our bags, however, we'll need to prepare ourselves through education.

For example, there are many great articles and videos online on the topic of Modern Monetary Theory (#MMT for short) which explain more on how humankind is moving away from the restrictive concept of money. There are many great articles and videos on the topic of Universal Basic Income (UBI) where no person is considered worthless since all are given an income to cover the bare necessities of life. There are many articles and videos on universal health care ("Medicare For All") that prove how much more cost effective providing health care to all is as well as being compassionate and caring.

Learn all you can about these subjects now before you decide to take a long trip to a distant planet. You'll be glad you did. Better yet, you'll be able to help implement these concepts right now on this planet. Your children and grandchildren will thank you.

The future of humankind doesn't have to be dark and depressing like the world of the Hunger Games. It can be optimistic like Star Trek (at least, the classic series).  We just have to work together to arrive at a destination that works for all and not just a few.

Related videos and articles:

Chris Hedges: Manufacturing Culture or Consent
https://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2018/10/13/chris-hedges-manufacturing-culture-or-consent/

What Is MMT And How It Works w/Stephanie Kelton  https://youtu.be/5baKgv7Zl5g

What is Monetary Oppression?
https://beanstocksworld.wordpress.com/2017/10/12/what-is-monetary-oppression/


A New Way to Stop the Big Banks
https://youtu.be/ZfPZEb618Tk

Late Stage Capitalism is Killing America w/Chris Hedges
https://youtu.be/_Anaiu6muz8 

***

If you can read this blog, consider yourself lucky. Lee Camp explains why in the following short video. Anti-establishment voices are being silenced without cause and without warning. Tomorrow your favorite podcast or online magazine could simply disappear, so please keep sharing this blog and all progressive news and views links with others. Thank you! https://youtu.be/qY80X6H72gU

More on the Facebook and Twitter purging:
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/10/12/cens-o12.html
 ***

The Truth Is More Valuable Than Money--Share Them Both!

The Revolution Continues has set up an easy way to donate to the cause of  spreading the truth. Three years plus without obnoxious ads (that many news sites have to cover costs) has been great, but the editor does have to pay for internet, electricity, etc., out of her own pocket, and she would like to be able to pay her contributors in the future. 

 

Please consider donating a buck, $5, $10 or $20--any amount you can share with us to keep this progressive site going is appreciated. Help us become a strong alternative voice protesting against the corrupt establishment and its paid-off corporate mouthpieces. Give to TRC today. Thank you. 

You can donate via Paypal at http://paypal.me/camatthews 

And thanks to a generous reader, we have a new domain name. 
Please share the link: http://therevolutioncontinues.com

Power to the people and not the corporations!

 ***

Add your name NOW and tell the Department of Health and Human Services to stop barring journalists from immigrant detention centers >>

 

TAKE ACTION

We deserve to know what’s happening in our names behind the closed doors of immigrant detention centers in the U.S. 

Right now, our government is detaining tens of thousands of immigrants, including over 12,000 children¹ -- a number that’s skyrocketed due to the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance policies. Some prisons that were at 30% capacity just one year ago are now up to 90% full² -- and many hold young children who have been forcibly separated from their parents. 

But we have no idea what condition these children and their families are kept in, or how they’re being treated -- because the Department of Health and Human Services isn’t letting journalists report on it. We deserve to know what’s going on in these facilities -- and our democracy relies on having a free and fair press that can investigate them. 

We have a right to hold our government accountable and demand justice for those being held in immigrant detention centers -- but to do that we must be privy to what’s really going on in these prisons. And that can’t happen without a free, uninhibited press. Now is the time to speak out and demand that the press be allowed to do their job -- so we can do ours. 

This can’t wait another day. Sign the petition and demand that journalists are granted full access to immigrant detention centers -- so we can know the truth.

 

Earlier this year, we learned that immigration officers were separating children from their families at the border, thanks to diligent reporting by investigative journalists. This outraged millions of Americans, and motivated a wave of civic activism -- spurring important nationwide conversations and policy changes. 

That is how our democracy is supposed to work. An informed public should be able to speak up, take action, and really make a difference in their government. But we can’t have an informed public without a free press -- and right now, the Trump Administration could be violating basic human rights behind a veil of secrecy. 

We need to show the Trump administration that we won’t stand for it. Our democracy depends on it. 

Stand together and demand that journalists be given immediate access to immigrant detention centers -- so they can report what’s going on.

 

Thanks for all you do,

Yosef Getachew, Director of Media and Democracy
and the team at Common Cause

 ***

The Midwest doesn't need a new tar sands pipeline.

Stop the Line 3 pipeline from threatening water, climate, and Indigenous rights. 

SIGN THE PETITION

Did you know that the pipeline company Enbridge wants to build a new, Keystone XL- sized tar sands pipeline through the Midwest? This is about to happen and we need to act. 

The plan is to build a pipeline with 300-plus miles crossing Minnesota's northern lakes, the headwaters of the Mississippi River, and Indigenous treaty lands. This dangerous project puts the climate, water, and communities at risk — and people all along the route are resisting this project. 

Water is vital for life. Wildlife and humans need clean water to survive. We must stop oil pipeline companies from putting groundwater, lakes, and rivers at risk of oil spills.

We are standing together with our friends and allies in Minnesota. We need you with us to tell Governor Mark Dayton he needs to do everything in his power to stop Line 3.

SIGN THE PETITION

If Line 3 is built, that means that this dangerous tar sands oil would put the water, communities, and the climate at risk, as well as treaty rights for the Indigenous Nations the pipeline would pass through. If this oil spills in water, it can’t be fully cleaned up.

There’s a lot at risk! We don’t need more pipelines, and we can’t build more if we are serious about tackling climate change. We need more renewable energy solutions that will safeguard the planet now and for future generations.

Governor Dayton has a key role to play in protecting Minnesota, the climate, and the water from the impacts of yet another tar sands pipeline. He oversees the state agencies that will decide on Line 3. So let’s show the Governor that there's already public pressure from across the country telling him to stop this pipeline!

We are counting on you!

Together in resistance,

Vicky Wyatt
Climate Campaigner, Greenpeace USA

P.S. The next few months are crucial in the fight to stop this tar sands pipeline from being built! Take action today and ask Governor Dayton to stop the pipeline.

***

From Americans for Tax Fairness:

The Nuns on the Bus are back on the road again. This time for tax fairness!

The Tax Ju$tice Truth Tour is heading around the country, eventually ending at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida with a Tax Justice Parade and Fiesta for the Common Good. Between now and Election Day they’ll be traveling through competitive districts, holding Congressional Republicans accountable for their vote on the #GOPTaxScam.

Click here to see the full list of stops on the Nuns on the Bus Tax Ju$tice Truth Tour. And RSVP for one nearest you!

Americans for Tax Fairness Action Fund is supporting these events and more -- highlighting how the Trump-GOP tax cuts are giving giant handouts to the richest 1% and big corporations, providing tax breaks to outsource jobs, and threatening critical services from health care to Social Security, and education to food stamps. 

Since being founded in 2012, the Nuns on the Bus have played an important role in highlighting numerous social justice issues across the country. With Congressional Republicans’ relentless attacks on critical services for working families, we are thrilled to stand side-by-side with the Nuns on the Bus, demanding tax fairness and an investment in our country’s future.

Click here to find an event near you and RSVP today!

With just 24 days until Election Day, join us in helping expose the truth about the Trump-GOP Tax Scam.

Thank you for all that you do to demand a tax system and an economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthy few.

Best,
Eileen Toback
Campaign Director
Americans for Tax Fairness Action Fund