Venezuela Gold: Bank of England ‘no longer neutral player’ – Richard Wolff

Hawkins provides lies as he writes “let’s start with the facts”

By SJ Otto

Kansas Representative Dan Hawkins felt he had to defend the far-right Republican position where they all seem determined to keep poor people from getting Medicaid/ health care. He called his editorial column, “On Medicaid expansion, let’s start with the facts,” but his article played loose with the facts. He also uses wording to imply that the people Medicaid would go for are free loaders:

“It’s important to look at what Medicaid expansion would actually do. Medicaid expansion provides taxpayer-funded health coverage to able-bodied adults between the ages of 19 and 64. These are predominantly childless adults in their prime working years. In fact, if they were to work at least 31 hours a week they would be eligible for Obamacare (Affordable Care Act) and would have no need for free health care from the state of Kansas.”

For one thing, most of the people that Medicaid would go for are working poor. They work minimum wage. Most politicians such as Hawkins actually oppose such minimum wages protections. Just being eligible for Obamacare does not matter; it is still too expensive here in Kansas for such poor people to afford. This is a state that tried its best, under Governor Sam Brownback, to resist implementing Obamacare. I have Obamacare and all I can afford is catastrophic coverage that would pay for my medical bills if they go over $2,000. It’s not real insurance and it provides almost nothing. I have a friend who retired early with a pension of $1,040 a month. He could not afford the expensive medicines he needed to live. He was 61, not eligible for Medicare. He put off going to the hospital and he later died. Who knows how many other poor people have died due to a lack of affordable health care.

“To put it bluntly, Medicaid expansion will not solve the financial issues facing rural hospitals. Politics and special interests ensure that Medicaid expansion consistently is put forward as the only answer. But it’s simply not true.”

Until we actually implement Medicaid expansion we can’t know how much this would help rural hospitals. Again, Hawkins is playing loose with the truth.

“Vulnerable Kansans such as the elderly, low income parents, low income pregnant women, children in low income families, the disabled and many others are already covered. Medicaid expansion is a system that provides taxpayer funded healthcare to able bodied adults between the ages of 19 and 64, that is it!”

What is wrong here is that few if any low income families or people are covered. In the last eight years, Kansas law makers have made it harder and harder for any low income people to get any kind of assistance.

One thing that becomes very obvious is that Hawkins and others like him have nothing but contempt for poor people. He keeps referring to them as “able bodied adults” who he feels should work. But there are many reasons a person may not be working or may be working for such little income they can’t afford any healthcare. The government page for Medicaid and KanCare Eligibility Guidelines does not even mention coverage for those males that Hawkins talks about. Medicaid expansion would cover some of those people who Hawkins clearly does not favor getting any assistance or health care.

“The other reason Medicaid expansion is presented as the only way forward is politics. Digging deep into health care policy and crafting solutions is boring. It’s much easier to create political talking points and label anyone who opposes your agenda as a cold, heartless person. If Medicaid expansion were to become law, it would fail. Its supporters will find a new political solution to tout, likely placing all healthcare under the control of the government. “

The reality here is that conservatives always talk about “crafting solutions” but in reality they don’t do anything because they like the system as it is. Money grubbing parasites siphon money off of the healthcare, driving prices of such care through the roof. Then he brings up the big ugly boogie man; “government.” There is nothing wrong with government running healthcare. Only conservatives see government as this evil entity that will destroy our society.

Hawkins has a lot of nerve writing such article that provides unfactual information to mislead the people of Kansas. Most of us know what needs to be done and those holding us back or intent on letting poor people die—because they don’t value such people.

Pix by Medical Daily.

Changes at the Peace and Social Justice Center—house may be sold

By SJ Otto

There will most likely be changes coming for the Peace and Social Justice Center, here in Wichita. It was announced at the monthly board meeting, this last Saturday, that board members are considering selling the Peace House and renting a small space instead. There was also some discussion on changing the direction and workings of the Peace and Social Justice Center. The organization is mostly older people and we are not drawing many young people. We need to work with organizations that younger activist are taking part in.

There is going to be a meeting February 16, at 1 pm, at the Peace and Social Justice Center house, to discuss these topics. This Saturday we had a tentative vote in favor of selling the house, by 5 to 3. There will be more discussion, at the next meeting, on the finances and the advantages and disadvantages such a sale would have. There are many expensive repairs needed to the house, including roof repairs and fixing the windows. Selling the house would remove such expensive needs and free the center up for other activities. We will be discussing the future of the Peace and Social Justice Center.

Any one interested in the future of the Peace and Social Justice Center is free to come and give their input.

Fox News’ Sean Hannity Issues Warning To People Saying Donald Trump ‘Caved’

From Huffington Post:

By Lee Moran

Many rightwing figures lined up Friday night to criticize President Donald Trump for temporarily ending the government shutdown for three weeks without having convinced Congress to fund his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall.

Controversial

commentator Ann Coulter called Trump “the biggest wimp ever to serve as president” and Fox Business host Lou Dobbs said Trump had been “whipped” by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Fox News’ Sean Hannity, however, had a different take.

The “Hannity” host, who is a staunch supporter of the president and even joined him on stage at a Missouri rally ahead of the 2018 midterms, insisted Trump still “holds all the cards” when it comes to negotiating with Congress for the wall.

For the rest click here.

Pix by The Wrap.

US Coup attempt- Venezuelan army disavows self-proclaimed leader, will defend national sovereignty – defense minister

From Democracy and Class Struggle- Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro said Caracas is breaking off diplomatic relations with the US, giving American diplomats 72 hours to leave the country, after Donald Trump recognized the opposition leader as interim .

From Otto's War Room—Vi youce President Mike Pence is a hypocrite and a liar. He has no right to declare Nicolas Maduro a dictator. That country is no more a dictatorship than the US is. The US is trying to sabotage and overthrow the Venezuela government simply because Donald Trump and he don't care for socialism. Neither he nor Trump has a right to interfere in this country's affairs. Pence and Trump are the lowest scoundrels and the most despicable bullies imaginable. - SJ Otto

Another one of Martin Luther King Jr.'s holidays

By SJ Otto

Martin Luther King Jr. is one of those people who played an important role in history. He favored socialism but he was not a member of any socialist organization as I am, belonging to Democratic Socialist of America. He definitely contributed immensely to the end of segregation in America. He was a religious person and he followed a strict policy of non-violence. He was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi. He was also a Christian and a Baptist.

I don’t always agree with following non-violence. There are times when I believe we must fight back. But I have to admit that he accomplished a lot, with his non-violence. At times it was very effective.  MLK was very progressive. He opposed the Vietnam War. He took a left position on many issues.

In 1968, King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) organized the "Poor People's Campaign." He did lean towards socialism. According to Institute for New Economic Thinking:

“Consider King’s words in a letter to Coretta Scott in 1952: “I am much more socialistic in my economic theory than capitalistic,” he wrote, adding that capitalism had “out-lived its usefulness” because it had “brought about a system that takes necessities from the masses to give luxuries to the classes.” 

Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, that government published a book on MLK. They pointed to a lot of his accomplishments, yet left out everything about his religion. Whether a writer is religious or not, he/she should have pointed out that his religion was a major influence on him, throughout his life.

This last Monday there were two main events for MLK. The fist was a breakfast in the morning. The other started at noon and lasted until 3pm. That Martin Luther King, Jr Celebration was held at the WSU Hughes Metroplex.  It was hosted by The Greater Wichita Ministerial League .It was a religious oriented event that I did not attend. I have nothing against religious people, but I am not a believer. So I tend to avoid non-secular events. Various events are held across the nation, honoring MLK. There is nothing wrong with that—he was a great man and he did a lot to further civil rights. He deserves his holiday.

This picture from the Hughes Metroplex came from Lacey Cruse’s Facebook page. 

Women in Wichita brave the frigid weather for the Women’s March

By SJ Otto

All across the country, for a third year, women marched for their rights and to stand up to the Donald Trump Regime, this Saturday. The numbers were much lower, but part of that was the frigid cold in many of the northern cites, such as Wichita.

Here in Wichita women marched in temperatures around 26 degrees. Despite the cold a few hundred women marched from Wichita City Hall to the Wave, a few blocks away.

Manager at the Wave allowed the protesters to meet inside for a rally, with speakers.

Many of the speakers talked of economic issues, including Melissa Taylor. She talked about the importance of monetary worth of a woman. She said women need to stand up for themselves and demand equal pay. She pointed out that women earn less than men in such jobs as teaching. She said that on average the amount of money women lose to men, who make more, amount to them working for several days for free.

“That means you are working for 59 days out of 260 free,” she said. 

Teresa Rupp, from Child Start, emphasized that child care is an economic issue for women.

Some people from Kansas managed to make it to other cities in the country.

For example Marsha Hesany, 61, wore pink cat-eared hats as she and a friend blew up balloons of Trump in diapers, in Washington, DC. She presently lives in Gainesville, Florida, but she has lived most of her life in Lawrence, Kansas. She also took part in the 2017 march.

Hesany is a lifelong marcher and recalled marching in support of the Equal Rights Amendment in 1982. “And it’s still not ratified!” she said.

Women marched from Wichita City Hall to the Wave.

The Wave allowed marchers to come in from the cold for the rally.

It is time to take on the centrists in the Democratic Party

By SJ Otto

Once again I see Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s name in the news. And it is for a good reason. Ocasio-Cortez is going to help progressive Democrats to defeat the stodgy old centrist Democrats. Most of these centrists follow a strategy that is familiar to most of us — They raise a lot of money, they stick to the political middle and they don’t discuss any issues that may offend any of their constituents. That strategy has not worked well. The Democrats lost every branch of government until they just recently regained the US House. Except for Bernie Sanders, it has been years since a socialist or a really progressive Democrat has won anything.

We have not had a left leaning president since London B Johnson. So Ocasio-Cortez is a welcome change. It only makes sense to try and win more progressive Democrats to office. We gain little from electing conservative Democrats. Almost every politician running for office, Democrat OR Republican, talks of saving or rebuilding the middle class. Almost no one is running on a platform to save the working poor. That would be those hard working people who make minimum wage or just a little bit more than that.

There has to be a lot of people in this country who work hard but are below the middle class. And yet there is NO REPRESENTATION for these people in Congress. That needs to change. We need to try and take the Democratic Party and change it from a corporate centrist party to a working and poor people’s party.

The argument that the country is too conservative doesn’t cut it anymore. The conservatives have strangled this country and the traditional Democrats have done nothing but hide. Their motto seems to be “I’m for that also, just not as much.” They’ve acted as if they are ashamed of themselves for not being conservative.

It’s time to be bold. It’s time to assert ourselves. We have things to say and we need to save them. According to Business Insider:

“On a Facebook Live conference call held Saturday by the progressive group Justice Democrats, Ocasio-Cortez asked hundreds of viewers to consider launching their own campaigns, no matter who they'd be facing. "This is about bringing justice to our system," said Ocasio-Cortez. "All Americans know that money in politics is a huge problem but unfortunately, the way that we fix it is demanding that our incumbents give it up or by running fierce campaigns ourselves," she continued. For Ocasio-Cortez, the issue seemed to be beyond politics, saying "that's really what we need to do to save this country."

She is right. We need to take control of the Democratic Party or at least make a genuine effort, even if it takes us a while. We working poor have a right to be represented in Congress.

Pix from CNN.com.

Lacy Cruz sworn in for county commissioner

Here lacy Cruz is sworn into office, last Sunday, at the Sedwick County Courthouse.

After being sworn in as the 4th district commissioner, Cruz talked about the importance of being an inclusive politician and representing all the people.

Sanders 2020 Supporters To Host Over 400 House Parties in All 50 States

From Our Revolution:

DENVER, Colo. (January 11, 2019)—Grassroots supporters across the country have started organizing for a potential presidential run by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), with over 400 house parties planned on Saturday, Jan. 12 at 4 PM ET. The house parties will occur in all 50 states, as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, the Bahamas, and Austria.

The events were registered through Organizing for Bernie, a grassroots movement to encourage Sen. Sanders to run for president in 2020, in partnership with The People for Bernie Sanders, and is co-sponsored by Our Revolution, Progressive Democrats of America.

Attendees of the over 400 house parties will join a livestream conversation from key movement activists, who will discuss why Sen. Sanders is the best candidate to combat climate change, fight for working families, and beat Donald Trump. Following that conversation, organizers will lay out plans for grassroots activists to get to work building a campaign-in-waiting, should Sen. Sanders decide to run in 2020

Here are some Bernie Sanders Supporters here in Wichita, at 6000 E. Harry, at a house party 4 Bernie.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez— The rising star on the American Democrat Party —LEFT!

By SJ Otto

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is already making waves in the US House of Representatives and that is what we need her to do.

According to Politico:

“Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is already making enemies in the House Democratic Caucus — and some of its members are mounting an operation to bring the anti-establishment, democratic socialist with 2.2 million Twitter followers into the fold.

The effort, described by nearly 20 lawmakers and aides, is part carrot, part stick: Some lawmakers with ties to Ocasio-Cortez are hoping to coax her into using her star power to unite Democrats and turn her fire on Republicans. Others simultaneously warn Ocasio-Cortez is destined for a lonely, ineffectual career in Congress if she continues to treat her own party as the enemy.

“I’m sure Ms. Cortez means well, but there’s almost an outstanding rule: Don’t attack your own people,” said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.). “We just don’t need sniping in our Democratic Caucus.”

For the last 30 years the Democratic Party has gotten a lot of middle of the road centrist and some slightly left of center candidates elected into office. The party has been very timid. While Republicans have pushed for and successfully imbedded their far-to-the-right agenda on the American public, the Democrats have run issueless campaigns designed to offend no one. The Republicans, on the other hand, have viciously attacked their opponents. The Democrats have lost more elections than they have won and the Republicans have controlled all there branches of government—that is until this year when they won back the house. One reason for the Democrat’s success were the Ocasio-Cortez kind of candidates. Until recently Ocasio-Cortez type of candidate were extremely rare in this country. A new progressive wing has emerged since Bernie Sanders ran for president as a Democrat. He used to run as an independent. Now there has been a new interest in democratic socialism here in the US. Both Democratic Socialist of America (DSA) and the Socialist Party USA have seen huge increases in membership. Also, the majority of those joining these parties are young people, such as Ocasio-Cortez.

Ocasio-Cortez is emerging as a leader on the Democratic Party’s left. Just a week ago she was interviewed by 60 minutes. There hasn’t been much of a left for the Democrats in the last 30 years. So it is no surprise that the more older and established Democrats are not happy with the idea that they may have to change their ways or at least support those Democrats who do. For many years the Democrats have been extremely disappointing for those who have wanted to support progressive politics and progressive politicians. Now we have some politicians worth supporting. They are worth voting for and they are worth giving support.  

After 30 years of political muck and Democrat presidents that avoided the left with a passion, this country may finally be ready for some change. Not all progressive Democrats won during the last election. The old guard is not going to just fade away. It is going to be a knock down, dragged out fight for control of the Democratic Party. And we still have a very powerful Republican Party with their bag of dirty tricks. But if nothing else, we can finally see a glimpse of light at the end of the political tunnel. We may finally get past the idea that socialism is a dirty word.

Pix by Rolling Stone.

Fox & Friends host fact-checked by co-host after bungling tax segment

From Occupy Democrats:

"What (Barack) Obama didn't understand?!" Sure! He is just an idiot with no understanding of economics. Sure! People will avoid being $millionaires and wealthy because they will get taxed?! Ridiculous! Are these folks just going to go on welfare or get minimum wage jobs? -SJ Otto

The new year starts with a new US House of Representatives—with some progressives

By SJ Otto

It is the new year, Congress begins anew and the US House of Representatives is now run by the Democratic Party. One of my favourite Democrats this year is Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, who is not only one of the youngest people to ever serve in the House, she is also a member of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). She and Bernie Sanders are among the new progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Until the candidacy  of Bernie Sanders in the last presidential primary and general election, there really was no left-wing or progressive wing of the Democrats. The Democratic Party was solidly centrists. That is now changing and it is no surprise that conservatives are looking for anything they can use to try and stop Cortez and other leftists. One of their first and extremely lame attempts to embarrass her was in posting that old video of her dancing.

How lame can they get?

By now she has laughed that off.

'Congresswomen dance too': Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hits back with new video

Another complaint is that she is wearing clothes that seem to be more for that of a wealthy person. This is the time-old-attempt conservatives make against any socialist. They try to insinuate that a socialist should dress and look like they are poor—

destitute if possible. But they should never dress-up and look wealthy. An example of this is from The Atlantic:

"The next day, Eddie Scarry, formerly a blogger for the gossip site FishbowlDCand currently a writer for the conservative Washington Examiner, posted a picture of Ocasio-Cortez, taken from behind, seemingly without her knowledge, as she walked through a hallway wearing a tailored black jacket and carrying a coat. He accompanied it with a note that doubled as a caption: “Hill staffer sent me this pic of Ocasio-Cortez they took just now. I’ll tell you something: that jacket and coat don’t look like a girl who struggles.” This tweet went viral, too—not because of the insight it offered, but because of the opposite. People mocked it and memed it and objected to it, some indignant at the creep shot Scarry shared, many others referencing the obvious fact that it is possible to advocate for the working class and wear clothing at the same time."

It's about time that the common reader/audience learn what socialist have known all along—we don't need to look poor to advocate for the poor. For one thing, a socialist does not have to wear poor clothing and look poor. It just  doesn't matter. A socialist can be wealthy and still be a socialist. To insist that a socialist should wear poor clothing and be poor is just a myth. It is a myth perpetuated by conservatives. They want people to believe that we socialist should look and dress like the people we advocate for. They wanted people to be outraged when Daniel Ortega, during his first term as president of Nicaragua, in the 1980s, bought a pair of stylish and expensive glasses. The glasses were more than $3,500. If any other world leader had bought those it would not be news. But he was the Marxist president of a poor nation and conservatives pounced on him for buying the glasses.

Such complaints are nothing more than conservative hypocrisy. 

Another target of conservative wrath was the new Freshman Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a woman and Moslem, who declared that the newly installed Democratic majority in the House will "go in there and impeach the motherfucker," breaking with party leaders and stirring controversy just hours after officially taking office.

As reported from Politico: "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other top Democrats have been largely hesitant to promise President Donald Trump's impeachment, preferring instead to wait for the results of the ongoing Russia investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller. But Tlaib (D-Mich.) and others in the newly installed House have expressed an eagerness to begin impeachment proceedings even before Mueller issues a final report."

Despite discussing whether such us of profanity is actually helpful or hurtful, there is already those writers suggesting that Tlaib apologise for what she said. MATTHEW DOWD, from ABC News said:

"We moved to Southfield, Michigan, in my youth, and I completely understand and relate to the “chip-on-your-shoulder” grittiness and saltiness of the area. I have retained much of that sentiment, but Congresswoman Tlaib should apologize for her recent comments to a cheering crowd about President Trump: “When your son looks at you and says, ‘Mamma, look you won, bullies don't win,' and I said, 'Baby, they don't,' because we’re gonna go in there and we're gonna impeach the m-----------."

We really don't need to apologize for every statement we make—right or wrong. Tlaib just doesn't need to apologise. It makes us look wishy-washy. It was an off the cuff remark. It was said and now it needs to be forgotten. There is too much apologising to an audience of people who are being clobbered by political correctness. It is time to say what we mean. It is time to be bold. There is a change coming and it doesn't need any apologising.

Stand-your-ground allowed a 16 year old kid to be gunned down —Stand-your-ground has got to go

By SJ Otto

A little over a week ago a 16 year old boy was shot, as he took part in an armed robbery December 28, at the B & H Fast Trip convenience store on S. Seneca. I realize that taking part in an armed robbery is dangerous to both the robbers and the people being robbed. But once again a bystander with a concealed hand gun killed one of the kid robbers. They were kids. I really question how important it was to kill a 16 year old kid. The other robbers got away with some cash and miscellaneous items that probably weren't worth that much. No store employees or bystanders where hurt. Just one 16 year old shot in the head when a person in the crowd pulled out a gun and started shooting. The shooter was 42 years. It often seems that people who get shot by conceal carry people are usually very young and the shooters are usually much older.

Once again we see Kansas’ stand-your-ground law in action. This law was passed in 2007 and it seems to take away any real accountability for a conceal and carry person. Kansas is just one of many states that have passed such a law.

This was Wichita’s 44th homicide of 2018 and potentially the ninth stand-your-ground killing of the year. Homicides in Wichita this year have nearly doubled from the same time period in 2017. This year's homicide rate is the highest since 1995.

I have to wonder whether we as a society are really safer since stand-your-ground was passed. According to The Wichita Eagle:

"Before Kansas’ stand-your-ground law passed, if there was an opportunity to escape violence, or a chance to retreat, a person had to make that the first option before using force.

That’s no longer the case. Kansas is one of many states where citizens have no legal duty to retreat from an attacker in any place where they are lawfully present. A killing is justifiable in Kansas when a person “reasonably believes” that the use of deadly force is “necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm” to that person or a third party."

It may be reasonable for a person to defend their property, but if the robbery had taken place before the days of stand-your-ground, this kid would probably still be alive. Chances are good that these robbers will be caught. So we have to wonder if the loss of life, especially such a young one, was really worth what ever money they took.

Stand-your-ground was passed as part of a process by right-wing gun nuts who are determined to arm conservatives to the teeth. Fist they wanted to carry guns. After that they had to pass laws making it nearly impossible to prosecute them if they shoot someone under questionable circumstances, or if they accidently kill the wrong person. This law tries to protect those who miss-use their guns. The conservatives behind this want a society where anyone can shoot someone —anyone, for any reason and then claim they were afraid for their lives. Any law that shields someone from being accountable for their actions is a dangerous law.

Some local anti-gun groups here in Wichita, including some members of the Peace and Social Justice Center, want to focus on repealing a law that allows anyone to carry a concealed weapon with out needing a permit. Governor Sam Brownback passed such a law in 2015.  

I oppose changing that law because at present any person can carry a gun. Before that change, people had to pay about $300 for classes and the permit to carry the gun. If they want to change this law, they need to lower the amount of money it takes to get a permit. Poor people should have the same rights as wealthy people to carry a gun.

I'm not against people carrying guns, but I believe those who carry them should be held accountable for what they do with them. There needs to be some restraint on those who carry guns. We aren't safe if a person can shoot us, as in a case of mistaken identity, and the shooter won't be held accountable simply because he/she claims they were in danger.

We need to repeal stand-your-ground laws. We control what police do with guns, why shouldn't a common citizen be held to the same standards.

Pix by Wikipedia.

The important political news high lights of 2018

By Steve Otto

It is  time, once again, for a year end round up. This is that time of year I write about the high lights of the last year.

This year the biggest news story was the election. Polls predicted that the Democrats would retake the house and they did. The Democrats did terrible in the Senate races. They lost most of the tight senate races, leaving a lot of power in the hands of our idiot President Donald Trump. But Trump will not control the US House and that allows the Democrats to put the breaks on some of his stupidity.  

Here in Kansas we had mixed results. We avoided having Kris Kobach as our next governor. That  means we finally see an end to the disastrous Sam Brownback years and his horrible ideology. Democrat Laura Kelly will take control of the Governor's mansion in January. On the other side, Brownback style congress people won more seats in the Kansas House and Senate. Our lackluster slacker Republican Ron Estes won the fourth district over James Thompson, so he will continue to be a yes man for our Idiot and Chief Trump. He will also continue to support doing nothing on behalf of our health care. He is one of the laziest politician Kansas has ever produced. The one bright spot here in Sedgwick County was the win by Lacy Cruz, over far-far-far right-wing bigot Randy Ranzau. Cruz is one of our local progressives so it will be interesting to see what she does.

Kansas also elected Democrat Sharice Davids, a member of Wisconsin’s Ho-Chunk Native American Indian tribe and defeated four-term Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder in Kansas' 3rd district. Davids is also a lesbian. 

The Democrats did much better this year than in the last election two years ago, when the Democrats lost all the major elections, governor, US House and US Senate.

In December Claudia Amaro, a leading activist and organizer in the Latino community of Wichita spoke to the Peace and Social Justice Center, for their Annual Dinner on the problem of immigration.

Amaro discussed many of the bad laws that have been passed over the years that have contributed to the immigration problems of today. She gave the example of NAFT (North American Free Trade Agreement).

“It created great hardships,” Amaro said.

Some other problems she added included that fact that US Corporations went to Mexico to avoid taxes and to dodge paying workers minimum wage. NAFTA undermined labor laws.

Amaro reminded people that it was Ronald Reagan who attacked the countries of El Salvador and Guatemala, as well as Honduras. That kind of interference has made life for some citizens of those countries almost unlivable. That is why they are coming her.

In November Trump ignored critics from both parties, Democrat and Republican, and announced that he was going to ignore all the crimes committed by Saudi Arabia and continue to sell arms to that country. Saudi Arabia is probably one of the worst foreign policies of the US. Both People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Saudi Arabia have handed down political power from father to son, a monarchy type situation.

Every time some one has any kind of relationship to or with Kim Jong Un, the leader of DPRK , reporters are quick to point out that Kim is a “murderer.” He has a “horrible human rights record,” as any politician or celebrity will be reminded by mainstream reporters. But Saudi Arabia is no better. Saudi Arabia has about the same type of human rights abuses. People are executed all the time in that country. Our own CIA has figured out that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is a murderer and responsible for the murder of Journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

And yet Trump defied the nation’s intelligence agencies to declare his

unswerving loyalty to Saudi Arabia and its Crown Prince Salman. He made the ridiculous claim that “the killing of Journalist Jamal Khashoggi might never be known.”

This October some right-wing nut sent pipe bombs to Democrats and progressive politicians. What is not surprising is that Fox News tried to blame the Democrats and liberals for the attempted bombings.

This September we witnessed the spectacle of the Republican Party doing everything it could, often without a single shred of decency or fair play, to get their right-wing ideologue Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court bench. Not only is this guy far-far-far to the right, he was also accused of attempted rape and other ill tempered actions towards women. The Republicans in the Senate ignored the accusations. Also Kavanaugh gave a speech defending himself that demonstrated him to be arrogant and hateful towards the Democratic Party.

In August we realized that a new progressive wing of the Democratic Party was beginning to influence the upcoming elections. The Wichita Chapter of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) promoted a number of candidates for office including Lacey Cruse, a folk singer and political newcomer whose campaign poster proclaimed “NO MORE OLD WHITE GUYS,”  She then faced off against incumbent Richard Ranzau in the race for Sedgwick County Commissioner. She won both the primary and the general election. She beat Michael Kinard, a Democrat established activist and former Wichita school board member, in the primary. DSA also supported James Thompson who faced off with Republican Ron Estes for the 4rth district representative seat. He did not win, but put up a really good campaign.

In July a large group of Wichitans protested and occupied the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, (ICE) center at 555 N. Woodlawn, About 90 people attended the rally, which began as a response to Trump's actions that led to separated families. 

In June, long time mainstream Democrat Representative Joe Crowley was ousted from his Queens district by a card carrying DSA member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 28-year-old Latina running her first political campaign. She and Bernie Sanders traveled around the country supporting the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

I have been following the activities of Wichita's DSA Chapter all year. In May DSA held a campout, which was attended by DSA members from nearby states, such as Nebraska and Kansas City, MO. I was very interested in a talk by Phil Brown, from Omaha, Nebraska, who gave an excellent speech on "Combating anti-communism." It was a relief to hear a DSA member explain the drawbacks and dangers of supporting some of the liberals and mainstream Democrats who campaign against communists who are involved in various progressive causes.

Every few years this country has a drug epidemic and that is followed by overreaction that can cause problems for a lot of people. During the 1980s we had a crack cocaine epidemic and that caused a lot of young black men and some women, to receive ridiculously long prison sentences for possession of small amounts of crack cocaine. Now we have the opioid epidemic. A lot of this is caused by a street version of a synthetic opioid known as fentanyl. It is a cheap easy to make drug that is 100 times stronger than heroin and is present in most of the opioid deaths that are fueling this campaign. The worst thing about this epidemic is that the press and politicians are focusing on doctors, claiming that over-prescribing pain medicine has caused this epidemic. The results is that people who need pain medicine are finding it hard to get. I have a friend who has two forms of cancer and he spent months looking for a doctor that would prescribe the pain medicine he needs. In April I wrote an article on this hype and hysteria; " The opioid epidemic is really a fentanyl epidemic—and we don’t need all the hype"

In March we had a March for Our Lives, in Wichita, and it was probably one of the largest marches I've seen in several years. It was run mostly by, and largely attended by high school students. A few thousand people Marched from Park Elementary School to the old Sedgwick County Courthouse. This coincided with students across the country who are sick and tired of seeing students shot down in their schools. They are tired of seeing all the politicians who consistently do nothing to pass laws that will deal with gun violence. Since the dominant party in this country is presently the Republican Party, they have seen a government of politicians who are determined to listen to the NRA (National Rifle Association), which opposes any kind of gun regulations at all. This generation is fed up with the NRA and all politicians (Mostly Republican) who are so in dept to them. A lot of these students are presently too young to vote. But that will change over the next few years. When these students come of age it could change the political landscape. We could see a real back lash against these pro-gun Republicans and some real problems for the NRA —who seriously deserve what they will get.
After more than six years of strangulation due to the tax cuts for the rich, by our past Governor Sam Brownback, we attained relief from Republican miss-management, in February. Our schools were underfunded. and every program designed to help the poor were slashed to the bone, so wealthy business owners could enjoy a massive tax break. The economy was in shambles before he went off to be an ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom around the world for our idiot and chief Trump.

Brownback admitted he was running an experiment in Kansas and that experiment has failed and failed miserably. He slashed taxes for wealthy businesses, and as most conservatives he tried to balance the budget on the backs of working people. Kansas's budget has for years resembled a wallet with a hole in it—every time the state's bookkeepers peek inside, they find less money than the government thought would be there. He took a lot of money out of our education system as if it had no value.

Last January I wrote about the problems of the US anti-war movement. That problem lies mostly in the hands of the Democratic Party which has largely ignored the peace movement. Since the election of Barack Obama to the presidency, the Democratic Party has been as hawkish on foreign policy as the Republicans. Today there is no mainstream party and very few persons that a peace advocate can vote for. I wrote an article called; " Code Pink has a morale problem: It’s called Democrats.:

The last few decades have been extremely conservative. That iron grip the Republicans have had one the nation and world are slowly starting to slip. But we have a long way to go to stop the tide of conservatism. This is a new year, so we can keep trying.