community-based, non-corporate, participatory media
Anti-Capitalist Call to Action
by pghanticaps
Monday, Aug. 18, 2003 at 6:09 PM
pghanticaps@care2.com
(for Pittsburgh Indymedia) On August 24, join us in a distruptive demonstration against capitalism and militarism.
No to Occupations! Smash Capitalism!
Anti-Capitalist Bloc Call to Action
While the continuing military conflict in Iraq is an atrocious issue that must be acknowledged, it is imperative that advocates for global justice remember that the world is always engaged in a state of perpetual warfare. The battles are fought in smoldering factories and unventilated sweatshops across the globe. Every day, citizens the world over are raising battle cries against the tyranny of capitalism. On August 24th, join Pittsburgh in opposing military occupation and opposing capitalist rule.
The present occupation in Iraq is simply the second stage in America�s most recent military quest in the �war against terror�. This war is a flagrant exemplification of the principles of capitalism, that is, the war is being waged in order to accumulate profit through the unilateral control of a valuable natural resource. Capitalism places profit above human life on its hierarchy of priorities, and this principle is never clearer than in the midst of a massive civilian bloodbath.
Capitalism is an economic system manifested upon the deification of profit. The accumulation of wealth into the hands of a few opulent individuals is enabled only at the expense of the well-being of the global working class. We have seen this through the International Monetary Fund�s structural adjustment policies, programs that exacerbate poverty and coerce governments into minimizing social spending. We also witness the malevolence of capitalism through the barbed wire fences surrounding sweatshops in Southeast Asia, and on coffee plantations in the Guatemalan countryside. And, presently, we see its brutality unmasked on battlefields across the Middle East.
Private interests profit from the brutality of state-sponsored terrorism through various corporations. For instance, Lockheed-Martin would be bankrupt if the military didn�t desire the latest incendiaries and explosives, weapons that inevitably become the bane of innocent civilians worldwide. Thus, this corporation directly profits from human misery. Another corporation responsible for the perpetuation of suffering is the Starbucks coffee empire. Not only is Starbucks� coffee harvested by destitute individuals who sleep on mud floors and make no more than a fistful of pennies an hour, but the multinational is responsible for funding the occupation of Palestinian territories through its generous monetary contributions to the barbaric Israeli Military. And, of course, the construction giant Caterpillar provided Israel with the bulldozers that leveled the homes of countless Palestinian families and extinguished the existence of Rachel Corrie.
It is with these injustices in mind that we will take to the streets in opposition to the marriage between capitalism and militarism. Disruption is necessary, for the status quo rests upon a foundation of calloused hands and broken backs. Our struggle will not be in vain.
Schenley Park: Flagstaff Hill
1pm- Potluck Picnic
2pm- Rally
3pm- March
Bring
by it on
Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2003 at 5:55 AM
Bring Food
Bring Music
Bring Street Theatre
Bring anger, love, rage & loudness
Calendar
by John Doe
Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2003 at 9:10 AM
Hey can somebody post the A24 action on the indy media calendar? It looks like it is blank - might confuse some folks
it gone
by Karl Marx
Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2003 at 9:17 AM
OOOHHH, rally against capitalism with street theater. That sounds like it will be real effective. But since you anti-capitalists have a level of understanding of macroeconomics that can only be communicated with puppets that will probably be effective to communicate amongst yourselves (which is pretty much the limits of your audience). So do you really think that life is better in the communist or socialist economies of the world? Life is grand in Cuba? All those socialist workers in the former Soviet Union were real happy and treated just fine? Sorry but Capitalism as we know it is the best form of economic system that there could be. It rewards and fosters progress, rather than stifle it (and don't start all of that whining about how Microsoft is toooo successful or some other nonsense). Only hardcore unemployables and feeble minded losers such as yourselves could even consider this rally worthy of your time (since you have no more valuable use for your time or true interest in contributing to the common good and advancement of society). I think I will go out and spend some money on Saturday and drive this great capitalist engine of world economic growth. That's right, the whole flippin' world depends on our caitalist society and only wants to ride along on our coattails. And the succes is there for the taking if thosebackward leftist cultures that you romanticize could cast off their own corruption and oppression of their citizens to truly advance themselves. Until then they will just live off of the largesse of capitalist America taking with one hand while slapping us with the other. Ingrateful ignorant louts that they are !
Screw the Trolls!
by hardcore unemployable
Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2003 at 3:54 PM
See YOU on the 24th!
microsoft
by brian
Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2003 at 6:48 PM
combs1760@students.pti.edu
microsoft isn't just evil because of their size, but the shittiness of their products. linux is such a better option. interestingly enough while microsoft developers make far more then linux developers(linux can be obtained absolutely freely) linux is a much better operating system then windows, bugs are fixed much more quickly with linux. Why is this? Because where as windows is developed solely by a group of microsoft workers, linux is open to the community to freely develop for the good of people everywhere without profit. communism is alive and well and it's symbol is the penguin.
penguin?
by me
Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2003 at 8:22 PM
What is the penguin?
Also, how do you get linux? I don't know much about computers at all, but that sounds really great! An open network of developing software sounds fucking wonderful.
This world could be such a utopia if no one seeked to control anyone else. That's what I hate about capitalism- it seeks to control. Some say that it is supposed to drive individualism and intitiative, but whenever I go to work anywhere, someone is always bossing everyone around, and that leaves no room for initiative. It's a top down heirachy.
I don't know much about communism, but I hate the government. Instead we should have people ruling themselves. People should have their own land and resources, not have to depend on the system for it. I hate the government, I hate corporations, I hate heirarchies, I hate stupid people who swallow everything they are told and never think for rhemselves. I want them to get a picture of the real world. It would be great for them to see an ethiopian starving to death, or a guatemalan peasant working on a slave plantation. Go shopping on Saturday you dumbass. Obviously, you have no idea what is important in life. You will live a slave and die a slave, and no matter what you buy, you can't take it with you. You only take with you what you learn, and you probbaly won't learn anything. I feel sorry for the American slaves. They are not only slaves, but really really stupid slaves! All hail the American empire full of stupid worker drones working for the queen bee.
hrm
by johnrpgh
Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2003 at 8:30 PM
I wouldn't suggest linux if you don't know much about computers....trust me...
linux
by brian
Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2003 at 8:58 PM
combs1760@students.pti.edu
the penguin is the mascot for linux. the idea of communal software development is known as the open source revolution, there are people applying it to things other then linux. free bsd is open source as well. there's also more then just operating systems involved, internet forums, cgi, php, c++ programs, there's a peer to peer network out there thats being done open source. there are many viable usable alternatives to windows out there.
there's a distribution of linux out there my brother was talking about recently thats extremely easy for the common user to use, I can't remember what it's called right now though. the invention of x windows has also made it alot easier for common users.
in addition to windows, there's some wonders goign on with Flash(yes, that thing used to make those intro movies to websites and those games you spend hours and hours playing like "spank the monkey", the program also once known as "future splash animator"). There's an operating system out right now that I've heard talk of from some of my instructors made entirely of Flash.
One of the most beautiful things about technology is the ability for anyone to learn how to create. It only takes a little bit of freetime, a computer, and a book to learn how to program and then the world is yours so to speak.
Re: it gone
by Sam
Thursday, Aug. 21, 2003 at 4:43 AM
[b]OOOHHH, rally against capitalism with street theater. That sounds like it will be real effective. But since you anti-capitalists have a level of understanding of macroeconomics that can only be communicated with puppets that will probably be effective to communicate amongst yourselves (which is pretty much the limits of your audience).[/b] Mainstream economists today fill a role analagous to that of priests in ancient times. They aren't scientists; they merely promote whatever justifies the status quo. The fact is that over the last 30 years, neoclassical economics has been proven utterly wrong. Inceasing deregulation and uninhibited globalization has lowered the living standards of people in all countries, and increased inequalities of wealth both within countries and between the global North and South. Dismiss me as an economics ignoramus all you want. I'll debate you anytime. [b]Life is grand in Cuba? All those socialist workers in the former Soviet Union were real happy and treated just fine?[/b] The Soviet Union wasn't socialist for most of its existence. Cuba arguably isn't socialist either. The arguments for and against each view are beyond the scope of this post, but I will say this: It doesn't make any sense to compare the Soviet Union or Cuba to the United States. The U.S. was older than the Soviet Union and is much older than Cuba, and in a more favorable economic position than either to begin with... It makes more sense to compare the Soviet Union or Cuba to more similar countries. Or compare Russia to the Soviet Union, and compare colonial Cuba to Castro's Cuba. You can make the case that the Communist countries weren't as well off as the United States. But you can't make the case that the Communist countries weren't better off than they were under capitalism/colonialism/feudalism. Standards of living rose in the Soviet Union. Workers gained the right to strike, and often did. In 1956, the USSR had 7.5 deaths per 1000 people. (The U.S. had 9.4/1000.) In Russia in 1913, there were 273 infant deaths per 1000 people. In 1956, there were only 47. The life expectancy for women in the USSR was 69; for men, 63. Today, Russia's life expectancy is 56 for men, despite progress in medical technology. The Soviet BESM-1, produced in 1951, was superior to Western computers at the time. Now let's take a look at Cuba. Cuba is rated #1 among Third World countries in eliminating poverty. Cuba contributes more doctors to the World Health Organization than any other country. There is no homelessness. There is no racism. Cuba has about the same life expectancy as the U.S., 77. Cuba has a lower death rate than the United States -- 7.38 deaths/1000, compared to the United States' 8.44 deaths/1000. Cuba has the same literacy rate as the United States, 97 percent. Cuba has about the same infant mortality rate as the U.S. -- about 7 deaths/1000. Cuba also has much less inequality of wealth and income, meaning that in Cuba's case, these figures actually reflect the experience of most Cubans, but not the experience of most Americans (which is considerably worse than these figues let on). Compare Cuba to Guatemala: a life expectancy of 65, a literacy rate of 71 percent, and an infant mortality rate of 38/1000. Compare Cuba today to Cuba in 1960: the under-5 mortality rate has gone from 54 to 9, the infant mortality rate rom 39 to 7. [b]Sorry but Capitalism as we know it is the best form of economic system that there could be.[/b] Real wages have been declining since 1973. Healthcare and housing eats up a greater portion of income. Benefits are getting cut more now than they ever have. Millions without health insurance. One-fifth of the population living in poverty. Considerable discrepancies in life expectancy and literacy between the rich and poor. Income inequality at the highest point it has been since the earlier half of last century, mobility at the lowest. Declining living standards in the Third World. Yup. The best. [b]It rewards and fosters progress, rather than stifle it (and don't start all of that whining about how Microsoft is toooo successful or some other nonsense).[/b] No, it rewards and fosters profitability. That means it doesn't take externalities into account. That means that if you can cut labor costs (by slashing wages and benefits) and cleanup costs (by dumping your waste next to some poor neighborhood), you're rewarded, but the vast majority suffer. Eventually, as bigger countries swallow up smaller ones, you get an oligopolistic market, which is especially inefficient. Also, remember that the most successful corporations in America today don't rely on consumers to make money, but on government largesse. Corporations get millions and millions in subsidies and tax cuts every year. It's interesting that you bring up the Microsoft case, which actually has a lot to do with what I'm talking about. The legal action against Microsoft doesn't reflect consumer outrage, but rather competition between large corporations. Microsoft's competitors would benefit from a Microsoft breakup. They would benefit not because of their greater efficiency or responsiveness to consumer demand, but because of their expertise at manipulating the legal system. [b]Only hardcore unemployables and feeble minded losers such as yourselves could even consider this rally worthy of your time (since you have no more valuable use for your time or true interest in contributing to the common good and advancement of society). I think I will go out and spend some money on Saturday and drive this great capitalist engine of world economic growth. That's right, the whole flippin' world depends on our caitalist society and only wants to ride along on our coattails.[/b] The United States economy has been growing slower than any other industrialized nation for some time now. In almost all of those countries, people work less and are paid more. [b]And the succes is there for the taking if thosebackward leftist cultures that you romanticize could cast off their own corruption and oppression of their citizens to truly advance themselves. Until then they will just live off of the largesse of capitalist America taking with one hand while slapping us with the other. Ingrateful ignorant louts that they are ![/b] The United States give less per capita in foreign aid than any other country. Our neocolonial policies have been single-handedly responsible for lowering the standards of living of those "ingrateful [sic] ignorant louts" the world over.
Sam's right
by Black*Army*Front
Thursday, Aug. 21, 2003 at 5:54 AM
The authoritarian-left has more anarchist blood on it's hands than the entire US gov't.
In modern times, liberals have proven to be a greater obstacle to change than the police, and they work together whenever possible.
![[masthead]](/images/masthead_140.png)