At the 10:22 point in this video, GRIT tv host Laura Flanders takes up the topic of the Supreme Court, corporate power, and the "Citizens United" ruling. Guest John Bonifaz, the director of Free Speech for People discusses the results we're already seeing from that ruling, how it impacts corporations, unions, and real flesh-and-blood people, (including how it has already impacted our thinking) and what needs to be done.
Harry Hanbury has a story that any videographer or blogger would love. He created a video of Congresswoman Donna Edwards taking steps to amend the Constitution to restore our democracy following assault by the Supreme Court. A woman you've never heard of named Jessica Sharp saw the video and decided to take action herself. She had never organized a rally or even attended many, but she put together an event at the state capitol of Maryland that inspired every interested activist group and state legislator to join in. Jessica has sparked a movement in Maryland that is inspiring others around the country. So, Harry made a new video, about Jessica:
My first reaction to that headline was to picture a crackdown on the little-guy vendors I see around DC proudly selling their Obama t-shirts, pins, and other wares. (Who could be against that guy on the right?)
But then I read this, and I got a little more open minded to a crackdown:
Obama’s calls for change and his “Yes We Can” campaign mantra are being evoked to sell assembly-required furniture in Ikea’s “Embrace Change” marketing campaign, bargain airfares during Southwest Airlines Inc.’s “Yes You Can” sale...
I've noticed this sort of advertising all around DC. I'd have to see the legal rationale for limiting such speech before truly being open to any sort of legal crackdown, but from a moral/political/consumer perspective, it just rubs me the wrong way.
Corporate America wasn't exactly embracing the message of change before the election, so for them to spend mass amounts of money trying to tap into it now -- as if millions of silly people will go out and buy a mattress because Obama slogans are repurposed on a billboard -- is rather insulting. (Then again, I stopped and took pictures of a billboard and blogged about it, so who's the dummy here?)
United Healthcare Workers West rank-and-file leadership has filed a lawsuit against Andy Stern and Anna Burger for their campaign of systematically trying to silence the members of UHW who are speaking out against Stern and Burger's power grabs. The lawsuit notes several actions taken by Stern's inner circle--including threats of a politically motivated trusteeship and dismantling of UHW--which are intended to chill dissent within SEIU.
UHW is the largest West Coast union local of SEIU. It has criticized Stern associates for undemocratic and corrupt actions.
Yer little sister, your nephew, daughter and of course a great good read for yourself. "Little Brother" by Cory Doctrow is just about the most timely exciting, involved, explainatory, descriptive and prescriptive book of our time. And a damn good read too. And yes the title is a play on Big Brother, except we are watching them. The power of the small. I feel OK with this diary just seeming like a plug because its so damn useful to progressives and freedom lovers, and because, and you must read why, its also available for free. http://craphound.com/littlebro... is a link to buying the book, and lots of other stuff. It's free at that link too.
Sharing information is certainly one of the central needs and successes of our time. In fact I would hazard that without the inter-toobs, this Reformation would not be possible, no matter how bad or angry or depressed people got, the only relief allowed would be "The Change You Deserve" Anti-depressents, not what we created Change We Can Believe In. So a book, explaining all these issues, from net neutrality to being spied on, to untrusted authority it's all here in a wonderful book, aimed at not just teenagers but the teenager in all of us.
A rollicking good romp, with teen heroes using smarts, tools, cameras and the internet to fight back. This is the kind of book that gets worn and wrinkled as its past from hand to hand to hand.
I'd recommend Little Brother over pretty much any book I've read this year, and I'd want to get it into the hands of as many smart 13 year olds, male and female, as I can.
Because I think it'll change lives. Because some kids, maybe just a few, won't be the same after they've read it. Maybe they'll change politically, maybe technologically. Maybe it'll just be the first book they loved or that spoke to their inner geek. Maybe they'll want to argue about it and disagree with it. Maybe they'll want to open their computer and see what's in there. I don't know. It made me want to be 13 again right now and reading it for the first time, and then go out and make the world better or stranger or odder. It's a wonderful, important book, in a way that renders its flaws pretty much meaningless.
Neil Gaiman, author of Sandman and Anansi Boys
A worthy younger sibling to Orwell's 1984, Cory Doctorow's LITTLE BROTHER is lively, precocious, and most importantly, a little scary.
Brian K Vaughn, author of Y: The Last Man
Get several copies of this book; read one, lend and give the rest. Now lets have more suggestions on great books for young people. Or any gift that gives kids more information, more tools, more confidence would be great.
A rousing tale of techno-geek rebellion, as necessary and dangerous as file sharing, free speech, and bottled water on a plane.
Obama's campaign has found evidence that 'viral campaign' is hurting them in Kentucky, saying "he is a muslim."
The medication for such viruses isn't just lots of information, but lots of skills in finding the truth, how to do research, and how to detect self serving lies.
ICANN has opened a public comment period on the proposed policy for approving new generic top-level domains (gTLDs), which remains open until August 30th. This is the one chance for the general public to weigh-in on this policy directly, which could establish an institutional precedent for global censorship over the Internet.
The Keep The Core Neutral campaign has set up an action alert at:
STATE BLOGS
I feel OK with this diary just seeming like a plug because its so damn useful to progressives and freedom lovers, and because, and you must read why, its also available for free.