Moveon.org 50-State Mobilization to Save the American Dream

[Joanne98]

Source: Moveon.org

Calling all students, teachers, union members, workers, patriots, public servants, unemployed folks, progressives, and people of conscience:

In Wisconsin and around our country, the American Dream is under fierce attack. Instead of creating jobs, Republicans are giving tax breaks to corporations and the very rich, and then cutting funding for education, police, emergency response and vital human services. The right to organize is on the chopping block. The American Dream is slipping out of reach for more and more Americans, and we have to fight back.

We call for emergency rallies in front of every statehouse this Saturday at noon to stand in solidarity with the people of Wisconsin. Demand an end to the attacks on workers' rights and public services across the country. Demand investment, to create decent jobs for the millions of people who desperately want to work. And demand that the rich and powerful pay their fair share.

We are all Wisconsin.

We are all Americans.



Read more: http://pol.moveon.org/callforaction/?rc=tw

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YAY!

[polichick]

1. K&R

[FreakinDJ]

2. just signed up - K&R

[Hell Hath No Fury]

3. K&R

[Maineman]

4. The Koch brothers do not have enough problems of their own to deal with.

[lsewpershad]

5. YES

It's time to start fighting back.

[Hosnon]

6. Signed up! BRING IT! nt.

[BobbyBoring]

7. But!

Aren't we falling in to the hands of the evil George Soros who wants a new world order??

I'm in

[RoccoR5955]

8. Done and Done! n/t

[humbled_opinion]

9. Well what exactly did the good people...

of Wisconsin, et, al. states, suppose they were voting for in NOV?

Isn't this exactly what the Pubs campaigned on?

You can't have it both ways.

If I remember correctly they claimed that raising taxes on corporations and the rich and increased government regualation, always get passed back down to the middle class consumers in the form of cost increases, IOW there is no such thing as Capitalist Altruism. So this only leaves us with the choice of cutting the cost of government.

[Truth2Tell]

18. the good people of Wisconsin

very likely supposed they were voting for something different than they got in NOV.

You see, in case you haven't noticed the Republicans lie. And they spread their lies with heaps of cash that they can now inject into the process with no accountability. They pushed that model in Wisconsin harder than almost anywhere in NOV. Now many of those good people of Wisconsin are coming to realize they were lied to and many are taking to the streets.

Your suggestion that "cutting the cost of government" is the only choice we are left with is flat out teabagger bullshit.

[humbled_opinion]

20. No...

I don't think people are stupid, and in fact Walker campainged on Lowering Corporate tax rates and for cutting back on government. To your other point all politicians lie, and it isn't my suggestion that cutting the cost of government is the only choice left it is simple a matter of prioritization. The government spends the peoples tax dollars if the government refuses to raise taxes then its simply a matter of common sense that in order to reduce defecits you must cut spending and thats not any kind of bullshit its simple common sense.

[Truth2Tell]

30. nope, sorry, teabagger bullshit. nt

[ehrnst]

51. Now they know that he's in the pocket of the Koch Bros - and will sell them state utilities.

That's not what they voted for.

[imaginary girl]

24. Many midwestern republicans vote on a single issue ... abortion ...

And others really thought the republicans could create jobs. Unfortunately, my fellow democrats and I don't outnumber them.

[No Elephants]

40. Did he run on union-busting?

I don't think all people are stupid, but "stupid" and "uninformed" have different meanings.

Most people do not follow politics closely, if a all. Poll after poll and survey after survey have proven that. PI never did myself until five or six years ago and I've followed it more closely only recently.

Political message board posters are not typical of the general population. Only a very small % of the adult population even bothers to vote in Presidential eletions (smaller in off years) and not all of the small % who vote really know what's going on.

Assuming most of the people of Wisconsin knew Walker's platform and understood all its economic and non-economic ramifications is a huge leap.

And, as another poster noted, many vote Republican on religious issues alone.

[humbled_opinion]

56. OK even if the people...

didn't really understand what they were getting when voting for this guy it doesn't matter anymore because ... This is where the gauntlet is being thrown down, Christie did it in NJ, Kasich is doing it in OH, and soon all of the Pub governors are going to adopt the same strategy to get their budgets under control. Every Pub lists reduction in government employees and benefits as a way to reduce spending, and here is the big Kahuna, if it is allowed to happen and if it shows some reduction in state government spending the rightwingers (teabaggers, etc) will trumpet this as the solution at the federal level, I see this as the snowball that started an avalanche.

[Ahpook]

10. Kicked and rec'd

Now or never America!

[Firebrand Gary]

11. Let's get in this fight!

We cannot let the lives and families of union workers falter. I care.

[No Elephants]

36. As Sen. Sanders pointed out, this affects all workers, not only union members or public employees.

He explained that as long as unions can improve salaries and benefits for a good number of workers, other employers have to do something to be competetive.

Of course, his remarks do apply less when people are desperate for a job--any job-- but if we ever have a job recovery....

[abq e streeter]

12. Just returned from the rally at the Statehouse in Santa Fe ...good turnout, lots of good energy...

Can't make Saturday's but many of my teacher friends who I tried my best to represent today , will be able to attend Saturday.

[Daemonaquila]

13. Please rally to support WI, but not through MoveOn.

By all means, let's support the people of Wisconsin (and Ohio, and Kentucky, and a number of other places where this attack is starting). Just don't do it "through" MoveOn. After a possibly promising start, they quickly became another slacktivist group that harvests liberal emails for endless meaningless "call-outs" and pleas for money.

That link is just another email harvesting trick. There's no organizing going on, just a CALL TO ENDORSE the idea of getting 50-state support. Big whoop. Instead, go call your union or any active union in your area, and see if there's any organizing going on in your state. Or take a road trip to Madison. Just get out in the streets and make some noise. And just say no to meaningless online petitions, endorsements, and click-to-send emails. Activism takes work. Want to make a difference but can't go to Madison?

- Go to a solidarity rally near YOU!
http://www.aft.org/difference/solidarity_actions.cfm

- Donate money or supplies (even order a pizza!) for the people at the capital.
http://www.defendwisconsin.org/

- If you have the tech ability, mirror defendwisconsin.org, which is being BLOCKED at the state capitol.

- Personally contact the WI legislators and give them a piece of your mind.
http://legis.wisconsin.gov/w3asp/contact/legislatorslist.aspx?house=assembly

- Write opinions or articles in your local papers, and blog, with the real facts.
http://www.scfl.org/?ulnid=1919
(Plus many more - but this is a good site for some important statistics)

- Follow the fight and participate as locals request help.
http://www.facebook.com/WiscWorkersRights
http://www.defendwisconsin.org/

MoveOn.org - assuaging liberal guilt one click at a time since 1998.

[swilton]

14. +++++

[swilton]

15. It's not just Republicans who are giving tax breaks to

corporate America

[No Elephants]

41. No, it isn't. Corporate Dems have been busy trickling down on us, too.

[Le Taz Hot]

34. THANK you!

They started out great with lofty goals and they were certainly helpful with the Dean campaign but once he was neatly disposed of they became nothing more than Democratic Party shills with their hands out for donations -- endlessly.

[No Elephants]

38. THANK YOU for those links.

[Sevenfold]

16. Busy day getting active

I've just registered with DU, donated, and thanks to this post I've pledged with MoveOn.org for this political action and added to my FB account. In some ways I'm so glad Mr. Walker started this fire. Its incredible the amount of people (me included) that are finally realizing we must fight it with everything we've got!

[intheflow]

23. Welcome to DU, Sevenfold!

Good to have you on board. :hi:

[handmade34]

28. Welcome!

:hi: lots of work and we need many hands and minds...

[Le Taz Hot]

37. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[No Elephants]

42. Welcome!

[callous taoboy]

50. Welcome to DU!

:toast:

[socialist_n_TN]

57. Welcome to DU, Seven...............

Your last sentence says it in a nutshell. And remember it's not just THIS fight, THIS time. Because the forces of reaction NEVER give up. IF we win this round, they'll be back next year with the same shit. Or the year after that. THEY WON'T GIVE UP! Sign up for a lifetime.

[bonnieS]

17. we have one in NJ

on Friday at noon with people coming from Wisconsin. It was called by the AFL. This is getting to be confusing, tof say the least.

[54anickel]

19. Heh-heh! I can see my Republican friend's head exploding, shouting SOROS!!!!

Soros is to them what the Koch brothers are to us. Now to pair him with unions???? HA! KABOOM!

[YvonneCa]

21. Thanks, MoveOn !! n/t

[Daemonaquila]

48. Thanks for what?

MoveOn isn't doing ANYTHING. They're asking people to give them email addresses so they can keep spamming them, in the guise of "endorsing a call" for 50-state support. Hello? There ALREADY IS A 50-STATE MOBILIZATION. Take a look -

http://www.aft.org/difference/solidarity_actions.cfm

The unions have been working it. MoveOn is just serving its own selfish desires for more emails, and will probably try to take the credit for what working people have been organizing.

[YvonneCa]

52. Sorry. We disagree. As both a union member...

...and MoveOn member for years...this is how it works. This is what got a Dem Congress in 2006 and Obama in 2008. It takes ALL organizations acting in concert...not squabbling over everything. BTW, OFA memer, too. We're on the same side. :hi:

[donheld]

22. This should be as massive a turn out as possible.

[rhett o rick]

25. They have killed most unions, they killed Acorn, now they are after the public employee unions, next

will be moveon.org. They are trying to kill the organizations that are effective in getting out the vote for Democrats. Join moveon.org and help fight the fascists.

[aikanae]

26. Put minorities and poor on the list

They are attacking groups that support Democrats.

[rhett o rick]

54. They are attacking organized groups like unions and Acorn, that help people get out to vote.

Next it will be Federal Employees and also moveon.org.

Of course they attacking the poor and minorities by attacking the groups set up to help them.

[djp2]

27. RECALL

Why aren't we hearing more about recalls beginning...I know in WI subject of recall has to have been in office 1 year...what bout those REpugs House and Senate members? Get those petitions going now!

[deacon]

29. I've been waiting for them to jump in. k + r

[calimary]

31. Done!

[Enthusiast]

32. It is an attack by the fascists.

And I will hear no more of this, "They are not fascists." bullshit.

[ipaint]

33. How does this movement revive the "american dream" for the homeless, poor and working poor?

This so called revolution isn't about closing the giant poverty/wage slave hole that has swallowed up half the population, it's about middle class workers who don't want to fall into it.

Retaining the right to collective bargaining by a subset of middle class workers isn't going to stop the descent.

[OneGrassRoot]

35. But people finally waking up, and standing up, is a start. n/t

[ipaint]

39. Perhaps it will forestall falling into poverty for the middle class.

Not for long though. The country has been on a decline for decades. There is no such thing as a pragmatic, piecemeal revolution that excludes those who have experienced the most violence and neglect from the upper classes.

The middle class is still fast asleep if they think this is all about preventing them from falling into poverty.

[No Elephants]

43. IMO, most people, regardless of class, are still fast asleep, but the top 1%

haven't needed vigilance--enough of them have been VERY active-- and the rest of us have slept way too long.

As you said many are still asleep. I wonder if it isn't too late? I remember photos of police of the early 1900's beating, even shooting, laborers for the likes of J.D. Rockefeller. Wonder how far away from that we are?

And, yes, people in Egypt and elsewhere are finally rising up, but they are very, very poor people.

As far as preventing poverty for the middle lass, we have an shrinking middle lcass and a growing poor class, so perhaps "preventing poverty" and "middle class are both moving targets.

[No Elephants]

44. It will be my joy to be at the Mass State House on Saturday, no matter how many layers I have to

wwear under my down coat. As cold and snowbound as Boston has been, Wisconsin's been worse, I'm sure.

Dress warmly, y'all in the cold states.

[swilton]

47. Thanks neighbor!

Haven't seen anything going on here in NH related to labor issues - but we're getting ready for a peace demonstration on March 19!:hi:

[AzDar]

45. K&R

:kick:

[lunatica]

46. kick'd and rec'd

[obietiger]

49. signed up also

keep it going!!

[loudsue]

53. Who was it who said: United We Bargain - Divided We Beg

Whoever that was nailed the whole problem .... world wide at this point.

[gorallybus]

55. Go Rally!

Hey everyone, we're supporting this call to protest by providing buses to everyone that's interested. Check us out at http://wisconsinworkers.gorallybus.com/

We'll be launching sites for NJ and OH by the end of the day.

If you want to organize in your state, please let us know and we'll get a site up for you.

Go Rally Bus!

[yurbud]

58. done!