Below is a link to a web-site a long time union representative sent. We were e-mailing about some political issues and he sent this to me in response to something I sent him:
Check out this article from Workers World:
http://www.workers.org/2010/us/sept11_0902/
So, being a good e-mail debater I read the article and then took it to the next level, I researched everything in the article and all the people mentioned in the article – I don’t think he ever did that and I know he didn’t think I would!
So below is my response back to him – I think it answers the question posed in the title of this Blog. What do you think?
“XXXXX,
Hey, good hearing from you and thanks for sending this article. Sorry I took a while to respond but I had to do some research on the author and the organization, I did not know them. You didn't give me any comments on it so I do not know if this is something you believe in or just sending to me to get a response. If it is the former I do not mean to question your beliefs (but I will), if it is the latter, then you got me. As I said, since I was not familiar with the organization nor the author I had to do some research so I knew from where they and you were coming from - very interesting and it gets a little long but as I said I didn't know most of this. Did you?
Progressives to mobilize Sept. 11 to confront racist gathering
By John Catalinotto
Published Aug 26, 2010 9:30 PM - Worker's World
First off the Author, John Catalinotto:
John Catalinotto is a journalist and lecturer at City University of New York. He was a civilian organiser with the American Serviceman's Union , an anti-war GI group, from 1967 to 1971. He is a member of the Workers World Party (WWP) and is an avowed Marxist-Leninist.
Second, the Workers World Party:
The Workers World Party (WWP) is a Marxist-Leninist sect that was founded in 1959 by Sam Marcy. Marcy and his followers were members of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) until they split apart because, unlike that organization, they supported the presidential bid of the Progressive Party's Henry A. Wallace. WWP describes itself as a party that has, since its founding, "supported the struggles of all oppressed peoples [and] has recognized the right of nations to self-determination, including the nationally oppressed peoples inside the United States America
"We're independent Marxists who respect the struggles for self-determination and progress of oppressed nations," says WWP. They advocate socialist revolution and the abolition of private property in the United States America International Action Center and International ANSWER (Whatever the nature of any conflict, Clark invariably sides with America
Thirdly, Progressives:
This I am familiar with as it was and is a political movement started in this country at the end of the 19th century and I have read several books on the topic. Teddy Roosevelt(R) was a Progressive and Woodrow Wilson(D) after him as was FDR(D)after that and Johnson(D), Nixon(R), Bush(R), Clinton(D), Bush-2(R) and now Obama(D). You will note that there were both Republican and Democrat Progressives although more Democrats would call themselves that today then Republicans, although I suspect that McCain(R) and the Republican Senator from SC, Graham, are both Progressives in the mold of Teddy.
Progressives at the end of the 19th century and the turn of the 20th century brought about some ideas to improve the country and the worker's plight but overall their philosophy was that the Constitution of the US is flexible and should change with the times, that it should be changed at their whim - it was not a rock solid foundation that the country was built on - that the smarter people, the elite should be able to tell the masses what to do and how to do it and the Constitution should not get in their way - this was the basis of post-modern thought, man knew better and could decide for himself what was right and wrong- who needed some old document. Wilson was the past president of Yale, or Princeton (one or the other) and believed that the masses are to dumb and should just be told what to do - that a government of the people and by the people would just not due - a big strong federal government is best to control everything - it was by a push from Wilson and his administration that the way we elect our Senators changed (17th Amendment) from its original Constitutional format thus altering forever the way our system of government was structured to keep the federal government limited by strong States rights and people rule. Also, under Wilson he orchestrated the formation of the Federal Reserve - a private group comprised of the large, major bankers to control the US money supply - we are still living with those fiasco's today (isn't it funny, Geitner came from that group and no problems or sanctions were placed against that group for the economic times...hmmm). Wilson, an extreme racist, re-segregated the civil workers as well as the military (yes, both were comprised of black and white working together until Wilson
The Progressive movement also embraced Eugenics and Planned Parenthood through Margaret Sanger (you might remember Hilary Clinton stating this was a hero of hers back during her campaign) - At a March 1925 international birth control gathering in New York City, a speaker warned of the menace posed by the "black" and "yellow" peril. The man was Dr. S. Adolphus Knopf, a member of Margaret Sanger's American Birth Control League (ABCL), which along with other groups eventually became known as Planned Parenthood. Margaret Sanger spoke of sterilizing those she designated as "unfit," a plan she said would be the "salvation of American civilization: And she also spoke of those who were "irresponsible and reckless," among whom she included those " whose religious scruples prevent their exercising control over their numbers." She further contended that "there is no doubt in the minds of all thinking people that the procreation of this group should be stopped." That many Americans of African origin constituted a segment of Sanger considered "unfit" cannot be easily refuted.
We know what FDR did - extended the Depression by building up the Federal government and spending the country into huge debt (sound familiar) - he did the exact opposite of what President Harding did to stop the recession (a bigger recession coming off WWI then that which first presented itself to FDR at the beginning of his term) in its tracks in 1920 bringing forth the roaring 20's and the greatest move forward for the common working man in the world - even FDR's Secretary of the Treasury, friend and creator of the spend money policy said that after 8 years of his policy all we have done is "keep people out of work and increased the national debt." And there is so much more on FDR, however I lack the time and space to write it all - but you can certainly read about it or ask any questions and I will respond.
Anyway, these are just a few things associated with the Progressive movement in its early days. Not a whole lot of difference today - they still believe that a big federal government is best, that people need to be told what to do and that the elites should rule - you and I are not part of the elite or ruling class - they still believe, as Obama himself said, "...the Constitution is a limiting document." - yes, it was intended to be, to limit the powers of the federal government and keep that power with the people, the way it was designed by our Founders - making us a constitutional republic with liberty and freedom for all.”
OK, I think you can see where this is heading as there was much more to this article then the rant against Republicans the sender intended - more to it then he knew - however, this Blog Post is getting to long so I will conclude it within a few days – stay tuned.
