From tait@pdq.net Sat Oct 31 18:30:48 1998 From: tait@pdq.net Date: Sat, 31 Oct 1998 19:07:38 -0600 To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Subject: Ben Sharvy's "eco-socialist-libertarian" philosophy I am forwarding the following to this e-list, which was originally posted in another e-list I subscribe to in an effort to stimulate more discussion of the principles articulated by one Mr. Ben Sharvy. I want to state that I am not taking a position one way or the other on what he is epsousing in this post, so don't flame me if you find his beliefs incorrigible. I am aware that this post is purely theoretical, and offers no practical suggestions for the progressive movement, but I think there IS much value in discussing alternative political/societal systems, as they are often the inspiration for people becoming proactive towards what they regard as necessary change. sidenote: Ben Shravy's words are preceeded and introduced by the original poster in the other e-list. I have ommited his name from the post so there is no breach of his privacy, but I have not ommited his words, as I feel they are a good accompaniment to the "essay", and don't in any way compormose his privacy. Joe Tait tait@pdq.net ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I am posting here a couple of things by a gentleman named Ben Sharvy. The following are not my words, in fact I do not even understand them completely, but they might make for interesting discussion. Maybe you can get the author to send a better manifesto, as the below is old and incomplete. There are three sections below by Mr. Sharvy, maybe you won't want to read them all. The first is very brief, just a few words on the inadequacy of the label. The second part is not-too-long, and tries to be a simple and fun explanation, and I think it succeeds. The third part is about twice as long as the second, and is a clear and specific essay about actual policies that may be derived from the theories. Depending on your interest in the subject, this part could be either boring or fascinating. Following Mr. Sharvy's words, I make some very brief comments and offer an invitation to a contest. A word on words: The term for the political philosophy under discussion here varies from 'Eco-Libertarian' to 'Socialist-Libertarian' to 'Eco-Socialist-Libertarian.' They all refer to the same philosophy. The problem is that the most natural names for this philosophy have been consistently used by other groups: 'Socialist-Libertarian' is used by Noam Chomsky and his groupies, and 'Eco-Libertarian' tends to denote the position that the environment will be adequately protected by a system of strong property rights and no government regulation. So I am left with 'Eco-Socialist-Libertarian.' Yech. If you think of something better, let me know. Eco-Libertarianism for Dummies: Consider a class, and the rights of the students with regard to it (tip-off: the class is the world): Libertarian Principles 1) Do all students have a right to equal grades? Obviously not. 2) Do students have a right to equal grades for equal work, i.e., everybody who works three hours per week is entitled to the same grade? Obviously not. 3) Does whether grades affect one's ability to meet fundamental needs (food, medicine, shelter, etc.) have any bearing on the answers to the preceding questions? Nope. The above situation is analogous to the world: it concerns basic principles that govern the relationship between what we do, deserve, and need. Substituting 'people' in for 'students,' and 'wealth' for 'grades' yields: (1) people do not have equal rights to equal wealth, or (2) to equal wealth for equal work, even though (3) wealth constitutes a means of production upon which fundamental needs may depend. The Socialist Comeback 4) Do students have equal right to access the class's resources (e.g., the teacher and materials)? Yes. 5) Is it justified to prohibit students from controlling class resources to an extent that cannot be practiced by the others inthe class (e.g., monopolizing the teacher)? Yes, unless... A Sneaky Libertarian Curveball ..unless the other students waive their rights, which they might do by explicit consent or trade (or under a system for preventing waste, e.g., a student 'using' the teacher during office hours may do so beyond his allotted time if nobody else shows up). So, it IS morally possible for somebody to monopolize the class resources. Unless... The Socialist Waits on the Curveball and Strokes a Clean Line-Drive to...Left (of course) 6) Suppose it is a class that operates on an ongoing basis, so that students are continually dropping out and new students entering (my Yoga class was like this; it is obviously how the world is). Suppose that a few students ('capitalists') have managed to control 100% of the class resources, in accordance with the rules for doing so. And a new student enters. Are the capitalists still entitled to 100% of the class's resources? No. The new student is entitled to a standardized, initial (i.e., 'fundamental') share of the class resources--teacher time, etc. Note that the right under discussion is a right of _access_ to resources rather than ownership. To acquire everyone else's right doesn't then entail a right, say, to destroy the class microscopes or to remove the language center from the teacher's brain: it doesn't have any of the implications of _property rights_. It is a different kind of right, for which a different name is appropriate: an _opportunity right_. So, here's an important principle not currently represented in any political system: in a given community, one's opportunity right to communal resources is a function of the size and constituency of the community, which means it is constantly changing, and this change mitigates change brought about by free trade activity. For example, a monopolist's 100% control of the resources may be reduced to 80% control due to the entrance of new members with their fundamental opportunity rights. The effect of applying this principle to the real world will be determined by what one considers communal resources: the essential point is that a resource is not something that one creates (that role was played by grades in the analogy), which suggest that natural resources such as land, air, ecosystems, wildlife, water, etc., are what is communal. In other words, property rights are constrained by egalitarian principles: Everybody, when they come into this world, has a right to equal access of the earth. That's a socialist outcome. The libertarian aspect is that the results of one's legitimate use of resources, e.g., one's grades or wealth, are not communal. There is no right to equal wealth (or grades), and how hard one works bears no intrinsic relation to what one deserves. This is true even though wealth (like grades) may affect one's ability to meet fundamental needs. There is no right to democratic control of the means of production per se, just the natural resources of production (socialists usually count wealth, machines, and other non-natural things as 'the means of production'). 'The wealth' is not a big pie in the sky, but the earth is. Libertarian principles show that environmentalist-oriented socialism, rather than labor-oriented socialism, is the justifiable socialism. And environmentalist-socialism does not entail any scheme of wealth redistribution (e.g., progressive income tax) or social engineering (e.g., minimum wage) or welfare. Eco-Libertarian Policies (A Sketch) "Property is theft, but some property is more theft than others." Generally, public policy characteristic of eco-libertarian philosophy will aim to protect opportunity rights to natural resources rather than property rights, and property rights to one's self and one's creations. In practice, however, these rights are interdependent: all of one's creations, including one's self, require use (perhaps destruction) of natural resources to some degree. A good place to start a consideration of eco-libertarian types of policy is the subject of taxation. Consider two people, each with the same net income. One earned the income by clear-cutting old-growth forest and selling it; the other, by composing and singing songs. Since gender stereotyping is always a good idea, we'll make the earth pillager a male--call him 'Paul Bunyon'--and the singer/songwriter a female--call her 'Calliope'. Generally, under traditional systems of taxation Bunyon and Calliope will pay the same amount of tax, since they have the same income. But most libertarian systems will yield a different result, because libertarians make taxes act as user-fees whenever possible, and an eco-libertarian regards consumption of natural resources as taking value from the public. So in an eco-libertarian tax scheme, Bunyon would typically pay more in taxes: he is costing the world more. The ratio of what he pays to what Calliope pays would (in theory) be the ratio of the value of the natural resources he takes to the value of the resources Calliope takes. The comparison between Bunyon and Calliope brings out the distinction between eco-libertarian socialism and traditional socialism. Traditional socialists, to varying degrees, conclude that "The Wealth" ia a big pie in the sky that belongs to everybody; on that basis they justify various mechanisms for wealth redistribution. An eco-libertarian agrees that there is a big pie in the sky that belongs to everyone, but thinks that it is just the earth, so that what requires _regulated_ distribution is access to, and use of, nature. Private ownership, in principle, begins with what one creates, and nature, by definition, is not one what one creates. There is, then, a degree to which wealth-distribution may need to be regulated, but that degree is merely the degree to which the wealth results from treating nature as private property. To the extent that the wealth comes to one purely in return for one's labor or creativity, its proper distribution is the free-market distribution, and no forced redistribution is justified. So, very little redistribution of Calliope's wealth is justified, but a whole lot of Bunyon's is: property is theft, but some property is more theft than others. This is not to say that Bunyon can clearcut as much as he wants as long as he pays tax: the point is that what is redistributed should have something to do with what is taken. Calliope takes very little (e.g., the wood in her guitar), and what she takes isn't determined by what she earns. Once one starts thinking of taxation this way, all sorts of policy shifts begin popping up. Consider my property tax bill, for example. It is based on the assessed value of my property, and that assessment is broken into two categories: the valu of the unimproved portion (i.e., the lot) and the improved portion (the house). Property tax is highly eco-libertarian when it is applied to the unimproved portion, i.e., land that is taken from the public domain and owned. It is less eco-libertarian when applied to the improved portion , because then it is a tax on creativity (the lumber in the house should be subject to a tax passed on to the consumer, but that differs from a tax on the value of the house as a whole). A house's value is a function of the intellegiance and aesthetics of its design, and brains and beauty should not be taxed. It does not take more of any communal resource to put together lumber in a brilliant way than to put the lumber together in a crappy way, and therefore no greater tax-burden on the brilliant house is justified, despite the greater amount of wealth it is likely to represent. The preceding discussion is a general illustration of how eco-libertarian principles might be applied; it is not necessarily the precise form of something that should go on a ballot. Various modifications might be in order. Restrictions and limitations on ownership of natural resources need to be balanced by the individual's opportunity right to live and work in the world; high property taxes might violate the opportunity right ot the poor and prople on fixed incomes. A progressive property tax is probably in order. Independent self-sufficiency for a family requires about five acres of arable land, (less for cooperative self-sufficiency), so a tax-rate increase at the five-acre mark seems progressive in an eco-libertarian (albeit heavily theoretical) way. Or the rate might be pegged to global population, or to the amount of wilderness left in the world, or all of these things. There are many possibilities, depending on how reformist or radical one's goals are, whether one takes a biocentric view of environmental politics, and so on. Tax schemes are an example of one way an individual's opportunity right to natural resources may be regulated and balanced against the rights of others. They raise some interesting policy questions, such as: how are opportunity rights to be implemented in law, and to what degree may they be traded or 'cornered,' as in a free-market. It seems logical to implement opportunity rights with a system of property rights, recognizing that 'property rights' are just public policy and not fundamental rights in themselves. 'Property license' would be a more accurate term than 'property right.' A property license would need to specify such things as scope, manner, and alienability of property use. By scope, I mean to the kinds of property that could be owned, and in what amounts; by manner I mean what could be done to owned property, and by alienability I mean whether the property could be transferred or sold to another. The underlying principles that should guide a definition of property license are that: (1) natural resources are inherently communal, (2) community members have equal initial right to access communal sources, (3) population and constituency of a community is dynamic, due to birth (and death and migration). (2) and (3) imply that population is a factor in the scope of property licenses, and therefore that the scope is dynamic and may require periodic adjustment. If there is a finite amount of communal land subject to private use, than the scope of that use will differ when there are one million community members than when there are two million, given that all members have equal right to the land. Additionally, if all available land is under license at a certain time, at a later time some redistribution will be required even if the population size has remained stable because children will have entered the community possessing an opportunity right to its resources. So both the scope and the distribution of property licenses require periodic adjustment according to the size and constituency of the community. A natural way to implement this principle would be at death, in inheritance laws. (1) and (2) imply that the manner of use granted by a property license be non-destructive to some degree (precisely what degree depends on associated philosophies; for example, is air pollution--degradation of a communal resource--due to private use of, say, the automobile justified? does it matter whether the auto-use is selfish, e.g. driving to the bank to deposit a check, or community-minded, e.g. driving to volunteer at a service for homeless youth?) Do these rules imply that nobody may cut down old-growth forest, ever? Probably not, but they do seem to imply nobody may destroy or significantly threaten an ecosystem or species, or any unique _kind_ of resource ('resource' isn't meant in an economic sense). You can shoot a deer, but you can't shoot the last deer, or so many deer that the deer population can't sustain itself. Given that natural resources are communal, the question arises whether licenses to them can be bought, sold, or even monopolized. Since such transfers don't entail altering the scope of the licenses, they don't entail violation of any one's opportunity rights, and there is no basis for restricting them. However, the resulting free-market distribution of opportunity rightsis still subject to the following rule of distributive justice: A distribution of an inherently communal resource can be proper only as long as the people subject to the distribution participated in the distributive process (e.g., free trade). Note that this is rarely the case in reality, due to the phenomenon of birth. So, for example, the concept of 'monopoly' must be extended and transformed into the concept of 'monopoly _relative_ to certain others' in order to make sense. One can be entitled to a monopoly relative to one's trading partners (and their trading partners) only; if someone enters the community possessing opportunity rights, a redistribution would be justified since it would be necessary for the exercise of the individual's opportunity right to natural resources. Again, inheritance laws seem like the natural place to locate these redistributive policies. These considerations only apply to monopolies of natural resources; there is nothing contrary to eco-libertarian philosophy in the monopolization of a service. In fact, it is impossible for a company to give itself a monopoly of a service: that feat can only be performed by the consumers who *choose* one company's service over all others, on an ongoing, sustained basis, a point which is not true in the case of monopoly over a resource. Certain kinds of natural resource are currently managed in more eco-libertarian ways than others, e.g., air and water policies tend to be more eco-libertarian than land and timber policies. Many details, while theoretically interesting, are best left for after the revolution. [Immigration and the concept of citizenship and borders.] I've focused on policies which seem to be unique results of an eco-libertarian system; there are many other implied policies which are equally controversial, but less unique. For example, nothing in the 'eco' or socialist aspect of eco-libertarianism comprimises such standard libertarian causes as the legalization of all 'consensual' crimes (recreational drug use, prostitution, gambling, polygamy, interesting sex, etc.) or the abolition of welfare and all state-forced social engineering schemes (minimum wage laws, government welfare programs, public libraries and schools, etc.) or the elimination of income (especially 'progressive' taxes. Regarding the latter two, it is interesting to consider whether the 'socialist' eco-libertarian policies regarding natural resources will mitigate the (alleged) dire social consequences of abolishing government social programs. [This work is in progress.] > >------------------------------------------< >all of the above was written by ben sharvy< >------------------------------------------< > > >>>>>>>>><> ___________ makes a comment here: I found this rumination on property and resources to be fascinating and maybe even practical. The standard libertarian call for legalization of all consensual crimes seems attractive to me, but the tremendous pain and suffering and loss of resources, both communal and creative, caused by addictive behaviour entered into consensually, gives me pause. It is a sticky wicket that I just cannot make up my mind on. Maybe the answer is complete legalization coupled with unfettered and unlimited access to escape and treatment of addiction, but without escape from responsibilities and debts? He loses me completely by seeming to advocate the abolition of ALL government social programs. There are some things that everbody needs in some fashion, for example education and information, and it makes sense that the government (which is just the collective us folks) provides a service that is needed, or at least provides the main collective service for the collective needs, the society providing the social program for the social need, with other options never prohibited. In the example, the collective society provides the collective social need, schools and libraries, and we share the burden of provision. Can the same be said of sewers and street lights, or of law enforcement? Is it libertarian contention that all collective services can be better provided by private concerns serving the mass of individual needs? Perhaps not, which leads me to react to mr. sharvy's sneer at the "'alleged' dire social consequences of abolishing government social programs." Do we or do we not need a safety net? Will private social agencies, responding to individual dilemma or social catastrophies, always be able to provide adequate amelioration? The historical experience of the degradations of 18th and 19th century america, which led to the creation of our particular safety nets, suggests again, perhaps the cracks won't get filled if left to their own devices. On the other hand, as suggested above, will the guarantee of opportunity rights with property and natural resources, be enough guarantee a certain level of opportunity, no matter what an individual's circumstance may be? Which will, in effect, be a way to fill those cracks before any dilemmas occur, rather than social programs reacting afterwards to dilemmas? From fujimoto@memorex.co.jp Sat Oct 31 18:39:03 1998 Reply-To: From: "Kazuo Fujimoto" To: "PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK" Subject: International Sociological Association and International Institution of sociology Date: Sun, 1 Nov 1998 10:39:38 +0900 Hi, PSNer! I am looking for the infromation on "International Sociological Association$B!I(Jand "Inte rnational Institution of sociology". Does anyone know the contact address , E-mail, URL or anything ? Kazuo Fujimoto +-----------------------------------------------------+ | http://world.std.com/~fujimoto/ | | E-mail: fujimoto@memorex.co.jp kazuo.fujimoto@nifty.ne.jp | | PGP 1E 90 FB 6A 53 6E 60 AC D5 87 E3 3F 5D EC 1A 69 | +------------------------------------------------------+ From jnaiman@acs.ryerson.ca Mon Nov 2 11:15:39 1998 Date: Mon, 2 Nov 1998 13:20:08 -0500 (EST) From: Joanne Naiman To: psn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: Pinochet (fwd) <---- Begin Forwarded Message ----> Date: Sat, 31 Oct 1998 22:00:49 -0500 Forwarded by Norman Segalowitz: Dear Friends, I write in english so you can all understand this message. As you all probably know the ex-dictator A. Pinochet has been detained in England by request of a spanish judge who is now seeking Pinochet's extradition to Spain to stand trial for some of the crimes commited during his period as Chile's head of state. Spanish scientists have begun collecting signatures over the internet in support of Pinochet's extradition. Visit the following page to add your signature: http://www2.cbm.uam.es/isandoval/PINOCHET.html I would like to invite you to do it too and to pass this message to those friends and collegues you think may want to support his extradition. You may not all know that Pinochet's policies and decisions not only resulted in the death, torture and execution of many chilean citizens, including scientists, priests, artists, etc, but also of citizens of other countries, which is what the spanish court is inventigating. His policies also led to the destruction of great academic institutions and science and education in Chile as a whole, from which Chile has not recovered and will not recover in probably many many years. Thank you VERY much!!! This is urgent because the decision in Spain will be made early next week. Unite INSERM 398 Faculté de Médecine 11, rue Humann 67085 Strasbourg Cedex Tel.: (33) 3 88 24 33 64 Fax.: (33) 3 88 24 33 60 Dr Marie Noelle Metz-Lutz INSERM U398 Clinique Neurologique Hopitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg 67091 STRASBOURG Cedex-France Tel: (33) 03 88 11 68 92 or 03 88 11 66 62 metzlutz@neurochem.u-strasbg.fr http://neurochem.u-strasbg.fr/fr/u398/theme4.html Norman Segalowitz, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal Quebec CANADA H4B 1R6 ********************************************************* office: telephone (514) 848-2239 fax: (514) 848-4545 residence: telephone (514) 488-0879 fax: (514) 488-0737 e-mail: segalow@vax2.concordia.ca ********************************************************* <---- End Forwarded Message ----> Nina Spada, PhD Associate Professor Dep't of Second Language Education McGill University 3700 McTavish Street Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1Y2 Phone: 514 398 1274 Fax: 514 398 5595 e-mail: EDNS@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA From brook@california.com Mon Nov 2 10:32:52 1998 Mon, 2 Nov 1998 09:32:39 -0800 (PST) Date: Mon, 02 Nov 1998 09:32:43 -0800 To: PSN@csf.colorado.edu, flatta@ceb.ucop.edu, theperegri@aol.com, jinsong@ucdavis.edu, osluzano@ucdavis.edu, rice@dpls.dacc.wisc.edu, DLEVINE@BPL.ORG, browning@sfsu.edu, schernwet@aol.com From: CyberBrook Subject: corporate welfare Here's the first section of three of the cover article from Time Magazine on corporate welfare by the guys who wrote *America: What Went Wrong?* and *America: Who Really Pays the Taxes?*. The site, http://cgi.pathfinder.com/time/magazine/1998/dom/981109/cover1.html , also has some more info as sidebars which look interesting. This article is also the lead headline on www.commondreams.org , a web site that I strongly recommend bookmarking and checking out often (I recently made it my home page). Have fun and make hay! SPECIAL REPORT/CORPORATE WELFARE Time, NOVEMBER 9, 1998 VOL. 152 NO. 19 Corporate Welfare A TIME investigation uncovers how hundreds of companies get on the dole--and why it costs every working American the equivalent of two weeks' pay every year By DONALD L. BARLETT AND JAMES B. STEELE How would you like to pay only a quarter of the real estate taxes you owe on your home? And buy everything for the next 10 years without spending a single penny in sales tax? Keep a chunk of your paycheck free of income taxes? Have the city in which you live lend you money at rates cheaper than any bank charges? Then have the same city install free water and sewer lines to your house, offer you a perpetual discount on utility bills--and top it all off by landscaping your front yard at no charge? Fat chance. You can't get any of that, of course. But if you live almost anywhere in America, all around you are taxpayers getting deals like this. These taxpayers are called corporations, and their deals are usually trumpeted as "economic development" or "public-private partnerships." But a better name is corporate welfare. It's a game in which governments large and small subsidize corporations large and small, usually at the expense of another state or town and almost always at the expense of individual and other corporate taxpayers. Two years after Congress reduced welfare for individuals and families, this other kind of welfare continues to expand, penetrating every corner of the American economy. It has turned politicians into bribery specialists, and smart business people into con artists. And most surprising of all, it has rarely created any new jobs. While corporate welfare has attracted critics from both the left and the right, there is no uniform definition. By TIME's definition, it is this: any action by local, state or federal government that gives a corporation or an entire industry a benefit not offered to others. It can be an outright subsidy, a grant, real estate, a low-interest loan or a government service. It can also be a tax break--a credit, exemption, deferral or deduction, or a tax rate lower than the one others pay. The rationale to curtail traditional welfare programs, such as Aid to Families with Dependent Children and food stamps, and to impose a lifetime limit on the amount of aid received, was compelling: the old system didn't work. It was unfair, destroyed incentive, perpetuated dependence and distorted the economy. An 18-month TIME investigation has found that the same indictment, almost to the word, applies to corporate welfare. In some ways, it represents pork-barrel legislation of the worst order. The difference, of course, is that instead of rewarding the poor, it rewards the powerful. And it rewards them handsomely. The Federal Government alone shells out $125 billion a year in corporate welfare, this in the midst of one of the more robust economic periods in the nation's history. Indeed, thus far in the 1990s, corporate profits have totaled $4.5 trillion--a sum equal to the cumulative paychecks of 50 million working Americans who earned less than $25,000 a year, for those eight years. That makes the Federal Government America's biggest sugar daddy, dispensing a range of giveaways from tax abatements to price supports for sugar itself. Companies get government money to advertise their products; to help build new plants, offices and stores; and to train their workers. They sell their goods to foreign buyers that make the acquisitions with tax dollars supplied by the U.S. government; engage in foreign transactions that are insured by the government; and are excused from paying a portion of their income tax if they sell products overseas. They pocket lucrative government contracts to carry out ordinary business operations, and government grants to conduct research that will improve their profit margins. They are extended partial tax immunity if they locate in certain geographical areas, and they may write off as business expenses some of the perks enjoyed by their top executives. From coatesrd@casmail.muohio.edu Tue Nov 3 13:12:58 1998 From: "Rodney Coates" To: "PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK" Subject: books and articles dealing with race and crime Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1998 15:11:55 -0500 In-Reply-To: <36380D44.C092B1E2@icanect.net> Recent books within the general topic include David C. Anderson, Crime and the Politics of Hysteria: How the Willie Horton Story Changed American Justice (1995); E.M. Beck and Stewart E. Tolnay, A Festival of Violence: An Analysis of Southern Lynchings, 1882-1930 (1995); Marvin W. Dulaney, Black Police in America (1996); Ethnicity, Race, and Crime: Perspectives across Time and Place (Darnell F. Hawkins ed. 1996); Randall Kennedy, Race, Crime, and the Law (1997); Jerome G. Miller, Search and Destroy: African-American Males in the Criminal Justice System (1996); Eric W. Rise, The Martinsville Seven: Race, Rape, and Capital Punishment (1995); Michael Tonry, Malign Neglect - Race, Crime, and Punishment in America (1995); Maryanne Vollers, Ghosts of Mississippi: The Murder of Medgar Evers, the Trials of Byron de la Beckwith, and the Haunting of the New South (1995). Obviously, journal articles are even more abundant. Here is a small sampling of recent unpublished empirical papers: John M. Conley, et. al., The Impact of Race and Class of the Accused on Jury Decision-Making (1997) (reporting that mock juries were more likely to convict white defendants); John J. Donohue III & Steven D. Levitt, The Impact of Race on Policing, Arrest Patterns, and Crime (1997) (studying how the racial composition of a police force affects the racial pattern of arrests and crime); Franklin Gilliam Jr. & Shanto Iyengar, Prime Suspects: Script-Based Reasoning About Race and Crime (1997) (reporting that 42% of subjects who viewed a staged news report of a crime recalled the suspect's race when none was provided; 90% of the false recollections were of African-American or Hispanic perpetrators); David B. Mustard, Racial, Ethnic and Gender Disparities in Sentencing: Evidence from the U.S. Federal Courts (1998) (finding that, on average and controlling for criminological factors, federal judges give blacks sentences that are six months longer than whites, due mostly to departures from the guidelines). -- umoja -- rodneyc.. for more of my poetry please check; http://www.ulbobo.com/umoja From maxine@waikato.ac.nz Tue Nov 3 20:02:32 1998 Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1998 16:02:44 +1300 To: psn@csf.colorado.edu From: Maxine Campbell Subject: parent/child relationship Hi folks Apologies for any cross-postings but I'm hoping someone out there might be interested in discussing the nature of the relationship between parents and children. I am having great difficulty in coming up with a sociological definition of the relationship - the only unarguable characteristic that I have come up with to date is "change". My problem arises from a paper I am preparing for an up-coming conference. The paper takes as its starting point an analysis of 150 years of our history, which has been periodised by the author. Each period is assigned a particular view of children. For instance, the earliest period characterises children as chattels of their parents - "tools in the business of survival". My aim in the paper is to revisit these periods and give a corresponding characterisation of parents. For this early period, parents might be viewed as owners, for instance. In order to be consistent however, it would seem necessary to develop an understanding of the parent/child relationship. So far, I've been unsuccessful in coming up with any adequate definition, and the issue is confounded by a propensity towards the psychological rather than the sociological. Because the relationship is so open to change any and all of the following characterisitcs might be relevant to varying degrees at different stages of the relationship, but none would qualify as necessary or sufficient at all stages or in all p/c relationships: dependency, support, responsibility, inequality, recipricosity, legalism, emotion, biology, interaction, reaction ... Is it possible to develop an "ideal type" for a relationship which, depending on time and place, could rightly be described as dialectical, causal, explanatory yet could also be rightly described as synthetic, accidental or arbitrary. Your thoughts would be much appreciated. Cheers, Maxine Maxine Campbell email: maxine@waikato.ac.nz Sociology Department Phone: 0064-7-8562889, ex 8274 University of Waikato Home: 0064-7-8547103 Hamilton Fax: 0064-7-8562158 New Zealand From jipsonaj@muohio.edu Tue Nov 3 19:12:31 1998 Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1998 21:16:30 -0500 To: psn@csf.colorado.edu From: Art Jipson Subject: Amazon.com supports homophobic web site Forwarded for a friend. -Art >Before today, I was a regular customer of Amazon.com, reported to be the >largest retailer on the Internet, but I just sent them e-mail telling them >that they will get no more of my business until they stop advertising on >homophobic web sites-in particular (http://enyart.com). > >Here's what happened, Tracy Ore, a colleague of mine at St. Cloud State, >put out a message on campus e-mail describing the rabidly homophobic >contents of a so-called Christian radio program (her message is attached). >The program has a companion web site http://enyart.com. The site is full of >homophobic, sexist, and implicitly racist statements and distortions. > Wanting to know where this guy was getting his ideas from I went to a page >marked "Bob's Reading List" (http://www.enyart.com/books/index.html). You >can check out what the religious right is reading on you own. The point of >this message is to let you know that I found on that bottom of that page an >advertisement for Amazon.Com, including a direct link to the Amazon.com >search engine. > >I wonder who buys more books, the so-called Christian right or the rest of >us? > >The consumer boycott is a fine part of the American tradition-right up >there with freedom of speech--and I intend to practice both. I'm not >giving Amazon.com any more of my money and I have e-mailed them to tell >them so (a copy follows). I hope you will do the same. >----------------------- >E-MAIL to AMAZON.COM > >TO: feedback@amazon.com >SUBJECT: I am boycotting your business until you cancel your affiliation >with Bob Enyart >ATTENTION: Jeffrey P. Bezos C.E.O > >I was a customer of yours but today I found out that www.enyart.com is an >affiliated web site. The content of that site promotes homophobia, racism >and sexism. Among other things Enyart advocates turning into capital >offenses both abortion services and providing contraceptives, the immediate >execution of all convicted murders (including abortion providers), and >firing all government employees who aren't heterosexual. > >I intend to boycott your service until you remove your presence from the >Enyart site. > >As a college professor, I am part of the reading public and I buy a lot of >books. But not from you. Further, I plan contact every discussion group, >list and person I know. Art Jipson Department of Sociology, Gerontology, and Anthropology Upham Hall, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056 513-529-2637 (o) 513-529-8525 (f) jipsonaj@muohio.edu (e) 513-523-7604 (home) Me: http://miavx1.muohio.edu/~ajjipson Connells: http://miavx1.muohio.edu/~ajjipson/connells.htmlx -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Wishes, I suppose, mean nothing when they're tossed away... -M Connell From LLANGMA@wpo.it.luc.edu Wed Nov 4 09:45:36 1998 Date: Wed, 04 Nov 1998 10:44:44 -0600 From: "Lauren Langman" To: psn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: Job Opening -Forwarded ([147.96.1.73]) Wed, 4 Nov 1998 16:56:45 +0100 (MET) Date: Wed, 04 Nov 1998 16:56:46 +0100 From: isa@sis.ucm.es (International Sociological Association) Subject: Job Opening Apparently-to: llangma@wpo.it.luc.edu To: llangma@wpo.it.luc.edu Reply-to: isa@sis.ucm.es To: Members of the International Sociological Association Subject: Three faculty positions at Virginia Polytechnic=20 The Department of Urban Affairs and Planning (UAP) at Virginia Tech is committed to excellence in teaching, outreach, and research in planning, public policy, and public and non-profit management. For its interdisciplinary and collaborative work, UAP was recognized by the university as an Exemplary Department in 1998. The department seeks to fill up to three tenure-track positions in August 1999 at the assistant or associate professor levels. Candidates should have a Ph.D. in planning, public policy, or related fields and demonstrate achievement or potential for excellence. The department welcomes expertise in one or more of four areas:=20 (1) environmental planning and policy,=20 (2) international development,=20 (3) collaborative processes (partnership building, participatory = planning=20 and policy-making), and=20 (4) information technologies as they relate to urban planning and public policy. Professional experience is highly desirable. Virginia Tech has a strong commitment to the principle of diversity, and we seek a broad spectrum of candidates. Qualified women, minorities, and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. Application review will begin December 1, 1998 and continue until the positions are filled. Direct an application letter that specifies area of interest and expertise, including a curriculum vitae and a list of four references, to:=20 John Randolph, Head, Urban Affairs and Planning (0113)=20 201 Architecture Annex, Virginia Tech Blacksburg,=20 VA 24061, USA=20 Tel: 1-540-231-6971; fax 1- 540- 2313367=20 energy@vt.edu For information on Virginia Tech and the Department's five degree programs, see http://www.vt.edu and http://www.arch.vt.edu/CAUS/UA/ ----------------------------------------------------------- From kmstokes@iuj.ac.jp Wed Nov 4 19:16:40 1998 Date: Thu, 05 Nov 1998 11:17:42 +0900 To: PSN@csf.colorado.edu From: "Kenneth M. Stokes" Subject: teaching resources query To whomever it may interest; Is anyone acquainted with "balanced" video documentaries on Marx and Engels which may be used as a supplemental resource for a course on international political economy? I would greatly appreciate your contributions, and invite you to write to me directly. Cordially, Kenneth M. Stokes Associate Professor of Political Economy Graduate School of International Relations International University of Japan Yamato-machi, Minami, Uonuma-gun, Niigata-ken 949-72, JAPAN Tel. (+81) 0257 79 1428, Fax. (+81) 0257 79 4441 URL: www.iuj.ac.jp/faculty/kmstokes From coatesrd@casmail.muohio.edu Thu Nov 5 10:21:28 1998 From: "Rodney Coates" To: "PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK" Subject: Police Brutality and Race...ACLU and one story Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1998 12:20:25 -0500 In-Reply-To: <36380D44.C092B1E2@icanect.net> Police brutality and excessive force in the New York City Police Department INTRODUCTION Amnesty International has received disturbing allegations of the ill-treatment of suspects, deaths in custody and unjustified shootings by officers from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in the past few years. Although reports of police brutality are not new, the number of people bringing claims for police misconduct against the City of New York has increased substantially in recent years, from 977 in 1987 to more than 2,000 in 1994. The amount paid out by the city each year in settlements or judgments awarded to plaintiffs in police abuse cases has also risen, from $13.5 million in 1992 to more than $24m in 1994. This report describes the results of research conducted by the organization over an 18-month period which included two fact-finding visits to New York. Amnesty International acknowledges that a number of reforms have taken place within the NYPD during the past three years, partly in response to a commission of inquiry into police corruption which was appointed in 1992. However, there remains a problem of police brutality and excessive force which the organization believes still needs to be urgently addressed. Amnesty International has collected information on more than 90 cases of alleged ill-treatment, or excessive use of force resulting in ill-treatment or death, by New York City police officers dating from the late 1980s to early 1996. The allegations include people being repeatedly struck with fists, batons or other instruments, often after very minor disputes with officers on the street; deaths in police custody; and shootings in apparent violation of the NYPD's own very stringent guidelines. The victims include men and women, juveniles and people from a variety of social, racial and ethnic backgrounds. However, the evidence suggests that the large majority of the victims of police abuses are racial minorities, particularly African-Americans and people of Latin American or Asian descent. Racial disparities appear to be especially marked in cases involving deaths in custody or questionable shootings, an issue Amnesty International believes should be the focus of particular inquiry. Statistics published by the Civilian Complaint Review Board in its bi-annual reports also indicate that minorities are disproportionately the victims of police abuse compared to the overall racial composition of New York City. Three-quarters (75.9%) of the people who lodged complaints with the CCRB from January to June 1995 were African-American (50.3%) and Latino (25.6%), while the remainder were either white (21.2%) or “other” (2.8%), including Asian. These statistics (which do not give a racial breakdown of the final disposition of complaints) are similar to previous reports by the CCRB. Most complaints received by the CCRB were of excessive force; other complaints included abuse of authority, discourtesy and offensive language, including ethnic or racial slurs. The CCRB reports reveal that the race of the subject officers in police misconduct complaints broadly reflects their proportion in the force as a whole. The January - June 1995 CCRB report stated that 69.2% of subject officers were white; 17.5% Latino, 12.5% African-American, and 0.8% “other”, including Asian. Thus, while it appears that much of the abuse is directed toward racial minorities, the problem of excessive force within the PD is not confined exclusively to white officers but may reflect a wider police culture. and one story.. Derwin Pannel Derwin Pannel, a black undercover transit police officer, was shot and wounded by three white NYC Transit Police Department officers who saw him trying to arrest a female fare-evader in a Brooklyn subway on 20 November 1992. The officers, who said they thought he was an armed mugger, fired a total of 21 shots at Pannel: one officer fired all 15 rounds in his 9-millimeter semi-automatic and another six bullets from a .38 caliber revolver. Pannel was hit three times in the back; he was saved by his bullet-proof vest but one bullet lodged in the back of his neck causing severe injury. The chief of the NYC Transit Police was reported afterwards as saying that race was not a factor in the shooting. However, representatives of the Guardians Association, a group representing black police officers, said the shooting highlighted the need for greater sensitivity by white officers to the fact that black and other minority officers working under cover may be police officers rather than criminals. The transit police were reported to have included a section on racial awareness in undercover work in its training sessions following the incident. No officers were criminally charged in the incident. just fyi;; i gotta be me..rodneyc.. From gimenez@csf.Colorado.EDU Fri Nov 6 09:24:51 1998 Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1998 09:24:44 -0700 (MST) From: Martha Gimenez To: PSN@CSF.COLORADO.EDU Subject: WANTED:Suggestions for 2000 Annual Meeting Program (fwd) I would like to invite you again to consider sending some good proposals for us to consider. The theme for the 2000 Annual Meeting Program is OPPRESSION, DOMINATION, AND LIBERATION: CHALLENGE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY. On behalf of the program committee I am writing to invite you to submit suggestions for topics and organizers for thematic, special, and regular sessions. We would like to see sessions on different theoretical, historical, comparative and policy research advancing the analysis of all the dimensions of exploitation and discrimination, as well as of forms of political resistance and struggles for liberation. You can find the complete text of the meeting theme in the September/October issue of FOOTNOTES. Send your program suggestions to the attention of Janet Astner, Meeting Services Director, American Sociological Association, 1722 N Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20036; email: meetings@asanet.org; fax (202) 785-0146. As member of the program committee, I would like to see many suggestions from our department. Our first meeting for considering proposals is scheduled for December 12-13. Martha ********************************************** * Martha E. Gimenez * * Department of Sociology * * University of Colorado at Boulder * * http://csf.colorado.edu/gimenez/ * ********************************************** From sshank@iunhaw1.iun.indiana.edu Fri Nov 6 08:54:17 1998 From: "Stephanie Shanks-Meile" To: psn@csf.colorado.edu Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1998 10:14:49 CST Subject: American History X Dear Fellow PSNers: I saw "American History X" this week and found it to be a most thought provoking film about the making of skinheads. Class dimensions were explored, although as a secondary theme to the more dominant social psychological explanations of white separatist/supremacist recruitment and identification. You know, the stuff on identification with family values and the "looking for a family" explanation. I would just like to know what others who have seen the film think of it. Sincerely, Stephanie Shanks-Meile Stephanie Shanks-Meile, Associate Professor of Sociology E-Mail Address: SSHANK@IUNHAW1.INDIANA.EDU Telephone: 219-980-6787 From skerlin@teleport.com Fri Nov 6 11:20:13 1998 by user1.teleport.com (8.8.7/8.8.4) Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1998 10:20:00 -0800 (PST) From: Scott Kerlin To: psn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: Inquiry: Teaching Social Stats with a Progressive Focus Hi: I am going to be teaching a 300-level introductory course on social statistics during winter term, and so far, I have been very dissatisfied with range of texts available--most are from a very positivistic perspective and offer students little in the way of learning how to read, and use, statistics critically. I would be very interested to hear from others who have located excellent, if introductory (i.e. non-"sadistical") books on social statistics that have helped in teaching from a progressive, feminist, post-modern perspective. By the way, I greatly appreciate the suggestions from those of you who recommended the Charles Lemert text (Social Theory: The Multicultural and Classic Readings, 2nd Edition, 1999, Westview Publishers) for teaching social theory. It has been an excellent introduction and my students have been quite pleased with it. Thank you, Scott Kerlin, Ph.D. E-Mail: skerlin@teleport.com Portland, OR http://www.teleport.com/~skerlin/soc_phil.html From eric@stewards.net Thu Nov 5 18:53:07 1998 Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1998 17:50:46 -0800 (PST) To: psn@csf.colorado.edu (PSN) From: eric@stewards.net (Eric Sommer) Subject: Socialist Planning Listserve Please forward this message to all relevant listserves, organizations, and individuals. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Hi there, With the arrival of the current world crisis (economic crisis, year200bug crisis, ecological crisis), the issue of how to convert a capitalist economy to a socialist economy or a social economy or a democratic economy or, as I call it, a `Stewards economy', may again be on the historic agenda. I am canvassing opinion on whether people are interested in participating in a `socialist planning network (SPN)' which would initially consist of a listserve, and accompanying shared electronic workspace. These facilities would be devoted to dialogue, exploration, and possible joint projects regarding historical and contemporary theory and practice related to socialist planning on the basis of socially owned and managed property in the means of production. The essential thrust of this listserve, and of related facilities, would not simply be academic discussion but active preparation for the possibility of socialist transition. If you would like to participate in this process, which would initially involve enrollment in a listserve, please let me know by email. if a minimum critical mass of people, say 20 or so, show interest, I will initiate the listserve and include you if you have sent me email to that effect. Dialogue and exploration through the listserve might include but would not necessarily be limited to such topics as: * The sharing of pertinent bibliographic references on socialist planning. To wet your appetite, you might initially look at `Towards a New Socialism' by W. Paul Cockshott and Allin Cottrell. The introduction to this book is on-line and you can download the whole work in Adobe Postscript format from: www.ecn.wfu.edu/~cottrell/socialism_book/ A shorter related work which also contains many of their ideas can be read in on-line in its entirety at: http://www.gn.apc.org/Reality/econ/mfs.htm * Planning experiences in the former socialist block(s). We need to learn from both the positive and negative lessons of this `vast historical experiment'. The economic successes of the first soviet five year plans; the positive aspects of socialist block planning and management approaches; the relative absence of democratic participation in the planning and management of the socialist block economies; the role of `imperialist encirclement' and of participation in the arms race in `distorting' socialist block economic development and planning; the relative absence of ecological criteria from socialist block planning and the consequent widespread ecological destruction; and the general economic difficulties encountered in the socialist block economies in recent decades, would all be on the agenda. * The problems of appropriation and transition from capitalim to socialist property and planning in an actual, `messy', `real-world' revolutionary or quasi-revolutionary setting. These problems are illustrated by the experience of the soviet people in 1917-1921 in which, amidst war and civil war, huge numbers of ordinary workers and peasants participated in the appropriation and initial planning processes regarding the factories, mills, mines, and fields in the Soviet revolution. Just one example of what can be learned here is the little-known but essential role of `workers control' in safeguarding production facilities such as factories, mines, and so forth from sabotage by capitalists and capitalist managers in the chaotic transition period immediately after the revolution. * The role of democracy in planning - i.e., What is the nature of democratic planning? How is this achieved on local, regional, and national scales? * The new prospects for democratic planning opened by use of contemporary technological means such as computer networks, automated electronic data interchange (edi), databases, groupware such as Lotus Notes, and similar facilities to facilitate `real-time socialist planning' and coordination would also definitely have a place in these discussions. * Discussions of the planning and related management procedures of contemporary business practice, such as `Hoshin planning', as these may be creatively applied in democratic socialist planning, would also be encouraged. * Relatively smaller scale planning and management in cooperatives or intentional community settings might well also be of interest. * Rehashing the `socialist calculation debate' and similar material ala Hayek would definitely be discouraged, as these subjects have been `done to death', and are often the focus of anti-socialist ideologues and academics with little knowledge or interest in the actual planning and management of socialist economies. If you would like to participate, please let me know. Cordially, Eric Sommer From D.Morgan@unsw.EDU.AU Fri Nov 6 15:36:25 1998 Date: Sat, 07 Nov 1998 09:43:47 +1100 From: David Morgan Reply-To: D.Morgan@unsw.EDU.AU To: skerlin@teleport.com Subject: Re: Inquiry: Teaching Social Stats with a Progressive Focus Scott, try, Neil Burdess, The Really Understandable Stats Book: For people who prefer English words and phrases to mathematical symbols and formulae, (Prentice-Hall, 1994). Chapter 1 is entitled 'Social research and statistics' and it goes from there. One note, its published in Australia, I don't know if its available in the US quickly. Dave -- ________________________________________________________________________ David E. Morgan, Ph.D. Email: d.morgan@unsw.edu.au School of Industrial Relations and Organisational Behaviour, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, Australia. Ph +61 2 9385 2181 (w) +61 2 9489 1448 (h) Fax. +61 2 9662 8531 ________________________________________________________________________ Scott Kerlin wrote: > Hi: > > I am going to be teaching a 300-level introductory course on social > statistics during winter term, and so far, I have been very dissatisfied > with range of texts available--most are from a very positivistic > perspective and offer students little in the way of learning how to read, > and use, statistics critically. > > I would be very interested to hear from others who have located excellent, > if introductory (i.e. non-"sadistical") books on social statistics that > have helped in teaching from a progressive, feminist, post-modern > perspective. > > By the way, I greatly appreciate the suggestions from those of you who > recommended the Charles Lemert text (Social Theory: The Multicultural and > Classic Readings, 2nd Edition, 1999, Westview Publishers) for teaching > social theory. It has been an excellent introduction and my students have > been quite pleased with it. > > Thank you, > > Scott Kerlin, Ph.D. > E-Mail: skerlin@teleport.com > Portland, OR > http://www.teleport.com/~skerlin/soc_phil.html Scott,
try, Neil Burdess, The Really Understandable Stats Book: For people who prefer English words and phrases to mathematical symbols and formulae, (Prentice-Hall, 1994).  Chapter 1 is entitled 'Social research and statistics' and it goes from there.
One note, its published in Australia, I don't know if its available in the US quickly.

Dave
--
________________________________________________________________________
David E. Morgan,  Ph.D.           Email: d.morgan@unsw.edu.au
School of Industrial Relations and Organisational Behaviour,
University of New South Wales,
Sydney, 2052, Australia.
Ph +61 2 9385 2181 (w) +61 2 9489 1448 (h)  Fax. +61 2 9662 8531
________________________________________________________________________
Scott Kerlin wrote:

Hi:

I am going to be teaching a 300-level introductory course on social
statistics during winter term, and so far, I have been very dissatisfied
with range of texts available--most are from a very positivistic
perspective and offer students little in the way of learning how to read,
and use, statistics critically.

I would be very interested to hear from others who have located excellent,
if introductory (i.e. non-"sadistical") books on social statistics that
have helped in teaching from a progressive, feminist, post-modern
perspective.

By the way, I greatly appreciate the suggestions from those of you who
recommended the Charles Lemert text (Social Theory: The Multicultural and
Classic Readings, 2nd Edition, 1999, Westview Publishers) for teaching
social theory. It has been an excellent introduction and my students have
been quite pleased with it.

Thank you,

Scott Kerlin, Ph.D.
E-Mail: skerlin@teleport.com
Portland, OR
http://www.teleport.com/~skerlin/soc_phil.html

 

  From bb05246@binghamton.edu Fri Nov 6 14:07:14 1998 Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1998 16:06:55 -0500 (EST) From: John Hollister To: Stephanie Shanks-Meile Subject: Re: American History X In-Reply-To: <1A317226FB@iunhaw1.iun.indiana.edu> I have not seen the film yet but have followed the discussion on a listserv for skinheads, who are generally appalled at the continuing erasure of nonracist and anti-racist skins in the popular media. Apparently, a nazi skin scene is located in a town where the skins have historically been anti-nazi. Basically the nazi skin makes for such a convenient folk villain, that the reality of skins as a working class and generally antiracist subculture is invisible to the mainstream. Many skins fear that the film will feed a moral panic about skinheads, with disastrous results for actual skins, who are in the front line in the fight against fascism. On Fri, 6 Nov 1998, Stephanie Shanks-Meile wrote: > Dear Fellow PSNers: > > I saw "American History X" this week and found it to be a most > thought provoking film about the making of skinheads. Class > dimensions were explored, although as a secondary theme to the more > dominant social psychological explanations of white > separatist/supremacist recruitment and identification. You know, the > stuff on identification with family values and the "looking for a > family" explanation. I would just like to know what others who have > seen the film think of it. > > Sincerely, > Stephanie Shanks-Meile > > Stephanie Shanks-Meile, Associate Professor of Sociology > E-Mail Address: SSHANK@IUNHAW1.INDIANA.EDU > Telephone: 219-980-6787 > John Hollister bb05246@binghamton.edu http://sociology.adm.binghamton.edu/pages/j.html From smarwah@osf1.gmu.edu Fri Nov 6 15:00:23 1998 Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1998 17:00:09 -0500 (EST) From: Sanjay Marwah Reply-To: Sanjay Marwah To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Subject: Re: American History X In-Reply-To: <1A317226FB@iunhaw1.iun.indiana.edu> I saw the movie and thought it was good. Certainly, the emphasis was on the white supermacist movement's processes of recruitment, but I though the emphasis was on race relations as well, that is from the perspective of how views of skinheads reflect simplistic notions of how racial equality can and cannot be (should not be) achieved. Like you said, the emphasis was on the family transmission of racist values. The movie also talked about anger and blame in racial views, both black and white. Do you think the ultimate message was that certain people control the ideological messages and that many youth are easily moved, looking for meaning? From smrose@exis.net Sun Nov 8 15:33:13 1998 From: "Steve Rosenthal" To: PSN@CSF.COLORADO.EDU Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1998 17:30:26 +0000 Subject: Mitch + Capitalism = Mass Murder The article below from the PLP newspaper Challenge/Desafio adds a Marxist analysis to the enlightening report Joanne Naiman posted earlier about the political disaster associated with Hurricane Mitch in Central America. Steve Rosenthal ======================== Capitalism Creates Conditions That Turned Mitch Into A Mass Killer The toll in Central America is huge: the politicians say that 9,000 are dead, many thousands are missing, countless will die from injuries and diseases, and hundreds of thousands are homeless and practically naked. The appearance_and the bosses' media are screaming about it for the world to hear_is that all this pain and misery was caused by Hurricane Mitch. The essence_the truth_is that capitalism is the real culprit. In Honduras, all the bridges in the country fell in the face of the storm. Thousands of homes were destroyed. A million have no shelter. In Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico, there are more dead and homeless. People who have been without food, water and shelter are dying in droves. Yesterday, Honduras instituted martial law to protect the bosses' private property from the hungry masses. Natural phenomena, like hurricanes will always happen. But it is the poverty and depravation that capitalism imposes upon billions of workers worldwide that turn hurricanes like Mitch into monsters of mass destruction and death. The dead, maimed, injured, missing and dispossessed, mainly the poorest of workers, are forced by capitalism to live in the most dangerous places, where they, their families, and their huts are easily be swept away by swollen rivers or buried by tons of mud. Countless lives were also lost because of the racist disregard that the rich rulers of these countries and their imperialist masters, specially the U.S. bosses, have for these workers' lives. Even though there were early warnings of the approaching storm, people were not evacuated in time. People in coastal villages and small towns evacuated on their own, seeking higher grounds in the hills and mountains with nothing but trees to protect them. In the bigger cities the few public buildings and churches open to refugees quickly filled up, and tens of thousands crowded into open stadiums or simply slept on the streets pounded by the wind and the rain. Those lucky enough to have gotten into the so-called refugee centers have no food, drinking water, medicine, showers, proper toilets, nor even a cot or a blanket. When it comes to saving workers' lives the bosses say they are helpless. Yet they could quickly mobilize tens of thousands of soldiers to protect their economic and strategic interests. During the 1970's, 1980's and early 1990's, war ravaged Central America as U.S. bosses battled Russian and European backed insurgents for control of the area. Honduras was turned into a huge military base where tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers were flown in, ready to invade Nicaragua. A great part of the U.S. naval power patrolled both Central America's coasts ready for action. Under communism, the workers Red Army's planes, helicopters and ships will be used to evacuate and rescue workers whenever needed. But the imperialists' war machinery is not for savings workers' lives. It is for destroying them, like the thousands killed in Panama in 1989 when the U.S. flew in over 20 thousand soldiers over night to make Panama safe for U.S. banks. Another example of the imperialists contempt for workers' lives is the economic help they are offering. Clinton pledged $2 million and Spain is donating $100,000 it collected from Spanish workers. The Central American armies_that slaughtered over 400,000 workers from 1960 to the early 1990's_were for decades equipped, trained and funded by the U.S. to the tune of more than $2 million a day! Clinton has also put together a $30 billion packet to bail out Brazilian and U.S. bankers. In the last years Spanish banks have invested over $20 billions to exploit Latin American workers but have no money to spare for these workers in need. This catastrophe in Central America also sharply shows a glaring contradiction of capitalism that cries out for communist revolution_the present capitalist crisis of overproduction. The capitalists are flooding the markets with products they can't sell, thereby curtailing production, closing factories and laying off millions of workers. In the auto industry, for example, there is the capacity to produce 20 million vehicles that can't be sold. How many workers' lives could have been saved in Central America with the proper transportation? In steel there are over 200 million tons that can't be sold. How many sturdy bridges, houses and buildings could have been constructed, and still be constructed with that steel, to save countless lives? The world is awash with everything from clothes to food to medicine, everything desperately needed by hundreds of thousands of workers in Central America. But under capitalism these products will never be distributed to these workers. Capitalism doesn't produce for workers' needs. The capitalist slogan is "If you can't sell it for a profit, let it rot." Profits before human needs and lives. Capitalism is the greatest scourge of workers. Earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, etc., are natural phenomena for which there is the knowledge and technology to minimize their damages. Capitalism's unbridled death and destruction is unnatural, a creation of the bosses greed. It can only be ended with communist revolution. PLP knows that workers will help with a massive effort to send needed supplies to their brothers and sisters in Central America. We'll help organize this effort, as we urge our friends and co-workers to join the Progressive Labor Party to end the horrors of capitalism. From eric@stewards.net Sun Nov 8 07:03:28 1998 Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1998 06:02:56 -0800 (PST) To: psn@csf.colorado.edu (PSN) From: eric@stewards.net (Eric Sommer) Subject: New `Socialist planning' webpages. Hi there, New sections devoted to `the world crisis' and `the theory and practice of socialist planning' have been added to the Stewards Corporation movement website at www.stewards.net . The new mini-homepages for the two new sections are at: www.stewards.net/socplnh.htm and www.stewards.net/worldcrh.htm Also, the new socialist planning listserve, already described in PSN, will launch in about one week. Please let us know if you would like to be included. All interested people are welcome. Finally, we have also established a new private listserve with several programmers and economists, including the authors of `Towards a new Socialism', a great work on socialist planning, for the purpose of exploring collaboration in the development of new socialist planning software to support democratically planned, ecologically-viable socialist or stewards economies based on social ownership in the means of production. If you are an economist, programmer, or have relevant theoretical interests, please email me with your pertinent background and interest in joining the socialist planning software nexus. Cordially yours, Eric Sommer From skerlin@teleport.com Sat Nov 7 11:29:21 1998 by user1.teleport.com (8.8.7/8.8.4) Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1998 10:29:09 -0800 (PST) From: Scott Kerlin To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK Subject: [2] Re: Inquiry: Teaching Social Stats with a Progressive Focus In-Reply-To: To all of you who have responded to my post to PSN yesterday, I want to offer my warmest thanks. I now have a list of texts that I will be trying to locate here in Portland (thank goodness, we have Powell's Bookstore here in town) and when time permits I will try to post a listing of the recommended titles I've received from others. I will also be attempting to develop a Web-based site to help my students, which I will likely add to my existing Sociology page (where I already have gathered a number of social statistics websites). If any of you have favorite "progressive statistics" websites to suggest, I'd be grateful. Thanks again, Scott Kerlin, Ph.D. Portland, Oregon E-Mail: skerlin@teleport.com Sociology Website: http://www.teleport.com/~skerlin/soc_phil.html From jnaiman@acs.ryerson.ca Sun Nov 8 08:36:55 1998 Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1998 10:41:28 -0500 (EST) From: Joanne Naiman To: psn@csf.colorado.edu Subject: Mitch pours on Nicaragua (fwd) (long) This message is being sent as widely as possible, and I thought you might want to get an inside look at what is happening in Nicaragua. At the end of this post there is an address in Canada for donations. Perhaps someone in the U.S. who has an appropriate group to send $ to could post it here as well. Cheers, __________________________________ Joanne Naiman Department of Sociology Ryerson Polytechnic University 350 Victoria St. Toronto, Ontario CANADA M5B 2K3 Tel: (416) 979 5000, ext. 7047 Fax: (416) 979 5273 E-Mail: jnaiman@acs.ryerson.ca -------------------------------------------- >Subject: Mitch pours on Nicaragua > >Hello to all of you, > >Thanks for the emails and phone calls I have received as you have become >aware of the horrific conditions affecting Nicaragua and the rest of >Central America. > >First let me tell you that I am fine. Other than mouldy walls and clothes >our household is well. Damage to this part of Managua was minimal. > >I also want to tell you about the effects of Mitch and what you can do >about it. Please keep in mind that this is not simply a "natural" disaster. >Political interests have directly impacted the effects of Mitch, relief >efforts, and what we can expect for the future. > >The current summary of damages in Nicaragua is the following: more than >400,000 victims (homeless and injured) - this is 10% of the population; >more than 2,500 kms of roads effected, or 70% of roadways; close to 2,000 >dead; more than 40 bridges damaged or destroyed; at least a few communities >on the Coco river, around the Casitas volcano, and San Francisco on Lake >Managua have been significantly (70% or more) or totally destroyed; 5 >departmental capitals in the north and west are cut off from road access, >including the second largest city; most road linkages with the rest of >Central America have been cut off; and 5 hydroelectric plants in the north >have been destroyed; large quantities of crops have been wiped out in the >north, west, and south of the country; total damages are approximately $30 >million in damages. Many waterways now contain corpses, either from those >who died because of the hurricane, or from cemetaries washed away. In the >north and west of the country have lacked potable water and electrity since >the middle to end of last week. > >It is impossible to know the exact effects at the moment because of the >lack of access to so many communities. Also, there is the possibility that >the number of deaths could increase amongst those still awaiting rescue in >treetops and rooftops and as diseases spread like cholera, diarrhea, >malaria, and fungal infections. Yesterday, INITER (the national geological >institute) predicted mudslides and lava flows from nine volcanoes, >potentially affecting 24 villages. > >There are conflicting reports on the damages. In part this is because of >the lack of access to Nicaragua's widely dispersed rural communities to >know what is happening. A piece of the Casitas volcano broke away on >Friday, killing approximately 1,000 people in Posoltega, leaving just over >100 surviving residents. But this did not make news in Nicaragua until >Sunday. Until the pictures of "a desert littered with bodies" (Defense >Minister Pedro Joaquin Chamorro) hit the tv the government was minimizing >the death toll. The same holds true of other badly hit communities. Last >week a report on the government tv channel announced that infrastructure >had been affected by the high water levels would mean no lack of >hydroelectric power next year (see above). > >But why is the death and damage toll so high and rising? First and foremost >because absolutely no preventative measures were taken. There is one report >that President Aleman was warned by INITER of possible disaster several >days before the rains caused by Mitch hit Nicaragua. There was no warning >to the people. > >The government since the beginning has minimalized the effects of Mitch. I >synthesise the government's consistent response as "It's no problem. >Everything is under control." The National Emergency Comittee had only >three members (the health minister, the head of the social action >department (i.e. social welfare), and the defense minister) until Sunday >night, the day the rains started ending. Last week only the secretary of >social action was seen touring the country to gauge the damages. By Sunday >the committee was chaired by the vice president and several more ministers >and two members of civil society were added, for a total of about twelve. >The federation of NGOs has been asking to join the committee for several >days. > >The president and government have minimalized the damage so much that it >has refused to declare a national state of emergency. Last week the reason >given was that the NGOs would take advantage of the situation to turn a >profit. Later it was because not the entire country had been affected. A tv >ad was aired yesterday showing the vice president reading the list of >individual liberties that "the government *could* take away", including >freedom of communications and mobility, and allowing forced entry to >private property. Both the president and vice-president have said that this >is what was done during the 1980s (the Sandinista revolution) and "we'll >never go back to a dictatorship". Instead, Sunday night the President >announced three days of national mourning and beat his breast at mass. > >The entire country is clamouring for a state of emergency to be declared. >If phone lines are down and homes, roads, and bridges are washed out, how >relevant are these liberties to many Nicaraguans right now anyway? More to >the point is (1) what *could* the government do with such powers? and (2) >why would it choose to restrict freedoms unnecessarily? Let me also point >out that El Salvador has declared a national state of emergency with only >10% of Nicaragua's victims, and much less severe effects. > >A press conference Sunday night with the expanded National Emergency >Committee was perhaps the best example of the government's response to the >crisis. The official figure of 400,000 victims was announced. At the same >time, the government insisted that there is enough food, both immediately >and in the near future, and enough in storage. The health minister was >questioned as to why Cuban offer for aid had not been accepted. She >responded that Nicaragua had no need for Cuban doctors, but medicines were >welcome. Another minister pointed out that the rescue efforts have been >slow because they need to save on gas for the helicopters. Requests for aid >(including helicopters) had only been made to the US. > >Thankfully lots of aid has been received thus far - close to $2 million US >had been donated from governments and UN organizations alone. Nicaraguans, >70% of whom live in poverty, have been overwhelmingly generous. Two tv and >radio marathons have taken place. I haven't any estimates for the amount of >what's been donated by individuals but it's very substantial. Some >businesses have made donations and others have promised not to raise >prices. Local and international NGOs, catholic and protestant churches, and >especially the Red Cross have been active in collecting and distributing >aid. > >In almost all the reports I've seen, read, and heard people are saying that >the only aid they've received is from social organizations. One report from >Rivas in the south stated that the local governing-party officials >interrupted a Red Cross and Lions Club distribution of aid to hand out milk >and cookies. Then they urged them to remember the hand-out when the next >elections come around. This week Aleman has been greeted with angry >protesters in two cities. > >On Monday the government announced that all national and international aid >must be channelled sent to treasury. It also announced that no taxes would >be charged on donations channelled this route. This strategy links with >pre-Mitch humanitarian aid holdups that many national and international >NGOs have been fighting against. The government also took measures to >transfer budget money to the ministry of construction. > >On Tuesday the opposition parties in the legislature pointed out that >budget reallocations and taxation measures were its responsibility, not the >executive's. They slated a bill to transfer about $3.3 million to Mitch >relief; another bill for disaster prevention and relief; and a measure to >deduct $1000 from every deputy's salary (one third their monthly income). >Thus far I've heard absolutely no mention of the government's *budgeted* >funds for emergency relief - of either how much there is, or how it's being >spent. > >Reports of rescue efforts began last Friday. With only seven helicopters, >little can be done. There are reports of almost no contact between civil >defense and the national emergency committee, and frustrated relations >between the army and the committee. There are still thousands of people >waiting to be rescued. Today the government reports that 28,000 people have >been rescued with army helicopters. This means that most of those in >shelters have done so with the help of individuals and non-governmental >organizations pitching together and/or there are far, far many more still >waiting. > >The rescue efforts are gruelling. Here's an excerpt from Carol Wood's >letter (of the Casa Canadiense) sent yesterday: > >>Tim has been doing improvised media relations for the Red Cross ... >>here are some horrific inside facts, courtesy of Tim. >> >>A brigade worker came back from the region of La Casita today, describing >>the scene. Rescue workers wade through waist-deep mud, pushing their way >>between tree trunks and other unthinkable debris which has been swept along >>in the thick torrent. They have no gloves or masks to prevent disease, and >>often go shirtless. The instructions they have been given now are to rescue >>only the living: the dead are too numerous, and they are being burned. If >>you see a person with 60% or less of their body sticking out of the mud, >>they are most probably alive (they may be unconscious or unable to move, >>but they are probably alive). Work your way through the mud to them, haul >>them out, and try to work your way back to safety with them. If you see a >>person with 70% or more of their body buried, chances are their ribcages >>have been crushed and they are dead. Obviously if the person is upside >>down, they are dead. So the rescue workers have the blood-curdling task of >>scanning the fields of mud, evaluating motionless heads and shoulders, and >>deciding where to wade to. These relief workers are provided no food, and >>are only offered relief rations, when they are available. > >There are still more effects of Mitch. Since late last week there have been >food shortages in some parts of the country while prices for basic foods >and needs are skyrocketing. Today one paper reports that a family member of >the vice-president was selling a load of 7,000 kg beans at up to three >times the regular price. The mayor of Granada said she would confiscate the >goods, but had to wait to receive word from the president to know what to >do with them. Rising costs include not only deaths, damages, and prices of >goods. How much will Nicaragua's foreign debt increase, along with its >service payments, once its requests for money from the IMF and other >institutions are answered by even more loans? > >As I've been writing this there's been another press conference. Today the >government line is that the only problem is getting food, rescuers, >medicine, etc to the victims. There is enough food in the country for two >months (I wonder if this will be the same as the findings of the World Food >Programme who will report on Friday of their week-long study of the >country's situation). The government claims that only with 90 helicopters >can it carry out the necessary rescue and transportation needs. Of the six >helicopters Nicaragua has, five (only!) are in use for hurricane >operations. I've heard that three countries have offered helicopters but >today there are no reports on them. The President charges the FSLN mayor of >Posoltega (not by name) of being antidemocratic because she declared a >municipal state of emergency. The vice president says electricity has been >returned to the cities of the north. Finally Aleman declares that the >damages from Mitch are unquantifiable. > >Why the minimalizing of the damages, no declaration of a national >emergency, no reports of official aid being received in outlying >communities? The most pessimistic and realistic explanation, given this >government's report card, is to stockpile the aid received and then sell it >off. By telling the country that there is no need for aid and not reporting >on how the aid is being used, people will not expect much aid to come. >Later accounts can be altered, not made, or at least not publicized. Thus >we can expect more standoffs between the government and the >auditor-general. > >Another possible explanation is that there is indeed government budget >money as well as funds from foreign governments and international >organizations for disaster or "emergency" relief. But the government >doesn't want to account for it because it's already been spent. Perhaps it >used the money on (literally) buying votes in the recent elections on the >Caribbean coasts? or paying for a year-round rental of a luxury suite in a >Managua hotel for the president? Yet another explanation could well be that >the government doesn't want to appear "unstable" to foreign lenders. This >would ring a bell with Canadians and others. > >The President has just stated that Nicaragua's "intelligent" citizens know >who are the builders and who are the destroyers. And they had "just three >seconds of consciousness on February 25th" (the day in 1990 when the >Sandinistas were voted out of office). If Nicaraguans are so intelligent, >why only three? Does he mean before or after they voted? And when will >these three seconds take place during the next national elections? My guess >is that, for many, they already have. > >I have reported more on the politics because, as I stated at the beginning, >this cannot be seen as a natural disaster. Other reports on damages are >around and I would be pleased to send them to you. > >Now I want to suggest what you can do to help. Please respond! > >1. Please pass this information along. > >2. Contact the Nicaraguan government and consulate to express your >solidarity with the Nicaraguan people. At the same time you can ask for an >accounting of the aid that's been received (Canada has donated $25,000) and >how it's been spent. I don't have the embassy's address in Ottawa or >President Aleman's numbers but you can write to the President care of the >embassy. Meanwhile, I will pass on the numbers when I get them. In the U.S. >you can contact the Nicaraguan embassy at: Francisco Aguirre Sacasa, >Nicaraguan Ambassador to US, 1627 New Hampshire Ave, NW, Washington, DC >20009, Phone: (202) 939-6570, Fax: (202) 939-6542. The contact numbers for >the President of the National Assembly (legislature) are: fax: (505) >228-1021; email: . For the Nicaraguan Ministry of >Finance, fax: (505) 222-2934. > >2. You can make a donation yourself through Pueblito which will be >transferred to local organizations through Casa Canadiense. You can contact >them in Toronto: > >Pueblito Canada >#304 - 720 Spadina Avenue >Toronto, Ontario >M5S 2T9 > >tel: 416-963-8846 >fax: 416-963-8853 >e-mail: > >I hope you are all well. I will write personal emails soon. > >Love, >Nadine > >Nadine Jubb >Ph.D. candidate >Dept. of Political Science >and Centre for Research on Latin >America and the Caribbean (CERLAC), >York University, Canada > > > From augdeven@telcel.net.ve Wed Nov 11 06:59:13 1998 (Post.Office MTA v3.5.2 release 221 Reply-To: <@telcel.net.ve> From: "Augusto De Venanzi" To: "PSN" Subject: Requesting data on poverty Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 09:55:26 -0400 Dear Colleagues: I would appreciate some data on poverty ( unemployment also ) in developed countries that could be downloaded by internet. The idea is to compare the evolution of poverty with that present in "underdeveloped" countries. Thank You, Prof. Augusto De Venanzi Escuela de Sociología Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Sociales Universidad Central de Venezuela email: augdeven@telcel.net.ve From eric@stewards.net Tue Nov 10 08:37:04 1998 Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 07:34:31 -0800 (PST) To: psn@csf.colorado.edu (PSN) From: eric@stewards.net (Eric Sommer) Subject: Is the Russian Communist party Anti-Semitic? Hi there, Does anyone in PSN have additional information on the following case, or on the background to it? The case concerns a prominent member of the Russian CP, who has reportedly repeatedly attacked Jews in public statements in the past week, used an ethnic slur to refer to them, blamed them for the current economic crisis (Seig heil!), and called for their jailing. Does anyone know anything in depth regarding the alledged anti-semitic and/or ethnocentric or nationalist aspect of the Russian communist party and its program, which I have only seen discussed in the unreliable capitalist mass media. I like the Russian CP's current approaches to supporting planned and/or spontanious popular mobilizations and popular committees of the Russian workers and people in struggle against the Yeltsin government and its policies. I also find some of their policies for immediate survival of the Russian people sensible, humane, and pointing to at least partial stabilization of the country on a sociliast or semi-socialist basis. But If the party actually does condone anti-semitic or other forms of racisim or ethnocentrism, progressive like myself would have to reject it as a vehicle for social progress in Russia. Even pro-capitalist liberalism is preferable to facisim. Can anyone further enlighten me? Thanks in advance for any info, Eric > >Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 >For the Hindustan Times >From: Fred Weir in Moscow > > MOSCOW (HT Nov 10) -- Several Russian politicians have >called for banning the Communist Party -- the country's largest >political formation -- after it failed to publicly condemn one of >its members for anti-Semitic remarks. > "The Communists should be banned as the carrier of an idea >that could break Russia apart," financier Boris Berezovsky told a >TV interviewer at the weekend. Mr. Berezovsky is a former deputy >chairman of the Kremlin Security Council and current secretary of >the Commonwealth of Independent States. > "They are turning into nationalists and for the first time >they have declared this absolutely openly. . . The Communists >have placed themselves outside the laws of the civilized world >and outside the laws of Russia," he said. > Mr. Berezovsky's demands were echoed by a number of leading >politicians. Former Prime Minister Yegor Gaidar accused the >Communists of turning into Nazis and said "if Russia wants to >remain a democratic country it should ban the Communist Party." > The controversy erupted last week when the vast majority of >Communist parliamentarians refused to support a resolution of >criticism against General Albert Makashov, a Communist deputy who >referred to Jews in public speeches using an ethnic slur, blamed >them for causing Russia's economic crisis and suggested they >should be rounded up and jailed. > The motion of censure in the Duma, Russia's lower house of >parliament, was sponsored by film-maker Stanislav Govorukhin, a >left-wing parliamentarian who warned that Gen. Makashov's >inflamed rhetoric was a threat to Russian national unity and a >disgrace to the Communist Party. > But the measure failed when only a handful of Communists, >who hold nearly half the Duma's seats, voted for it. Communist >Party leader Gennady Zyuganov said the resolution was unnecessary >because Gen. Makashov had already been reprimanded inside the >Party. > "We have a pluralism of opinions, and people can say what >they want," says Yuri Ivanov, a Communist Duma deputy. "Makashov >has been criticized by his comrades, and that's enough." > But at a Moscow rally marking the 81st anniversary of the >Bolshevik Revolution last Saturday, Gen. Makashov repeated his >attacks on the Jews, and Communist Party leaders also present >made no move to curb him. > "The Communists have a serious internal problem," says >Nikolai Petrov, an analyst with the Carnegie Endowment in Moscow. >"Zyuganov does not want a split, and so he's had to make >allowances for Makashov". > Mr. Zyuganov slammed Mr. Berezovsky's call to ban the >Communist Party as "an expression of utter extremism" and warned >that all such appeals are contrary to Russia's Constitutional >law. > The Communist Party was banned after the collapse of the >USSR in 1991, but revived when Russia's Constitutional Court >upheld its legality. But it has never declared a clear post- >Soviet ideology, and Mr. Zyuganov tends to appear in the guise of >nationalist, social democrat or Stalinist depending on his >audience of the moment. > It remains Russia's largest political party, and Mr. >Zyuganov routinely leads the pack of possible presidential >candidates in opinion polls. But the same polls show the >Communists not only the most popular, but also the most unpopular >party in the country -- a paradox that led to Mr. Zyuganov's >defeat in 1996 presidential elections and would likely do so >again. > "This controversy reveals the basic problem the Communists >have," says Mr. Petrov. "The Party's internal disunity and lack >of ideological cohesion makes it impossible for Zyuganov to >create an electable image for himself. The Party's enemies find >it easy to exploit situations like this controversy over >Makashov." > >-- >Gregory Schwartz >Department of Political Science >York University >4700 Keele St. >Toronto, Ontario >M3J 1P3 >Canada > >tel: (416) 736-5265 >fax: (416) 736-5686 >mail: grishas@yorku.ca >web: http://www.yorku.ca/dept/polisci > > > From brook@california.com Tue Nov 10 14:46:25 1998 Tue, 10 Nov 1998 13:38:45 -0800 (PST) Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 11:46:30 -0800 To: PSN@csf.colorado.edu From: CyberBrook Subject: Fwd: Wal-Mart and the Strip-Mining of America >Walk into any Wal-Mart and marvel. One near us is open 24 hours. Never >closes. Consumer goods as far as the eye can see. Quality product at a low >price. Friendly workers greeting eager consumers at the door. > >In 1997, Wal-Mart had sales of $118 billion and is on course to >become, within 10 years or so, the world's largest corporation. > >Wal-Mart is three times bigger than Sears, its nearest competitor, >and larger than all three of its main rivals (Sears, Target, and Kmart) >combined. > >Wal-Mart now has 3,400 stores on four continents. "Our priorities >are that we want to dominate North America first, then South America, and >then Asia and then Europe," Wal-Mart's President and CEO David Glass told >USA Today business reporter Lorrie Grant recently. > >And given the history of steady rise of the Bentonville, Arkansas >retailer, who would doubt it? > >Certainly not USA Today, which last week ran Grant's glowing >review of Wal-Mart's worldwide operation under the headline: "An >Unstoppable Marketing Force: Wal-Mart Aims for Domination of the Retail >Industry -- Worldwide." > >But Bob Ortega, a Wall Street Journal reporter, reveals a >different side of the Wal-Mart phenomenon in his recently released book, >In Sam We Trust: The Untold Story of Sam Walton and How Wal-Mart Is >Devouring America, (Times Business, 1998). > >Ortega documents how Sam Walton -- perhaps the most driven >corporate executive ever to walk the face of the planet -- built his >empire. Wal-Mart has used Asian child labor to make blouses for sale under >"Made in America" signs in his stores. When he began his operation in >Bentonville, Arkansas, Sam Walton hired a union-busting attorney to quash >worker organizing. Outer city Wal-Marts have steamrolled inner city shopkeepers. > >Ortega speaks to Kathleen Baker of Hastings, Minnesota, who was >fired after talking with other workers about asking for a pay raise. > >He speaks to Mike and Paula Ianuzzo, of Cottage Grove, Oregon, who >blamed Wal-Mart for wiping out their photo-shop business. > >In Guatemala, he interviewed Flor de Maria Salguedo, a union >organizer who arranged for Ortega to talk with workers making clothes for >Wal-Mart and other giant retailers. > >Salguedo, whose husband was murdered during an organizing drive in >Guatemala City, was herself kidnapped, beaten and raped shortly after >Ortega left Guatemala City. After the attack, one of her attackers told >her, "This is what you get for messing about with foreigners." > >Ortega documents how communities around the country have revolted >against Wal-Mart's plans to plunk down giant superstores in their >communities, ripping apart the fabric of small town life. > >In Oklahoma, the owner of a television and record store adversely >affected and eventually closed down after a Wal-Mart moved into the area, >told reporters, "Wal-Mart really craters a little town's downtown." > >Shelby Robinson, a self-employed clothing designer from Fort >Collins tells Ortega that she "really hates Wal-Mart." Why? > >"Everything's starting to look the same, everybody buys all the >same things -- a lot of small-town character is being lost," Robinson >says. "They dislocate communities, they hurt small businesses, they add to >our sprawl and pollution because everybody drives farther, they don't pay >a living wage, and visually, they're atrocious." > >James Howard Kunstler, an ardent Wal-Mart foe from upstate New >York, talks about what he calls the $7 hair dryer fallacy. > >Kunstler argues to Ortega that "people who shop at a giant >discounter to save $7 on a hair dryer don't realize that they pay a hidden >price by taking that business from local merchants, because those >merchants are the people who sit on school boards, sponsor little league >teams and support the civic institutions that create a community." > >Kunstler calls Wal-Mart "the exemplar of a form of corporate >colonialism, which is to say, organizations from one place going into >distant places and strip-mining them culturally and economically." > >Ortega documents how communities around the country are rising up >to slap down Wal-Mart's plans at expansion. > >But Ortega questions whether, given the amazing popularity of >Wal-Mart among consumers worldwide, anything will stop this juggernaut. > >As Ortega points out, consumerism has not always held sway on this >soil. Back 200 years ago, in the United States, "one did not shop for pleasure." > >"The very idea of coveting goods ran counter to a broad >Puritanical streak in American society, and to its proclaimed values of >living simply, working hard (the famous 'work ethic'), being thrifty, and >seeking salvation through faith," Ortega writes. > >Ortega closes the book with a story of how Tibetans believe, >depending on their past actions, people can come back to other realms >besides this one. > >"Among the worst of the realms is the realm of the hungry ghosts >-- a place reminiscent of certain neighborhoods of Dante's Inferno," he >writes. "The hungry ghosts are the reincarnations of people who were >covetous or greedy in this life. In the realm of the hungry ghosts, they >are constantly ravenous but can never be satisfied. They despoil and >devour everything around them. They consume endlessly and insatiably. It >struck me immediately as a metaphor for our own mass culture." > >On April 6, 1992, Sam Walton died one of the wealthiest men in >America. Ortega says that he cannot presume to know where Walton went >after he passed on. "But I can't help but think, at times, that his hungry >ghost is still with us, in the form of Wal-Mart itself." > >Russell Mokhiber is editor of the Washington, D.C.-based Corporate Crime >Reporter. Robert Weissman is editor of the Washington, D.C.-based >Multinational Monitor. > >(c) Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman > >Focus on the Corporation is a weekly column written by Russell Mokhiber >and Robert Weissman. Please feel free to forward the column to friends or >repost the column on other lists. If you would like to post the column on >a web site or publish it in print format, we ask that you first contact us >(russell@essential.org or rob@essential.org). > >Focus on the Corporation is distributed to individuals on the listserve >corp-focus@essential.org. To subscribe to corp-focus, send an e-mail >message to listproc@essential.org with the following all in one line: > >subscribe corp-focus (no period). > >Focus on the Corporation columns are posted on the Multinational Monitor >web site . From jbehar@igc.apc.org Mon Nov 9 12:34:40 1998 Mon, 9 Nov 1998 11:34:00 -0800 (PST) Mon, 9 Nov 1998 11:32:41 -0800 (PST) Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1998 11:32:41 -0800 (PST) From: Joseph Behar To: psn@csf.colorado.edu, smrose@exis.net Subject: Re: Mitch + Capitalism = Mass Murder An international group of pastors and volunteers has worked continuously in Central America. They are now organizing for an immediate response. Does any one out there have their specific address, I think it is listed under IFCO. Thanks, J. Behar From AAFuller%Faculty%MC@manchester.edu Mon Nov 9 12:39:16 1998 From: AAFuller%Faculty%MC@manchester.edu Date: Mon, 9 Nov 98 14:42:15 EST To: Reply-To: Subject: COPRED and PSA Conference Announcement X-Incognito-SN: 1019 X-Incognito-Version: 4.10.130 A N N O U N C E M E N T The 28th Annual Conference of COPRED (Consortium on Peace Research, Education, and Development) and the 11th Annual Conference of the Peace Studies Association will be held concurrently at Siena College, Loudonville (Albany), New York on April 8-11, 1999. Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams,member of the newly elected assembly of Northern Ireland, has been invited to be a keynote speaker. Workshops, panels, papers and roundtable discussions on various topics relating to peace, conflict/conflict resolution, and justice will be held. The call for papers will be in the mail soon. Put the dates on your calendar, and plan to attend. We hope to see you there! ***************************************************************** Edward J. (Ned) McGlynn E-mail address: Sociology/Peace Studies Fax Number: 518-782-6548 Siena College Phone Numbers: 518-783-4190 (Work) Loudonville, NY 12211 518-783-7010 (Home) From CDFUPDATE@childrensdefense.org Mon Nov 9 19:02:18 1998 Date: Mon, 09 Nov 1998 18:52:20 -0500 From: "CDFupdate CDFupdate" To: CDFupdate@automailer.com Subject: CDF Update November 9, 1998 Sender: owner-cdfupdate@automailer.com Children's Defense Fund Update November 9, 1998 In this issue: -- Congressional Wrap-Up Is Now Available -- New Poll Finds Overwhelming Support for After-School Programs -- E-mail Advicce Available for Grassroots Fund Raisers ***************************************************************** CONGRESSIONAL WRAP-UP ON THE 105th CONGRESS IS NOW AVAILABLE To receive a copy of the 105th Congressional Wrap-Up on major issues for children, please e-mail CDFupdate@childrensdefense.org and write "congressional wrap-up" in the subject line without quotation marks. Be sure to write the subject just as it is written above. Copies of the funding charts which we are unable to send out via e-mail will be available on our Web site. We will send out a notification once the wrap-up is posted on our Web site. ****************************************************************** COMPREHENSIVE POLL RELEASED ON AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS A new national poll funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation found that Americans overwhelmingly support the expansion of after-school programs - including 80 percent who said they are willing to have their taxes raised to offer programs for school-age youth to keep kids safe and smart. The poll, conducted by the bipartisan polling team of Lake Snell Perry & Associates and The Tarrance Group, was the most comprehensive ever done on after-school programs. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Findings revealed strong support for after-school programs across party lines and among parents and non-parents alike, and provides strong ammunition for moving after-school initiatives at federal, state, and local levels: --- Ninety-three percent of all respondents said they favor making safe, daily enrichment programs available to all children. --- Eighty percent of those surveyed said they would be willing to use additional federal or state tax dollars to fund after-school programs in their community at a cost of $1,000 per child, even if it raised their individual tax bills by $10 a year. --- When asked about the hours after school, respondents worry most that children are alone and unsupervised (26 percent), followed by peer influence (19 percent) and time spent watching television (15 percent). --- Only 4 out of 10 believe their communities currently offer daily after-school programs to address school-age children's needs. --- In addition to providing supervision and safety outside of the traditional school day, respondents view after-school programs as an effective tool to provide youth with tutoring, the opportunity to master new skills, and access to computers and technology. --- The findings state that Americans view the responsibility for setting up after-school enrichment programs as shared by: parents groups, community organizations, local governments, and school districts. They agreed that the responsibility for paying for the programs should be shared by parents and federal, state, and local governments. The Mott Foundation has pledged to spend $55 million over the next five years to provide training, technical assistance, and evaluation support to the U.S. Department of Education's new 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative and other after-school programs. For more details on the poll, visit to link to a copy of the survey and the compelling poll results. ***************************************************************** E-MAIL ADVICE FOR GRASSROOTS FUND RAISERS Kim Klein, co-founder of the *Grassroots Fundraising Journal* (published by Chardon Press) has started an on-line advice column that will answer readers' questions about raising money. To submit a question to Ms. Klein, send an e-mail message to To subscribe to the Chardon Press newsletter, visit the company's Web site at http://www.chardonpress.com. -- OUR STRENGTH IS IN OUR NUMBERS -- PLEASE FORWARD THIS LEGISLATIVE UPDATE TO YOUR FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES! Our typical e-mail is about a page or two long and is delivered once a week. To join the CDF Update list, sign-up on our Web site or send an e-mail to: and write in the body of the message: subscribe cdfupdate PLEASE NOTE: WHEN SUBSCRIBING OR UNSUBSCRIBING, DO NOT SURROUND YOUR ADDRESS WITH BRACKETS. Ana Hicks Children's Defense Fund 25 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202/662-3540 (fax) CDFupdate@childrensdefense.org http://www.childrensdefense.org From tgallagh@kent.edu Thu Nov 12 06:39:17 1998 Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 08:39:39 -0500 To: PSN@csf.colorado.edu From: Tim Gallagher Subject: Wal-Mart and the Strip-Mining of America I am forwarding the following that came to me via the CORP-FOCUS list. Previous weekly columns in this series of articles can be viewed at: http://www.essential.org/monitor. Click your mouse on "Focus on the Corporation." >Walk into any Wal-Mart and marvel. One near us is open 24 hours. Never >closes. Consumer goods as far as the eye can see. Quality product at a low >price. Friendly workers greeting eager consumers at the door. > >In 1997, Wal-Mart had sales of $118 billion and is on course to >become, within 10 years or so, the world's largest corporation. > >Wal-Mart is three times bigger than Sears, its nearest competitor, >and larger than all three of its main rivals (Sears, Target, and Kmart) >combined. > >Wal-Mart now has 3,400 stores on four continents. "Our priorities >are that we want to dominate North America first, then South America, and >then Asia and then Europe," Wal-Mart's President and CEO David Glass told >USA Today business reporter Lorrie Grant recently. > >And given the history of steady rise of the Bentonville, Arkansas >retailer, who would doubt it? > >Certainly not USA Today, which last week ran Grant's glowing >review of Wal-Mart's worldwide operation under the headline: "An >Unstoppable Marketing Force: Wal-Mart Aims for Domination of the Retail >Industry -- Worldwide." > >But Bob Ortega, a Wall Street Journal reporter, reveals a >different side of the Wal-Mart phenomenon in his recently released book, >In Sam We Trust: The Untold Story of Sam Walton and How Wal-Mart Is >Devouring America, (Times Business, 1998). > >Ortega documents how Sam Walton -- perhaps the most driven >corporate executive ever to walk the face of the planet -- built his >empire. Wal-Mart has used Asian child labor to make blouses for sale under >"Made in America" signs in his stores. When he began his operation in >Bentonville, Arkansas, Sam Walton hired a union-busting attorney to quash >worker organizing. Outer city Wal-Marts have steamrolled inner city >shopkeepers. > >Ortega speaks to Kathleen Baker of Hastings, Minnesota, who was >fired after talking with other workers about asking for a pay raise. > >He speaks to Mike and Paula Ianuzzo, of Cottage Grove, Oregon, who >blamed Wal-Mart for wiping out their photo-shop business. > >In Guatemala, he interviewed Flor de Maria Salguedo, a union >organizer who arranged for Ortega to talk with workers making clothes for >Wal-Mart and other giant retailers. > >Salguedo, whose husband was murdered during an organizing drive in >Guatemala City, was herself kidnapped, beaten and raped shortly after >Ortega left Guatemala City. After the attack, one of her attackers told >her, "This is what you get for messing about with foreigners." > >Ortega documents how communities around the country have revolted >against Wal-Mart's plans to plunk down giant superstores in their >communities, ripping apart the fabric of small town life. > >In Oklahoma, the owner of a television and record store adversely >affected and eventually closed down after a Wal-Mart moved into the area, >told reporters, "Wal-Mart really craters a little town's downtown." > >Shelby Robinson, a self-employed clothing designer from Fort >Collins tells Ortega that she "really hates Wal-Mart." Why? > >"Everything's starting to look the same, everybody buys all the >same things -- a lot of small-town character is being lost," Robinson >says. "They dislocate communities, they hurt small businesses, they add to >our sprawl and pollution because everybody drives farther, they don't pay >a living wage, and visually, they're atrocious." > >James Howard Kunstler, an ardent Wal-Mart foe from upstate New >York, talks about what he calls the $7 hair dryer fallacy. > >Kunstler argues to Ortega that "people who shop at a giant >discounter to save $7 on a hair dryer don't realize that they pay a hidden >price by taking that business from local merchants, because those >merchants are the people who sit on school boards, sponsor little league >teams and support the civic institutions that create a community." > >Kunstler calls Wal-Mart "the exemplar of a form of corporate >colonialism, which is to say, organizations from one place going into >distant places and strip-mining them culturally and economically." > >Ortega documents how communities around the country are rising up >to slap down Wal-Mart's plans at expansion. > >But Ortega questions whether, given the amazing popularity of >Wal-Mart among consumers worldwide, anything will stop this juggernaut. > >As Ortega points out, consumerism has not always held sway on this >soil. Back 200 years ago, in the United States, "one did not shop for >pleasure." > >"The very idea of coveting goods ran counter to a broad >Puritanical streak in American society, and to its proclaimed values of >living simply, working hard (the famous 'work ethic'), being thrifty, and >seeking salvation through faith," Ortega writes. > >Ortega closes the book with a story of how Tibetans believe, >depending on their past actions, people can come back to other realms >besides this one. > >"Among the worst of the realms is the realm of the hungry ghosts >-- a place reminiscent of certain neighborhoods of Dante's Inferno," he >writes. "The hungry ghosts are the reincarnations of people who were >covetous or greedy in this life. In the realm of the hungry ghosts, they >are constantly ravenous but can never be satisfied. They despoil and >devour everything around them. They consume endlessly and insatiably. It >struck me immediately as a metaphor for our own mass culture." > >On April 6, 1992, Sam Walton died one of the wealthiest men in >America. Ortega says that he cannot presume to know where Walton went >after he passed on. "But I can't help but think, at times, that his hungry >ghost is still with us, in the form of Wal-Mart itself." > >Russell Mokhiber is editor of the Washington, D.C.-based Corporate Crime >Reporter. Robert Weissman is editor of the Washington, D.C.-based >Multinational Monitor. > >(c) Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman > >Focus on the Corporation is a weekly column written by Russell Mokhiber >and Robert Weissman. Please feel free to forward the column to friends or >repost the column on other lists. If you would like to post the column on >a web site or publish it in print format, we ask that you first contact us >(russell@essential.org or rob@essential.org). > >Focus on the Corporation is distributed to individuals on the listserve >corp-focus@essential.org. To subscribe to corp-focus, send an e-mail >message to listproc@essential.org with the following all in one line: > >subscribe corp-focus (no period). > >Focus on the Corporation columns are posted on the Multinational Monitor >web site . > >Postings on corp-focus are limited to the columns. If you would like to >comment on the columns, send a message to russell@essential.org or >rob@essential.org. > > > Tim ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Timothy J. Gallagher, Ph.D. Department of Sociology Kent State University Kent, OH 44242 U.S.A. Email: tgallagh@kent.edu Ph: 330 672-2709 FAX: 330 672-4724 http://www.kent.edu/sociology/tgallagher/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From maxine@waikato.ac.nz Thu Nov 12 15:15:44 1998 Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1998 11:15:35 +1300 To: psn@csf.colorado.edu From: Maxine Campbell Subject: Korten and Chomsky --=====================_910984465==_ Hi folks On Monday last I received from another list an address by David Korten, given last March. I include it as an attachment as it runs to several pages. That same night I attended a lecture on the "new world order" given by Noam Chomsky here on campus. Both were worthwhile and complemented each other - and Chomsky attracted a crowd that filled several theatres linked by video, and still had people spilling outside the venue. I can't, of course, forward the lecture text, but would hope for some comment on the address by Korten, most of all your thoughts on why such clearly enunciated problems fail to engender a material response. Is it really as simple as vested interests and personal greed (for either wealth or power)? Chomsky suggests the power is in our (ordinary folks) hands, if only we would become truly democratised. Maybe. I suppose we could win one small battle at a time, but the thinking at the top is unlikely to change much, just provide minimal compromises for maximum placation. And if we did convince our political leaders that things had to change, how do we cope with the corporate repercussions, especially the capital flight and especially since our potentially greatest weapon, the media, is also corporate. I know I sound very fatalistic and "beaten", which is perhaps misleading - I have in the past taken on the "big boys" (both government departments and commercial enterprises) and won, but the spark of hope on this one needs a good blast of oxygen. Cheers, Maxine --=====================_910984465==_ 0M8R4KGxGuEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOwADAP7/CQAGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAAAAQAAAAAAAAAA EAAAAgAAAAEAAAD+////AAAAAAAAAAD///////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////9 AAAQAAAAEQAAABIAAAATAAAAFAAAABUAAAAWAAAAFwAAABgAAAAZAAAAGgAAABsAAAAcAAAAHQAA AB4AAAAfAAAAIAAAACEAAAAiAAAAIwAAACQAAAAlAAAAJgAAACcAAAAoAAAAKQAAACoAAAArAAAA AAAAOwAAAD4AAAD+/////v///z8AAABAAAAAQQAAAEIAAABDAAAARAAAAP7///////////////// 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