A Year Since Trump Was Elected President

Some people said Trump's win would be harmful to the environment and embolden the myriad haters and racists all across America. I said "An eye for an eye" would do the trick; "direct action" would get satisfaction. Unless the FBI/CIA wanted Trump to start a civil war, they would tell him to shut up; the people united could never be defeated. The fascists would lose that war, too. 

A year later, we see that every stupid uninformed thing Trump said was eaten up by the media as the inevitable looting of social program went unabated by the Senate and Congress. The people weren't united and were defeated. 

Some said there would be grave peril from climate change. Trump, like Obama and Clinton, didn't stop it.  Capitalism marched on, armed to the teeth, threatening  nations that didn't agree; imperialist incursion and genocide all over the world.

Sanders remained a Democrat and refused to go independent. He was a distraction, a politician. The Democratic Party needed to be bold and instead sabotaged Sanders, the only ray of hope for  people like you and me.

WW III was averted by  Clinton's losing. She was a clandestine  loose canon, more than bug-mouth Trump. The "not-working" class felt it in their empty gut and believed in Trump foolishly. But socialism is the answer, not anti-union and pro-Wall Street. Sanders was the coward. Ignore his Democratic Party rhetoric. Grass-root activism is the answer.

"If Trump is the price we have to pay to defeat Clintonian neo-liberalism – so be it." — Mumia Abu-Jamal

Trump is nothing new. R. Dunbar-Ortiz in her excellent book An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States wrote: "It's not that Andrew Jackson had a 'dark side,' as his apologists rationalize and which all human beings have,but rather that Jackson 'was' the Dark Knight in the formation of the United States as a colonialist, imperialist democracy, a dynamic formation that constitutes the core of U.S. patriotism. The most revered presidents -including Clinton and Obama [add Trump]- have each advanced populist imperialism while gradually increasing inclusion of other groups beyond the core of descendants of old settlers in the ruling mythology."  

The infrastructure in America has fallen apart; transportation is backward, full-time jobs with benefits is scarce, poverty level is 60%, 60,000 middle-aged, despondent Americans died from drug overdoses. Schools are underfunded and prisons are for profit.

The stock market had a great 2017. Sweatshop jobs from Amazon to Foxconn moved back in to make the unemployment rate seem low. Tax were cut where they shouldn't have been and the military in 175 countries got funded; the U.S. infrastructure got under-funded and sacred land can now be looted. U.S. workers have not benefited at all as Trump said they would. 

Join a grass root organization;  go with them on marches. Organize within your community and workplace. Nothing will help workers but organizing together. 

Thousands protest labor amendments

POOR CONDITIONS:Employers are likely to force their employees to sign agreements saying they agree with longer work hours, a union member said

By Lin Chia-nan  /  Staff reporter

Police and labor groups protesting proposed amendments to the Labor Standards Act yesterday scuffle as protesters continue to block the road outside the Executive Yuan in Taipei, despite the organizers dismissing the rally earlier in the evening.

Photo: Huang Yao-cheng, Taipei Times

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Thousands of people yesterday marched from the headquarters of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to the Executive Yuan in Taipei, urging the Cabinet to withdraw its draft amendment to the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法).

At noon, protesters gathered in front of the headquarters and started to march toward the Legislative Yuan at about 3pm.

One of the organizers, the Taiwan Railway Union, estimated a turnout of more than 10,000 people in the afternoon.

Several scuffles broke out between protesters and police when police tried to narrow down the demonstration area at the intersection between the Zhongshan N Road and Zhongxiao E Road.

Instead of continuing their march along Zhongxiao W Road, the organizers urged protesters to stage a sit-in at the intersection and wait for the Cabinet to respond to their appeal, but they received no response and dismissed the demonstration at 6pm.

Despite the dismissal, some protesters were still occupying the intersection as of press time last night.

Prior to the dismissal, some protesters tried to break through a police blockade set up in front of the Executive Yuan complex.

One member of the Social Democratic Party, surnamed Lu (呂), was forcibly removed from the scene by police, with his left ear allegedly cut on the wired barricades.

Since the Cabinet announced the draft amendment on Nov. 9, many labor rights groups have been protesting against what they said is the most retrogressive amendment to the act, which was pushed to a second reading by DPP lawmakers on Dec. 4.

Anticipating the demonstration yesterday, Cabinet spokesperson Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) and Minister of Labor Lin Mei-chu (林美珠) tried to clarify what they called a “misunderstanding” about the draft amendment at a news conference on Thursday.

In the Cabinet’s draft, Article 34 proposes that the interval between two work shifts can be reduced from 11 hours to no less than eight hours if an employer obtains approval from its workers’ union.

Most people oppose the article because they do not understand its two premises: It only applies to those who have to work in shifts, and people are not allowed to work more than 12 consecutive hours, Hsu said.

The work schedule of employees can be changed once a week at most, but the restriction becomes irrelevant when employers and employees reach an agreement, according to the draft.

Some lawmakers have tendered motions that propose businesses should obtain the ministry’s approval before they are allowed to shorten workers’ rest intervals, Lin said, adding that the ministry thinks the proposal is feasible and would include it in the final draft.

No one misunderstood the articles, at least the Taipei City Government did not, Taipei Department of Labor Commissioner Lai Hsiang-lin (賴香伶) said yesterday when asked to comment on Hsu’s explanation.

Many hospital management teams, due to staff shortages, are likely to change workers’ schedules almost every day, which is a fact that the Cabinet fails to understand, Lai said, adding that it should encourage businesses to hire more workers instead of easing regulations.

The ministry should set up a registration system and ask businesses adopting shifts to fully reveal their schedule information, she said.

If businesses are to lengthen employees’ working hours, they should obtain approval from the ministry, which could be helpful to prevent employers from abusing the loosened regulation, she added.

Employers are likely to force workers to sign agreements that say that they agree with the lengthened work schedules, Taiwan Higher Education Union department director Lin Po-yi (林柏儀) said.

People who have to work in shifts, such as guards, nurses and drivers in the logistics industry, are relatively powerless in society, Lin Po-yi said, adding that the draft amendment would worsen their already poor working conditions.

The DPP has forsaken the public, who cannot but take to the streets to defend its values, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said.

Asked if the KMT has any strategies to boycott the draft amendment in the extraordinary legislative session next month, Chiang said that party members are discussing plans, but cannot reveal them at the moment.

During a visit to Tainan yesterday, Premier William Lai (賴清德) said he would ask the Ministry of Labor to collect the appeals of protesters, but no further response could be solicited from the Cabinet as of press time last night.

In Taiwan, Capitalism is Not Funny

    

People in Taiwan are surprised how easily politicians and business people are made fun of in American media; it rarely happens here. Baby Bush joked about  the size of a shoe thrown at him; size 10. Ha-ha! Trump is a hilarious fool on late night TV talk shows. Wow! What a funny place.

     What people in Taiwan and America don't understand is that making comedy of serious subjects is what acclimates Americans to accept any misconduct with a grain of salt; it made it possible for a foul-mouthed empty-headed bigot like Donald Trump to become president or for a self-absorbed neo-liberal militarist like Hilary Clinton to almost win.

      It is time to stop neutralizing every serious offense sell-able in media, though closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. Laugh at politicians and we're all jackasses; Hee-haw!!! 

     This is funny: A friend in the States shared a post on Facebook from an ex-pat CIA wannabes' blog in Taiwan. It was about how workers are getting screwed by the new DPP labor law; like he cares. These ex-pats are not reputable on labor issues; they have removed from their Facebook group posts I wrote supporting workers rights, but ever since one was called "Taiwan's Shock Jock" by the DPP supporting Taipei Times newspaper,  he has turned against them. I asked him once to join me in starting an IWW branch here; he wasn't interested; those were his true colors

   China and Taiwan must be kept apart, say the capitalist media; that isn't funny. They mock China for allowing capitalism to flourish and create a bourgeois class. Ha-ha! How funny! The story of the backtracking of socialist states like China is due to the infantile nature of Capitalism to joke about serious drawbacks in its system pandering to greed. Only when the remnants of socialist governments learns to be funny to win at the capitalist’s game will they stop further erosion of their revolutionary advances; orthodox socialism is not funny. China is slowly coming back into its socialist foundation; abet a two-tier task, funny and serious. America was built on greed of capitalism; anything goes, but modern China was built on cooperative socialism that has had to learn to assimilate humor, abet not of politicians. China is returning  to socialism with a funny sidekick, but not now; not while capitalism  is still  temptingly funny.

     Recent Taiwanese legislative motion to remove all tributes to Chiang Kai-shek, the former Kuomintang leader and dictator, was posted and applauded by one Taiwan CIA wannabe. It is funny to remove them. Ha-ha; join the frenzy. But like removing statues of Confederate leaders in America, it is a lost opportunity to teach the youth about past tyranny. In fact, The State Department was alarmed and sent an AIT  envoy to voice disapproval; they didn't want the DPP  distancing itself from America's darling of "Free China". It would bring Taiwan closer to a PRC that also despises the fascist dictator who fought against communism instead of Japanese imperialists. This is not a laughing matter.

       Barking up the wrong tree was China with the KMT before realizing President Ma Ying-Jyou was a liability. They've since backed off. All China really wants is the last vestige of colonialism off their cultural geography.

       Capitalism is not funny, especially when referendum laws are being changed that could backfire on the DPP when the Taiwanese realize they've always been independent from China; that it is America that oppresses them and keeps them from being an independent nation or joining their cultural brethren in China.

     Yes, I am upset that there is not one other person in Taiwan, local or ex-pat, that sees the solution for low wages and exploitation as organizing unions and showing solidarity. The ex-pat CIA wannabes and excuse-mongers here point out how I could get deported for participating in such organizing and refuse to join with me; singly none. I am reduced to writing shaming articles, like this one, or being cynical to Facebook netizens offering solutions that are obsolete; a political party changes nothing, I tell them. A capitalist government has never protected workers rights’ and a socialist government can’t do as much as they should because the wolf is at the door. 

Taiwan History -Ex-president in custody

Taiwan's ex-president in custody

DT

David Temple

 

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Wed 11/12/2008, 4:59 P

Taiwan's ex-president in custody

Taiwan's ex-President Chen Shui-bian, who faces corruption allegations, has been formally taken into custody. Mr Chen, an independence activist and staunch critic of China, was taken to jail after his detention was approved by a court overnight.It came at the end of a dramatic 24 hours, during which police led a defiant Mr Chen away in handcuffs.Mr Chen, who stepped down in May, denies all the graft charges and claims they are politically motivated.He has been taken to Tucheng prison in the suburbs of the capital, Taipei. He can now be held for up to four months, despite not yet having formally been charged.

Police have reportedly tightened security around the jail amid threats from his supporters.

Muscle tear

The BBC's Cindy Sui in Taipei says the authorities want to avoid the type of demonstrations seen last week during a landmark visit by a high-ranking Chinese Communist official to Taiwan.Mr Chen and his supporters - who see closer ties to Beijing as a threat to Taiwan's sovereignty - opposed that visit.Court proceedings had to be suspended on Tuesday night, when Mr Chen said he needed hospital treatment after being pushed outside the court building.He was returned to court for an overnight sitting after doctors found he had only a minor muscle tear. Mr Chen is accused of money laundering and illegally using a special presidential fund.But the outspoken nationalist accuses the new administration of persecuting him "as a sacrifice to appease China". Mr Chen is an ardent supporter of Taiwanese independence, and a trenchant critic of President Ma Ying-jeou's Kuomintang (KMT) administration, which he accuses of pandering to China. But China has termed accusations that his detention is a plot between Beijing and President Ma's administration "pure fabrication". President Ma has also denied intervening in the case.

Opposition damaged?

Mr Chen and his family have been mired in corruption allegations since 2006, when his son-in-law was charged with insider trading on the stock market and then jailed for seven years.The charges have damaged the reputation of the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), observers say, which may now face a rough ride in next year's local elections.Taiwan has been ruled separately since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.The defeated Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan to create a self-governing entity. But Beijing sees the island as a breakaway province which should be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary.