Survival Of Change-Links Is In
Jeopardy
John Johnson
A lot of us are in survival mode these days, I certainly am. But even more so is Change-Links, subscriptions and donations are very sparse. We were barely able to pay for last month’s printing bill.
We are one of the few progressive newspaper still publishing. Only with dedication can volunteers distribute 10,000 papers around the greater Los Angeles area, or help with editing and mailing.
Last week the Change Links computer, which is getting old, was either hacked or infected with a bad virus (which shouldn’t happen with 3 anti-virus and malware programs running). It took three days to get it running halfway decently.
So, we really really need your help. Please donate as much as you can afford.
This issue we are publishing an article about the inadequacies of Obama’s Mortgage and Bank bill. Wall Street and others have siphoned off about a trillion since 2009, while this bill gives another 25 Billion mostly to the banks, and $2000 for folks in mortgage crisis. The corrupt Congress probably won’t even pass that (because it’s not enough for their cronies, and it’s too much for us).
Obama’s record on civil liberties is worse. He has squandered hundreds of opportunities to protect human rights and civil liberties through means that would not require any congressional or judicial action. As he contemplates his low approval rating, I hope he will also remember that his election as was based on the “audacity of hope” and the “fierce urgency of now.”
Urgency? Over three years in office and he has not yet ended the practice of extraordinary rendition, nor has he done anything to end the Bush warrantless surveillance program. He has done nothing to halt infiltration and surveillance of activist groups, nor anything to limit the expansion of federal antiterrorism watchlists, or review their content, including pre-flight watchlists that routinely turn up false matches.
To the contrary, he has enhanced and expanded most of these odious measures.
He has not ended the War On Drugs, while cracking down on state-legal medical marijuana dispensaries.
He has not prosecuted those involved in torture in the Middle East and in all those “black sites”.He has gone after whistle blowers, like Bradford Manning, who was also tortured.
He has deported more “illegal” immigrants than Bush, while continuing the draconian “expedited removal” of immigrants.
Homeland Security is out of control. They organized national suppression of the Occupy Movement, and are spying on everyone. They distribute enormous amounts of weapons to police agencies, while deploying drones over all of us.
He seems like a nice enough guy. Smart as a whip, hip, he can play basketball and sing the blues. But he doesn’t run the country. None of them do. As most know it’s run by Wall Street, the banks, the massive international corporations, the military / industrial / medical / insurance / pharmaceutical / complex. What we really don’t want to look at is the engineering of elections so that there is no one at all for voters to choose from who doesn’t endorse corporate fascism.
I’m afraid it’s down to us. Down to organizing everyone, everywhere.
So, as I began this column, I will conclude: please help this “little” newspaper keep some of the organizing ongoing.
