Calendar

We’ll meet via Zoom. Email strike.debt.bay.area@gmail.com for the invite.

For our January meeting we’ll be reading the entries in the Edge of Chaos blog symposium, orchestrated by Beth Plutchak. The symposium is available as single .pdf accessible and downloadable here.

Strike Debt Bay Area hosts a non-technical book group discussion monthly on new and radical economic thinking. Previous readings have included Doughnut Economics, Limits, Banking on the People, Capital and Its Discontents, How to Be an Anti-Capitalist in the 21st Century, The Deficit Myth, and Revenge Capitalism.

Join us – all are welcome!

Current login info here

Sun, Dec 20, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm

CONFIRMED: The Present Farmers’ Movement in India: A Working Class Perspective
The present farmers’ movement in India has evoked a lot of interest among progressive and democratic circles around the world. In this context, certain questions need to be answered: What do these farmers actually want? What are their principal demands? What are the three Farm Bills and whom does they benefit? Where are the demands of poor peasantry and agricultural proletariat in this entire picture? Where do the urban working class of India figure in this scenario? As Plekhanov once said, living people think on living questions and these are some of the living questions of our times. As Marxists, we need to answer these questions in order to articulate a proletarian position on these issues
Our speaker is Abhinav Sinha (Editor, ‘Mazdoor Bigul‘, Writer ‘Red Polemique‘ Blog and Political Activist, Delhi, India) to speak on this topic.

Sun, Dec 27, 2020: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
CONFIRMED: The Three Concepts of Freedom

Synopsis: In this session we will compare and contrast the Liberal, Democratic, and the communist concepts of freedom. We will discuss that the Liberal freedom consists of the legal guarantees against outside intrusions. Democratic freedom emphasizes the right to participate in the life of the community, and the communist understanding of it consists of self-determination, i.e. non-alienated life.

Our speaker, Kambiz Sakhai, was born and educated in Iran. His studies included: Sociology, Middle Eastern Studies and Psychology. He has lived and worked in the San Francisco Bay Area for the past 30 years. He is one of the founders of ICSS. 

Moderator: Raj Sahai

Sun, Jan 3, 2021: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Open Planning Meeting
CONFIRMED: Group Discussion: 2020-2021 The Year in Review and Preview.
Time to get together, talk about what happened in 2020, and discuss our hopes, fears, and tasks for 2021. Everyone is welcome to participate in the discussion. Concrete proposals welcomed and will be  considered by the Program Committee.

Sun, Jan 10, 2021: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
CONFIRMED: Michael Roberts,  The Story of the Year of the COVID: But What Now for 2021?
2020 will go down in history – a worldwide pandemic from a previously unknown virus deadly to humans, killing millions or leaving them with permanent health problems; forcing lockdowns across the world that destroyed the world economy in the worst slump in the history of capitalism; and driving millions globally into poverty and loss of livelihood.  Where did all this come from?  Can capitalism come out of this unscarred?  With vaccines on the way is the crisis over?  What are the prospects for lives and livelihoods in 2021?

Raj Sahai is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Join the 12/27 Zoom Meeting

Sun Dec 27, 2020 10:15am – 1:15pm Pacific Time

Raj Sahai is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2591082607?pwd=TTdlcFlnZEVCdWt2VlRHeWZLeHNKQT09

Meeting ID: 259 108 2607

Passcode: 6MwQP7

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Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbXBRf3FyY

Join us for a voting General Meeting of East Bay DSA! We will debate and vote on resolutions and hear reports from projects and committees around the chapter. The agenda will be available shortly.

The meeting will be conducted via Zoom — please register and find the call-in info below!

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88197589947?pwd=eDJvajZYdUF1VlRxd1loRGI0QThBdz09

Meeting ID: 881 9758 9947
Passcode: 215458
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Green Party of Alameda County: Green Sunday presentation at 5 PM
(Followed by County Council business meeting at 6:30. All are welcome to attend)

Find Zoom info below.

Dr. Rasmus will review the condition of the US economy in 2020 and explain why last summer’s partial economic rebound has begun to relapse at year’s end. Why more economists now predict a further slowdown in early 2021. What’s happened to jobs, rents, household debt, wages, and income inequality trends over the past year. Why fiscal policy and bailouts–from the March ‘Cares Act’ to the recent ‘CashAct’–have proven insufficient for recovery. How and why Federal Reserve monetary policies have enriched the 1%, big corporations, investors who play into every best Bitcoin trading robot and even created record stock market values. What are some possible scenarios for America’s current ‘Triple Crisis’–economic, health, and political–in 2021 as the Great Recession 2.0 enters its second year.Dr. Jack Rasmus is the author of the recently published book, The Scourge of Neoliberalism: US Policy from Reagan to Trump, Clarity Press, January 1, 2020. He currently teaches economics at St. Marys College in Moraga, on the subjects of US economic policy, US political change, financial business cycles, history of economic thought, American Labor and unions, and US Economic History. He is a graduate of UC, Berkeley (BA Economics) and University of Toronto (MA, Ph.D Political Economy).

Dr. Rasmus is author of several prior books on the USA and global economy, including Alexander Hamilton and the Origins of the Fed, 2019; Central Bankers at the End of Their Ropes, 2017; Looting Greece: A New Financial Imperialism Emerges, 2016;  Systemic Fragility in the Global Economy, 2016; Epic Recession: Prelude to Global Depression, 2010; Obama’s Economy: Recovery for the Few, 2012; and The War At Home: The Corporate Offensive From Reagan to George W. Bush, 2006.
His stage plays include ‘1934’, ‘Fire on Pier 32’, and ‘Hold the Light’. He blogs regularly at Znet & Counterpunch (USA), Global Research (Canada), Telesur (Caracas), World Review of Political Economy (Beijing-London), and European Financial Review (London).
Prior to teaching and publishing, Dr. Rasmus was formerly an economist and strategic market analyst for various global tech & market research companies for twenty years. Before that, for more than a decade, he was a local union president, contract negotiator, strike coordinator, and organizer for various unions, including the National Writers Union/UAW Local 1981, CWA Locals 9455 & 9415, Hotel & Restaurant Local 19, and SEIU Local 715.Dr. Rasmus blogs at: https://jackrasmus.com/  His website is http://kyklosproductions.com & his twitter handle is @drjackrasmus. He hosts the weekly radio show, Alternative Visions, on the Progressive Radio Network (podcasts available at: http://alternativevisions.podbean.com).

Green Sundays are a series of free public programs & discussions on topics “du jour” sponsored by the Green Party of Alameda County and held on the 2nd Sunday of each month. The monthly business meeting of the County Council of the Green Party follows, at 6:30 pm. Council meetings are open to anyone who is interested.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82620271999?pwd=S3ZwUklteGI5YjJsMEtMSnJXRzU3UT09

Meeting ID: 826 2027 1999
Passcode: 2020

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PLANET PEOPLE PEACE
before profit!

We're hosting a press conference MONDAY MORNING at 10a! Did you know there's a COVID-19 outbreak in #SantaRitaJail? Hear from directly impacted folks, lawyers, & advocates who are collectively working to #FreeSRJ & #DefundTheSheriff to promote public health in the jail & county! pic.twitter.com/HD1NvPBqN2

— Decarcerate Alameda County (@decarcerateAC) January 10, 2021

Zoom link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/J/89351447947

Okland PD uses a “Bearcat” tank-like vehicle for pre-planned SWAT deployments, often to serve warrants; at the Oakland Coliseum and other public events; at Sideshows; and to respond to emergencies. OPD also uses an armored “Surburban” SUV, which is not military-looking or as large and can withstand gunfire. In 2018-2019, OPD deployed the Bearcat about twice a week on average, mostly in East Oakland and West Oakland, never in the hills. The Bearcat’s expected functional life span will be up in about 3-5 years. Some people propose not getting another vehicle like the Bearcat when its use expires.

After OPD killed Joshua Pawlik, who was awakening from sleep, in March 2018 using a Bearcat as a shooting platform, a federal judge ordered Oakland to adopt policies on armored vehicles and two other issues (including responses to armed unconscious persons), which have a deadline of next month. The Police Commission appointed an Ad Hoc Committee to develop the policies (including Anne Janks), and they drafted the first two, before turning to policy for armored vehicles, which the Commission approved last night. This Ad Hoc Committee will hear community input on January 11th from 6:15 to 7:15 pm. The full Police Commission will consider a draft policy on January 28, before turning it over to the City Council.

OPD’s SWAT (Tactical Operations) team deploys with the Bearcat as a package: assault rifles, body armor, helmets, chemical agents, flash bangs, “less lethal” shotguns. Young people have testified how traumatizing their experience of these SWAT raids were. Yet the decision to deploy the Bearcat is linked in OPD policy and practice to these SWAT raids, with unclear and wide criteria for when to deploy.

The Commission has created a web page about Bearcat and armored vehicle policy at:
https://www.oaklandca.gov/resources/ad-hoc-committee-on-militarized-equipment
That page also includes OPD’s draft of the armored vehicle policy, and email addresses for Oakland Police Commission members, to whom you can send written comments. This list-serve doesn’t accommodate attachments larger than 500kb, but I can send anyone a copy of the revision to the policy that we are working on.

The proposed Oakland ordinance on militarized equipment will also require a policy for armored vehicles, but that ordinance has not yet been adopted by the City Council. The ordinance will also require an impact statement and, if equipment is approved, regular reporting on it use.

With the pandemic and its multiple, intersecting crises, and the polling popularity of Medicare for All, our commitment to the movement is more important than ever. Come learn about our committee’s efforts, as well as local, state, and national initiatives around Medicare for All and single-payer healthcare. All are welcome!

Join January 11th Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81235048894?pwd=RDZHcnRDQ0FpV3ZndzdUenVJZ3JaZz09

Meeting ID: 812 3504 8894
Passcode: M4A

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Join January 27th Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81235048894?pwd=RDZHcnRDQ0FpV3ZndzdUenVJZ3JaZz09

Meeting ID: 812 3504 8894

Passcode: M4A

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OTU’s Mission

The Oakland Tenants Union is an organization of housing activists dedicated to protecting tenant rights and interests. OTU does this by working directly with tenants in their struggle with landlords, impacting legislation and public policy about housing, community education, and working with other organizations committed to furthering renters’ rights. The Oakland Tenants Union is open to anyone who shares our core values and who believes that tenants themselves have the primary responsibility to work on their own behalf.

Monthly Meetings

The Oakland Tenants Union meets regularly at 7:00 pm on the second Monday evening of each month. Our monthly meetings are held in the Community Room of the Madison Park Apartments, 100 – 9th Street (at Oak Street, across from the Lake Merritt BART Station). To enter, gently knock on the window of the room to the right of the main entrance to the building. At the meetings, first we focus on general issues affecting renters city-wide and then second we offer advice to renters regarding their individual concerns.

If you have an issue, a question, or need advice about a tenant/landlord issue, please call us at (510) 704-5276. Leave a message with your name and phone number and someone will get back to you.

We meet over Zoom. If you’d like to join us, and aren’t on our organizers’ list, drop us an email and we’ll send you an invitation.

If you would like to join the meeting early and get an introduction to the concepts of public banking, or more locally to who we are and what we do, please email us and we’ll see you online at 6:30.

Donate to keep us moving forward

The membership of DSA, the largest socialist organization in the United States, is rapidly growing by the thousands. Democratic Socialist politicians like Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, and Cori Bush are raising the expectations of millions of people across the United States and bringing them into a political awakening. Millions of working-class Americans are calling for Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, universal rent control, and more.

But what is democratic socialism? What does it mean to be a member of DSA? How do socialists look at the crises of police brutality, economic recession, and COVID-19? And what will be the best course of action when Biden takes office?

Let’s talk about it.

Join us to discuss what our political moment calls for, meet new people, and get plugged into our fight for democratic control of the things that we need for all of us to live a dignified life.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89896824119?pwd=WFV4REhQVXdYeVl6anJyaWJaZ2hxQT09

Meeting ID: 898 9682 4119

Passcode: housing

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Are you feeling angry by the continued killings of Black people by the police and vigilantes and want to do something about it? Come learn about SURJ Bay Area at a virtual introductory meeting and find out how SURJ moves white people to act for justice, with passion and accountability, as part of a multi-racial majority.
​
Hear about our current work and activities including SURJ’s pathways for engaging in the work such as Study & Action, committee work, upcoming workshops, and events. We’ll answer your questions and share how you can get involved in the movement for racial justice. ​

The California Policy and Political Education Working Group of the CA Poor People’s Campaign will host the first monthly meeting of the Jubilee Policy Platform Study Group. Here is the section we’re reading for the first meeting.

Being a document that the campaign is using to put forward a policy agenda that addresses the interlocking injustices we want to read and discuss what it means to our work on the state and local level.

For the first session, Lauren Hill and Abraham Entin will share facilitation. They are asking us to read the introduction and 1st section (pages 1-3).

If you want to join, please RSVP. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Just us for a virtual event with Mary Ziegler for her new book “Abortion and the Law in America: Roe v. Wade to the Present”. She’ll be in conversation with Mother Jones reproductive rights reporter Becca Andrews.

Hosts: San Francisco’s Booksmith independent bookstore and Mother Jones Magazine (SF)

Cost: FREE & open to the community. The event link will be sent to everyone who registers.

RSVP required: https://app.gopassage.com/events/mary-ziegler

To order “Abortion and the Law in America”, with free shipping throughout San Francisco and the East Bay, please go to: http://booksmith.com/book/9781108735599

______________________________________________________________

“Abortion and the Law in America: Roe v. Wade to the Present” by Mary Ziegler

With the Supreme Court likely to reverse Roe v. Wade, the landmark abortion decision, American debate appears fixated on clashing rights. The first comprehensive legal history of a vital period, Abortion and the Law in America illuminates an entirely different and unexpected shift in the terms of debate. Rather than simply championing rights, those on opposing sides battled about the policy costs and benefits of abortion and laws restricting it. This mostly unknown turn deepened polarization in ways many have missed.

Never abandoning their constitutional demands, pro-choice and pro-life advocates increasingly disagreed about the basic facts. Drawing on unexplored records and interviews with key participants, Ziegler complicates the view that the Supreme Court is responsible for the escalation of the conflict. A gripping account of social-movement divides and crucial legal strategies, this book delivers a definitive recent history of an issue that transforms American law and politics to this day.
______________________________________________________________

ABOUT: Mary Ziegler, author

Mary Ziegler is the Stearns Weaver Miller Professor at Florida State University College of Law. Pulitzer Prize winning historian David Garrow has called her “the premier historian of abortion in the post-Roe era.” She teaches and writes on the legal history of reproduction and constitutional law, family law, and sexuality. Her latest book is Abortion and the Law in America: Roe v. Wade to the Present (Cambridge University Press 2020). Her first book, After Roe: The Lost History of the Abortion Debate (Harvard, 2015), was the winner of the 2014 Harvard University Press Thomas J. Wilson Memorial Prize for best first manuscript in any discipline. She often serves as commentator in leading mass media outlets across the world, including The Atlantic, The BBC, the Boston Globe, CNN, the Guardian, MSNBC, NBC, The New York Times, NPR, PBS News Hour, Politico, the Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.

ABOUT: Becca Andrews, reporter for Mother Jones Magazine

Becca Andrews is a reporter at Mother Jones. A Southerner, she most often writes about the Southeast, gender, and culture. Before joining Mother Jones as an editorial fellow, she wrote for newspapers in Tennessee. Her work has also appeared in Slate, Marie Claire UK, and USA Today. Her first book, No Choice, on the dwindling access to abortion in the United States, is forthcoming from Hachette’s Public Affairs imprint.
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Join us next Thursday (Jan. 14) at 6PM for a special member meeting honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's radical legacy. Join for open discussion, virtual performance, and more!

To register: https://t.co/HNLwau81hT pic.twitter.com/L23mFbpKa3

— Ella Baker Center (@ellabakercenter) January 6, 2021

Green Eco-Socialist Network – 3 part series with David Cobb, Meleiza Figueroa, David Bond, Chey Bell!

Join us for a deep dive into Eco-Socialism, and learn how the capitalist status quo deprives us of our human rights and aspirations. The first presentation in this 3-part series is an introduction to Eco-Socialism vs. Capitalism including a discussion of what Eco-Socialism may mean to you.
The world we need and deserve is not only possible, it is an imperative. We and our children will not survive the status quo.

Event is FREE – advance registration required: https://rebrand.ly/GreenEcoSocialism.

Here’s the Facebook event page.

Event opens with Comedian Chey Bell !

The two following presentations in the series will build on the first event and will be held on Feb. 20th and April 10th, 2021. Presentations will focus on Eco-Socialist platforms and programs and institutions being built around the country to shift away from capitalist systems and into a just, sustainable future.

2020 showed us how corporate America tripled their riches while we scrambled to feed our families and keep a roof over our heads. It’s time to break up big corporations! The Green Party platform and our Green New Deal seek to build an alternative economic system based on ecology and decentralization of power. We believe private ownership of production and state ownership of production are not ecologically sound, socially just, or democratic and that both contain built-in structures that advance injustices. We seek democratic decision making in communities and workplaces in balance with nature. This decentralized system is knows as co-ops, communalism, or ecological socialism (eco-socialism).

Please join the Ecosocialist Network for this kick ass kick off with California Greens: Cooperation Humboldt co-founder David Cobb, 2016 press director for Stein/Baraka presidential campaign & UC Berkeley PhD candidate Meleiza Figueroa, and David Bond of Los Angeles who was Kenneth Mejia’s campaign manager.  Cobb is an attorney who was the 2004 Green Party candidate for U.S. President.
This is sure to be a riveting panel, with kick ass comedy, to boot, to kick off the series!