On Cynical Manipulation, Self-Sufficiency and the Value of Human Death

If nothing else, I hope that this essay reveals the immense power that a single Calvin and Hobbes comic strip can have.

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The Illusion of Progress

One can only imagine what Henry David Thoreau would think of modern society. He would see a world of superhighways connecting suburbs to the cities, on which people drove their gasoline powered cars from home to work and vice versa. He would see a world of industrialized agriculture, of tractors and trucks, of hydrocarbon based fertilizers and pesticides. He would see a world of corporate advertising, of mass media, of consumer culture. He would be, I think, rather appalled.

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Some Comments on the Election Results

Man, what a disaster. Turnout was the story, hands down. In New York, less than a third of registered voters actually voted. The reason may be quite simple: the man at the top of the Democratic ticket, Andrew Cuomo. He drew no enthusiasm from his base, so they didn't bother to show up. Cuomo's victory was underwhelming, to put it mildly. In the Capital District, for example, he carried only one county (Albany) and even then by only a 44-42 margin. Even more stunning is that at the same time Tom DiNapoli won the county by over 40 points. This was clearly a rebuke of Mr. Cuomo, his policies, and his methods (see: Moreland, LIPA, fracking study).

Cuomo's weak performance likely hurt Democrats running in congressional races down ballot. Lee Zeldin defeated incumbent Rep. Tim Bishop by almost 10 in the 1st district. Michael Grimm (despite indictment on 20 federal counts) easily beat his weak opponent in the 11th. Dan Maffei lost reelection in the 24th, a district that handily went for Obama in 2012. Most stunningly, Louise Slaughter is (as of this moment) barely holding on in the 25th, a district every commentator regarded as "Safe D".

But the real loser undoubtedly was the Working Families Party. For the most part, they got what they had coming to them. They nominated Cuomo in May (I was there). He did nothing but screw them over afterward. Now, they're relegated to row E for the next four years (their vote undermined in part by Cuomo's "Women's Equality" line). Even worse, the state senate fell into Republican hands outright. Democratic control of the senate was the whole point of endorsing Cuomo; he didn't deliver. The WFP's complaining after the fact seems awfully weak, considering that they knew (not should have known, but knew) that this was likely to happen. In other words. they dug their own grave

The real winner (well, besides the Republicans, obviously) was the Green Party. Howie Hawkins drew nearly 5% of the vote, many times over what he got in 2010. They drew double digits in several upstate counties (Tompkins - 16%, Albany - 13%, Columbia/Ulster - 11%, Otsego/Rensselaer 10%). The party will now occupy row C on the ballot. This despite limited campaign cash, little media attention, and only one debate. Moreover, Matt Funicello captured 11% in the 21st congressional district.

Nationally, it was a disastrous evening for Dems. They lost the Senate, not all that surprising but ugly nonetheless. Mark Pryor in Arkansas did worse than Brad Hutto in South Carolina. Mitch McConnell outperformed his 2008 marks. David Perdue avoided a runoff and won outright. Dems lost in Colorado, Iowa, and (most disappointingly) North Carolina. Virginia proved to be a nail-biter, and still isn't quite over. They're losing in Alaska, and likely to lose the runoff in Louisiana. Even Pat Roberts managed to win reelection by double-digits. A bloodbath most definitely.

The governors races, however, are what really proved shocking. It was thought that Democrats might pick up a seat or two; instead, they lost seats on home turf. Only dead-man-walking Tom Corbett (and perhaps Sean Parnell, to an independent) went down for the Reps. Meanwhile, Democrats lost not only Arkansas (a tough race to begin with) and Illinois (thanks to the extremely unpopular Pat Quinn), but also Maryland and Massachusetts, two open seat races in blue states. They lost to Tea Party wavers in Maine, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin, all states that twice went for Obama. Sam Brownback, who has completely wrecked the economy of Kansas, somehow won reelection despite trailing in almost every poll. Once promising targets like South Carolina and Georgia (where Nathan Deal avoided a runoff) proved to be duds. Even newly minted Texas Democratic superstar Wendy Davis underperformed her counterpart from Oklahoma! Even the races they won were unimpressive. Democratic candidates won only pluralities in Rhode Island, Oregon, and Vermont (where the legislature will have to vote to officially elect soon-to-be-former DGA-chair Peter Shumlin).The only real bright spots were that Democrats held on in Colorado and Connecticut, two very tough races indeed.

This was truly a "tornado" election. Republicans will almost certainly hold their largest House majority since the Herbert Hoover administration. As for state legislatures, Democrats will control their fewest since 1860 (!). Meanwhile, Republicans will likely set a record for the most seats they have ever held, as they picked up the lower chambers in WV, NV, MN, and NM (and perhaps CO and WA), along with the upper chambers of NV, NY, ME, CO, and WA (and tied WV). Dems also lost other crucial local and statewide races (perhaps none more important than the Secretary of State of Ohio, a key 2016 battleground).

The next few years will be very red (tea?) flavored indeed.

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How to Transform Society

The world is in a state of crisis. Warfare, epidemic, economic disaster, and impending climate catastrophe pose existential threats to societies around the globe. Something must be done. For too long, the people of this planet have waited for our political leaders to solve our problems for us. Now is the time for us to take matters into our own hands, to empower ourselves to make the necessary changes. 

To ask an age old question: what is to be done?

First, we must create alternative instituions in order to recreate society. Banks must be replaced by credit unions, supermarkets by farmers' markets. Workers' and consumers' cooperatives must replace the corporate model. Neighborhood and tenants' associations must be established. Political parties that represent our interests, not those of the corporate oligarchy, must be built. Students' unions must be created in schools to raise the voices of our young people. Creating these institutions will empower us to take further, more fundamentally transformative actions.

Among these would be to take control of existing institutions through the democratic process. I do not mean the US Congress or the White House, at least in the near-term. More immediately, we must win back those bodies closest to the people: school boards, city councils, town boards, and eventually state legislatures. From here we can enact direct changes in our own communities, instead of operating according to the directives of corporate party officials. Processes like participatory budgeting would empower people and encourage them to partake in the new civic process. We must break the cycle of cynicism that has justifiably gripped the people.

The ultimate step would be to overtake the entirety of the government of our country. This would allow for us to finally dismantle those institutions that serve only the corporate interest. From there we can implement policies both domestically and internationally to redistribute power back to the people. This, however, is a very final step, and can only be achieved once popular institutions have been established and lower entities controlled. This is governing from below, a nonviolent revolution that must realize the limitations as well as the values of the ballot box. In essence, we must "overgrow the government", not overthrow it. Only then can a truly participatory economic and political democracy be established.

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A New York State of Politics

Today's revelations by the New York Times regarding Governor Andrew Cuomo's interference with the Moreland Commission is not exactly surprising, but it has the potential to shake up the campaign for his reelection. As of now, this report can only strengthen the candidacies of Cuomo's three main challengers: Zephyr Teachout, who is running against Cuomo in the Democratic primary; Rob Astorino, the nominee of the Republican and Conservative parties; and Howie Hawkins, the Green Party nominee. All three campaigns issued statements earlier today condemning the Administration's actions, and Teachout is circulating a petition calling on Cuomo to resign.

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'No Love Lost' Between Greens, WFP

A source with knowledge of the situation does not believe that the Working Families' Party will cross-endorse Howie Hawkins, the Green Party nominee for governor this year.

The source states that there is "no love lost" between the two parties.

Many on the left in New York, including the Greens, view the Working Families' Party as having 'sold out' progressives in years past for having endorsed Democratic Party candidates. The WFP ran Andrew Cuomo on their line for governor in 2010.

The source does say, however, that Hawkins himself, who was nominated in Troy on Saturday, expressed no "ill will" for the Working Families' Party.

Speculation has raged as to who the WFP would nominate since last month. In April, a Siena College poll showed an unnamed Working Families' Party candidate drawing 24% in a three-way race featuring Cuomo and Republican Party nominee Rob Astorino. Astorino also drew 24%, while Cuomo led with 39%. In addition to putting pressure on Cuomo from the left this year, the WFP has hopes of gaining 'Row B' on the ballot for future elections. This more prominent position could come if the WFP placed second in the election for governor.

Despite this apparent cause for optimism, the Working Families' Party is actually in a rather difficult predicament. Running their own candidate would likely split the vote on the left between the WFP and the Green Party. In addition, some unions have already stated that they may unilaterally endorse Cuomo even if the WFP (a labor-backed party) does not. An endorsement of Cuomo by the WFP would most definitely draw further ire from the left.

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Dystopia in the the Present Tense

A state of perpetual warfare. Armed forces occupying foreign territory for over seventy years. Active combat ongoing for more than thirteen.

An ubiquitous surveillance state. Continuous monitoring of communications using advanced technology. Exposers of the truth persistently pursued and prosecuted.

A police state. Local units equipped with military hardware. Prisons overwhelmed with disproptionately minority populations. Inmates regularly murdered, with applause from the public.

An oligarchic state. Corporate elites manipulate "elected" government officials for their own profit. Massive inequality in the distribution of wealth.

An impoverished state. Millions of citizens struggling to scrape by from day to day. Crime and drug use rampant in major metropolitan areas.

A fundamentalist state. Fanatical religious doctrine permeates through systems of healthcare and education.

An anti-intellectual state. Scientific findings and medical breakthroughs routinely rejected by vast swaths of society.

A propaganda state. Mass media breathessly conveys "news" passed down from the elite masters, filling the remainder of their programming with "infotainment".

A rapidly degrading state. Prolonged pollution of the atmosphere by corporate elites produces climate threat to future existence of human race.

This is not a scene from a George Orwell novel. This is a description of the United States in 2014.

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Political Trends and Party Polarization in the United States

The following is a brief exploration of the major political trends in the United States from the 1960s to the present day. This commentary will explore the changing political coalitions within American society. It will also explore the role this process has had in the “re-polarization” of the American political process.

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People of Albany United for Safe Energy

PAUSE is a grassroots group of individuals who have come together to promote safe, sustainable energy and fight for environmental justice. We engage the greater public to stop the fossil fuel industry’s assault on the people of Albany and our environment.  Our work reaches out to people and groups around the globe who strive for an end to the ruinous fossil fuel economy and to replace it with a just, sustainable, and distributed system of work that meets people’s real needs and does not destroy the Earth’s climate.

www.pausenergy.org

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Albany School Budget Crunch Reflective of Statewide Crisis

The City School District of Albany is currently crafting its budget for the 2014-2015 fiscal year. As of this writing, the district faces a projected deficit of $5,829,454. This is the product of the combination of expiring grant funding and a sixth consecutive year of insufficient state aid. That is largely due to the “Gap Elimination Adjustment”, designed to close the state’s budget gap starting in FY 2010-2011. Although the state may end up with a budget surplus of $2 billion this year, it is yet to be seen whether this money will trickle down to school districts. Short of this, Albany CSD has two options to resolve their budget gap.

One option is simply to raise its revenues to match expenditures. This would require a tax levy increase of 5.21%. However, state law requires that for any planned tax levy increase above 0.935%, the budget would have to be approved by at least 60% of the city’s electorate in the May 20 vote, as opposed to the usual 50%. Clearly, no city would ever see 60% of its voters approve a tax levy increase that large.

The obvious solution thus is to cut district expenditures. To that end, the district has drawn up a series of proposed tier reductions. Each tier’s cuts are designed to reduce the necessary tax levy increase to a specific level; tier I cuts would reduce the levy to 2.30%, tiers I and II combined to 1.90%, and tiers I, II and III to 0%. The tier I cuts, currently projected to total $3,257,500, are designed to produce “the biggest bang for the buck”. These are big ticket cuts that are designed to be as far away from the classroom as possible. Among these are (mostly) uncontroversial proposals such as administrative reorganization and eliminating positions that are currently grant-funded. While these cuts would affect the equivalent of 44.3 full-time positions, they are overall unlikely to produce major uproar if implemented.

It is when one reaches the tier II proposals that major problems arise. Only four reductions are included in this tier, totalling $451,200. However, two of these are cuts that would have major impacts to popular but under-enrolled academic programs at the high school. These are two programs offered almost exclusively at Albany High School, that were among the “unique opportunities” that encouraged yours truly to enter the public school system instead of staying in private school: the International Baccalaureate program and Chinese language. Despite serving as major draws for the district, and proving immensely beneficial to the students who participate, the standing proposal is to completely phase these programs out by the end of the 2015-2016 school year. This is despite the fact that the projected 2014-2015 FY savings are only expected to be a combined $109,200, just 0.049% of the currently proposed $223,192,096 budget.

District Superintendent Dr. Marguerite vanden Wyngaard was asked about the cuts at a local neighborhood association meeting on March 11. She explained that the lack of pathways for students into these programs encouraged the district to propose their phasing out, although she stated that she did not wish for the cuts to come to fruition. Speaking in terms of sustainability regarding the IB program, “Dr. V” (as she is affectionately referred to by residents) stated that the district should focus on expanding opportunities for Advanced Placement courses, many of which are already close to over-enrolled. She also touted the hoped-for expansion of “University in the High School” programs, partnerships with local institutions of higher education. In addition, while recognizing that knowledge of a second-language is increasingly important in today’s global economy, she emphasized that no one can definitely determine which languages should be taught. She also pointed out that the district currently does not begin foreign language classes until grade 7, while most studies show that they should begin much earlier to actually be effective. These responses left some in the room unsatisfied.

The most draconian cuts of all are the proposed tier III cuts. The most prominent of these are a trio of million dollar proposals: returning to an eight-period day (as opposed to nine) in the middle and high schools, eliminating all home school coordinator positions, and cutting the district-wide hall monitor staff by a third. Such cuts would have immeasurable negative impacts on student opportunity and support structures. These, combined with the other proposed tier III cuts, amount to 69.7 full-time equivalent positions and $4,821,800 in savings.

Albany is not the only school district that has faced these challenges. Watervliet, a community of 10,000 just to the north, is one of the poorest school districts in the state of New York. According to one local resident, the district has been forced to cut its staff by 25% over the past few years; many positions are reportedly being staffed by unpaid volunteers and retirees. One can only hope that this is not the slippery slope Albany is heading down.

Nonetheless, Albany faces unique obstacles. First, because Albany is the state capital of New York, much of the property is owned by the state. As a result of state laws, this means that about 57% of Albany’s property is untaxable. Proposed legislation could help reduce the resulting amount of lost revenue, however. On March 13, Assemblywoman Pat Fahy, Assemblyman John McDonald and state Senator Neil Breslin (all representing Albany) stood alongside newly elected Democratic Mayor Kathy Sheehan as they announced a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) program for the W. Averell Harriman State Office Campus. The proposal would bring back $11.5 million to the city of Albany for the next ten years if it were approved by the state legislature and signed by the governor. However, this addresses only part of the revenue problem.

Another issue, the proverbial “elephant in the room”, is the charter school situation. Currently, the district provides over $35 million per year to charter schools within the city, only a small percentage of which is funded by the state. The battle over charter schools has entered the national picture of late, stemming from the growing feud between Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. De Blasio seeks to charge rent to charter schools utilizing city facilities, in a reversal from the policy of former Mayor Michael Bloomberg. In addition, he has rejected three of the applications for so-called “co-located” schools, buildings jointly shared by a charter school and a public school. This has led Eva Moskowitz, who runs the affected Success Academy Charter Schools, to launch a public relations blitz against de Blasio, accusing him of leaving 194 Harlem middle-schoolers out in the cold. On March 4, Moskowitz marched 11,000 parents, teachers and students to the state capitol, forcing the children to miss class to make a political point.

Unfortunately, Moskowitz has a powerful ally: Governor Cuomo. “Families for Excellent Schools”, who officially organized the rally, is currently running a radio ad essentially thanking Cuomo, Senate “co-president” Jeffrey Klein (an IDC member who progressives are looking to primary), and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (a Republican) for their support for charter schools. It should be pointed out that Families for Excellent Schools is backed by the Walton Family Foundation, which serves the interests of the world’s wealthiest family.

It is unfortunate that the issue of education has been turned into the political football that it is today. A few wealthy individuals recognized that they could make a lot of money off of the school system, whether it be through charter schools or overzealous standardized testing. Others saw an opportunity to attack teachers’ unions in the name of serving the interests of students. Still more seized the initiative to push government out of education and move big business in. Someone needs to put an end to all of this, before it is too late.

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The Legend of Lemonardo

His name was Lemonardo di Caprio. He was the ugliest fruit in Lemontropolis. When Lemonardo was in Juicing School, all the other fruits and vegetables said he would never make a good lemonade. One day he met a magic golfer named Arnold Palmer, who would teach him the ways of mixing iced tea with "bad" lemonade. Lemonardo, who knew his time as a lemon was drawing to a close, saw this as an opportunity to discover his lemon identity, his "Lemoty". He went on a journey to the Big Apple to pursue his dream of one day being the refreshing beverage of a young Albany High School student. Everywhere he went, he could hear the guiding words of Arnold Palmer as he continued his quest. Finally, one day the Big Blender, the most admired figure in the juice world, discovered Lemonardo and offered to make him famous. Lemonardo would become the fare of a new study called Lemontology, an exploration of the dreams of lemons. In the process, despite having to sacrifice himself, he would find his dream of greatness fulfilled. He would be forever known as "Lemonardo the Great Gatsby".

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On the Origins of the Cold War

When examining the causes behind the onset of the Cold War, several themes become evident in terms of the considerations of the two major parties of the conflict, the United States and the Soviet Union. The United States was increasingly enamored with anti-Communist sentiments, a fact particularly evident when looking at the campaigns of Senator Joseph McCarthy and his counterparts on the House Un-American Activities Committee. However, such sentiments were not new for the United States. Fear of Communism and socialism in general dated back decades to the early 20th century. These fears initially peaked with the response to the Bolshevik takeover in Russia following the First World War. The United States, along with other Western powers, attempted to intervene militarily in the conflict by supporting the anti-Bolshevik “White Russians”. This foreign intervention was accompanied by a campaign on the homefront orchestrated by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer. The McCarthy of his day, Palmer launched his infamous “Palmer Raids”, targeting actual and suspected Communists and anarchists. Anti-Communist crusades of this time were epitomized by the imprisonment of noted American socialist leader Eugene V. Debs during the First World War, as well as the ideologically charged Sacco & Vanzetti trial.

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Linking Alex Trebek to Andrew Johnson

Alex Trebek hosts Jeopardy!...

...on which Richard Cordray once appeared...

...who clerked for Robert Bork...

...who fired Archibald Cox...

...who was the great-grandson of William M. Evarts...

...who defended Andrew Johnson during his impeachment hearing.

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"If", Part 2: Towards a Post-Labor Society

All too often we take an overly micro view of the world. We fail to see the long-term big picture, the light at the end of the tunnel. As I have already described, the ultimate goal of humanity is to achieve sustainable happiness. Technology allows us to do this. The world of the future could be a dramatically different place.

The resources we use will change profoundly. Paper, for centuries the bastion of information, is fast becoming obsolete. Computer technology, namely the Internet, will make it unnecessary for any information to have to be written or printed on a paper sheet. Books can be read on just about any device today, including e-readers such as the Kindle and Nook. Newspaper circulation is plummeting as most readers would prefer to read today’s news today, not yesterday’s. The postal service, already in dire straits financially, will likely cease to exist for the purposes of delivering the mail. Bills can be paid online, letters and cards sent by e-mail, and ads placed on websites and in videos.

It is not hard to envision a world in which students no longer carry textbooks or notebooks with them to class. Students everywhere will soon be bringing tablets with them, using them to take notes, read course materials, even complete assignments and take exams. Classrooms themselves are already transforming, as many have moved from the traditional “chalk and talk” routine to a multimedia Smartboard device.

CDs, Blu-ray discs, and game discs will quickly go by the wayside as media streaming through platforms like iTunes, Netflix and Steam continues to grow. I would not even be surprised if the phenomenon of scheduled television programming were to disappear, as audiences increasingly feel no need for their lives to revolve around  a primetime slot.

The household will be completely transformed. Security systems will integrate fingerprint, voice recognition and retina scan technology, replacing the old lock-and-key method. Climate control could take the form of heated and cooled floors, walls, even furniture, along with voice controlled thermostats and humidity controls. The same can be said of kitchen appliances, entertainment systems, and lighting paraphernalia; in fact, many of these things will no longer be stand-alone products but rather integrated into the house itself. Ceilings, walls, and floors could become interactive screens, used to post messages, photos, videos and calendars at any time.

Cities will remain the centerpiece of society, with dramatic advances coming here as well. Megalopolises will be connected by high-speed rail technology. Vehicles will require no human driver, as sensors will remove the prior possibilities of human error. Also, all vehicles will be electric powered, fueled by a completely sustainable energy grid comprised of solar, wind, hydroelectric and even geothermal and tidal power where possible.

The most dramatic innovations will come in the labor-intensive fields, where modern robotics technology will literally transform the way we do business. Robotic machines will be able to produce almost every good from start to finish, whether it be resource extraction, factory production, or customer delivery. The idea of stores will be done away with, eliminating the need for sales clerks or managers.

Money will be transformed, and perhaps even eliminated. The weaning of society off coins will continue, to the point where they are only made for collecting purposes. All remaining cash transactions will quickly be replaced by cards, or a sooner leap will be made so that all money, tickets, boarding passes and whatever else can be carried around on a smart device like a phone or even a watch. In theory, even, the whole notion of monetary currency will become obsolete as the whole basis of its necessity, the division of labor, ceases to exist.

Food supplies will be secured by the extensive advances in biology and chemistry that continue to be made. Further research will truly determine the safety and long-term viability of genetic modification and DNA recombination. It is possible that infinite quantities of safe, sustainable food could be easily produced in the not-so-distant future.

Genetic research will also unlock the secrets of aging, disease, and cancer, and potentially allow us to exterminate these processes once and for all. Humanity will not be made immortal (at least not any time soon) but the lifespan and quality of life will both improve exponentially. Improvements in access to contraceptives and prophylactics will ease the potential strains of overpopulation, particularly in the currently developing regions of the world.

The post-labor world will not develop into a world like that portrayed in the movie WALL-E, where humanity becomes so lazy that they are unable to so much as walk. Instead, the lack of a need for human labor will lead to an unlocking of the collective mind. Individuals today use their leisure time primarily to entertain themselves, in an effort to relieve themselves of the stresses of a workforce-driven society. However, a society without work will allow the individual to pursue their own endeavor, whether that be artistic, scientific, intellectual, spiritual or philosophical. This will lead to compounding further advances in human achievement, potentially to the point of evolution into an entirely new species.

Although immense progress has already been made, dangerous obstacles remain. The astonishing concentration of wealth and power could completely undermine the whole process, as it would not permit the equitable distribution of the progress of mankind. For this reason, steps need to be taken to reduce the forces of inequality and oppression in the world today.

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