Calendar

9896
Jan
1
Fri
12th Annual Oscar Grant Vigil @ Fruitvale BART
Jan 1 @ 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm

The community host the 12th Annual Oscar Grant Vigil sponsored by the Oscar Grant Foundation!

68402
Jan
2
Sat
Mutual Aid Dropoffs @ Omni Commons
Jan 2 @ 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Jan
3
Sun
Mutual Aid Dropoffs @ Omni Commons
Jan 3 @ 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Sunday Morning at the Marxist Library @ Online
Jan 3 @ 10:30 am – 12:30 pm

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

One tap mobile

+16699006833,,2591082607#,,,,,,0#,,396538# US (San Jose)

+13462487799,,2591082607#,,,,,,0#,,396538# US (Houston)

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

68424
Jan
4
Mon
Drop The Charges Against Assange & Snowden: Free Them NOW! @ British Consulate
Jan 4 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

 

1-4-21_event2.jpeg Free Julian Assange NOW! Drop The Charges Against Assange & Snowden

Now is the time to stand up for the freedom of journalist Julian Assange and whistleblower Edward Snowden. The trial decision will be read at the UK court hearing on January 1, 2020 at 12 noon and we will be rallying in San Francisco at the British consulate to demand that he be immediately freed.

He is a journalist who is in jail for exposing the crimes of US, British imperialism and the multi-nationals that run the world. WikiLeaks has taken the mask off the real criminals and terrorists running the US government.

We demand that all charges be dropped against him and Edward Snowden who is also faced with being arrested for being a whistleblower against the crimes of the US war machine.

This action was initiated by
The Bay Action Committee To Free Julian Assange.
It is endorsed by
United Front Committee For A Labor Party.
To endorse or speak contact
info(at)BayAction2FreeAssange.org

68433
CDP Fishbowl: Do we need the state? @ ONLINE, VIA 'ZOOM'
Jan 4 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Zoom link

What is the state?
Do we need it?
Why or why not?
Let’s hear from CDP members, supporters, and naysayers!

Fishbowl Rules:
The Middle: Only 2-4 people may have their microphones on at a time.

Tapping In: To tap in, let us know in the chat and the facilitator will put you in the stack.

Tapping Out: If you’ve been in the fishbowl for a long time and you see that someone is trying to tap-in, feel free to say “I’m tapping out.” Mute yourself to officially leave the middle. That will let the facilitator know that they can tap someone in.

Topics: The facilitator will have questions prepared in case participants run out of things to say but please feel free to come with your OWN questions and ideas about how to overcome spectator politics! This is a participatory event!

If you need closed captioning, please let us know by emailing communitydemocracyproject@gmail.com and we will try our HARDEST to make it happen!

68427
Oscar Grant Committee Meeting @ Zoom Meeting
Jan 4 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Because of the COVID pandemic we will be meeting virtually via Zoom on the first Monday of the month.

Meeting ID: 828 0976 4186

If you wish to get the password please subscribe to the Oscar Grant Committee mailing list by sending an email to:

The Oscar Grant Committee Against Police Brutality & State Repression (OGC) is a grassroots democratic organization that was formed as a conscious united front for justice against police brutality. The OGC is involved in the struggle for police accountability and is committed to stopping police brutality.

In alliance with the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) we organized the October 23, 2010 labor and community rally for Justice for Oscar Grant. On that day the ILWU shut down the Bay Area ports in solidarity. Our mission is to educate, organize and mobilize people against police and state repression. Sisters and brothers! The Oscar Grant Committee invites you to join us in this vital struggle.

We meet on the 1st Monday of each month
You can join our discussion list by sending a blank (doesn’t even need a subject) email to

oscargrantcommittee-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

63650
Jan
5
Tue
Public Bank of the East Bay @ ONLINE, VIA 'ZOOM'
Jan 5 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

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

It is the mission of Public Bank East Bay to provide community oversight and stewardship in the formation and functioning of the Public Bank of the East Bay to base its decisions on the values of:

Equity

PBEB is committed to a public bank which acknowledges and attempts restitution of the  historical burdens carried by disenfranchised communities, including  communities of color and many other marginalized groups.

Social Responsibility

Decisions regarding who gets loans, what projects get invested in, and who benefits should take into account investing our money into the wealth and health of local communities and the environment.

Accountability

The bank is accountable to the  residents of the East Bay, who have a right to fully transparent explanations of  the Bank’s actions and choices.

Democracy

The bank will be governed using  democratic processes which consciously and intentionally adhere to the values/principles listed above.

JOIN A WORKING GROUP!

We have five committees working together to create a Public Bank in the East Bay:

  • Advocacy builds relationships with community groups and city governments.

  • Communications assists other committees with content creation and promotion.

  • Fundraising develops our organization’s budget and raises funds for our business plan.

  • Membership brings on new members and volunteers and organizes educational events.

  • Governance is responsible for operations and the execution of PBEB’s business plan.

Email us with your interests and we’ll help you find a way to get plugged in!

JOIN THE ALLIANCE

The California Public Banking Alliance (CPBA) is an organization of 12 member regions, not of individuals. You can join the CPBA mailing list (link at the Alliance website) to receive updates on state and sometimes national progress, which we will also include on this site.

68142
Jan
6
Wed
Kiss the Ground Screening and Panel Discussion: Learn about Regenerative Agriculture and Climate Policy @ Online
Jan 6 @ 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm

Join us for a screening of the Kiss the Ground film and a follow-up Q&A panel discussion hosted by Citizens Climate Lobby, Business Climate Leaders, and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers for Environmental Action.

The cure to climate change has been here this whole time, and it’s right under our feet. Kiss the Ground is a full-length feature documentary that focuses on regenerative agriculture and soil health as a leading solution to the climate crisis.

We will be discussing the ways that our relationship to food and farming directly impacts the planet as a whole. When we’re farming right, we can regenerate our soil, build community, strengthen local economies, promote biodiversity, restore ecosystems, fight climate change, and heal our bodies.

Thanks for coming together to watch this film and participate in this engaging discussion, highlighting the intersection of agricultural policy impacts on farming and climate action.  And thanks for being on this path to regeneration with us!

Run of Show:

Jan 2-6 at your leisure: Watch the feature-length film on Vimeo at your leisure

Jan 6 – 3:30 pm PST: Come together to watch the educational cut of the film with us on Zoom followed by a panel discussion and Q&A starting at 4:15 pm PST

68447
Jan
7
Thu
Oakland Privacy Advisory Commission @ ONLINE, VIA 'ZOOM'
Jan 7 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Relevant Agenda:

4. Fair Payment Ordinance  Hofer, Patterson, Gage, Tomlinson  introductory review of proposed ordinance requiring that businesses accept cash as one form of payment. No action will be taken on this item at this meeting.

5. Surveillance Equipment Ordinance  Katz, Hofer  how to ensure transmission of Privacy Advisory Commission recommendations to City Council  discuss and take possible action.

6. Surveillance Equipment Ordinance  Hofer  Work Flow and Priority List updates.

7. Surveillance Equipment Ordinance – OPD  Automated License Plate Reader impact report and proposed use policy  review and take possible action.

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85817209915
Or iPhone one-tap:
US: +16699009128, 85817209915# or +13462487799, 85817209915#
Or Telephone:
Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 669 900 9128 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799
Webinar ID: 858 1720 9915
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kDUn0z2rP

68448
Jan
9
Sat
California Public Banking Alliance (CPBA) – Webinar @ ONLINE, VIA 'ZOOM'
Jan 9 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Register here

Public Banking is on the move in California and across the country! Last year, California passed a groundbreaking law that allows for the creation of up to 10 local/regional banks, and there is a growing effort here to create the first statewide public bank in over 100 years. In addition, US Representatives Rashida Tlaib (MI) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY) have introduced the Federal Public Banking Act, which would foster the creation of public banks across the country by establishing national guidelines and ways to finance them.

The California Public Banking Alliance is convening two conversations with national experts to explore the role public banking can play in winning economic and ecological justice.

Panel 1 – 10am to 11am: Putting People and Planet Before Profit. Featuring Emily Kawano and Mike Strode of the US Solidarity Economy Network. Moderated by David Cobb with CPBA and Cooperation Humboldt.

Panel 2 – 11:15am to 12:15pm: Public Banks, Fossil Fuel Divestment and Community Reinvestment. Featuring Reina Tello of People Organizing to Demand Environmental and Economic Rights (PODER) and Sylvia Chi of Asia Pacific Economic Network (APEN). Moderated by Doug Norlen with CPBA and Friends of the Earth.

68430
Saturday Virtual Dialogues: Creating a Call-in Culture @ Online
Jan 9 @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm

This space is to support the difficult emotional work of dismantling white supremacy within ourselves and our communities in order to fortify our hearts, minds, and bodies to continue to show up for racial justice.

We will provide opportunities to explore internal barriers that are holding us back from living out our desire to work for racial justice and practice how to deeply listen to each other to create a culture that supports calling people into the movement from a place of love.

We utilize large group and small group dialogues that are grounded in theories of social change and anti-racist white identity development. We see this space as open to any white person who is interested in honest conversation, reflection, and confrontation with race, racism, and white privilege. This space is intended to be a support to help people to build resilience in order to move into a more active role in dismantling white supremacy.

This session, part of our series exploring Calling In VS. Calling Out, focuses on the difference between calling in and calling out; what calling in looks like; and when and why to use this skill.

More info and register here: https://www.surjbayarea.org/events/saturday-dialogues-creating-a-call-in-culture9918536

Part II on January 23rd Facebook Event page

68445
Rally For United Front Against Fascist Movement & For Labor Party @ Federal Bldg
Jan 9 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

UFCLP Statement on the Storming of the Congress: Don’t be Shocked, Organize! Workers’ United Front against Fascism!

https://foramasslaborparty.wordpress.com/2021/01/06/ufclp-statement-on-the-storming-of-the-congress-dont-be-shocked-organize-workers-united-front-against-fascism/?fbclid=IwAR0CwekQPkusgb_otfOVoKNbf3ucUgCc4y3pSTynN_Ucj47h6lWwIDmR_fA

Fascists marching with a Dixie flag into the Capitol, Washington DC
Fascist Trump supporters demanded that Trump be declared president again, even though he lost the popular vote. An all-white regiment of men armed to their teeth marched into DC and stormed Congress to stage an outright coup. The photos taken from the scene of the crime speak volumes. The aggressors meant business; they were carrying automatic guns, ropes and handcuffs to take hostages, and Dixie flags with “Trump is President” inscriptions. There are also photos of the police opening the gate and encircling the gunmen to protect them against… arrests by other policemen!

Within a few hours of the siege on Congress, right-wing paramilitary gangs in other states such as Oregon and Kansas took it to the streets. There is no way that the FBI and other security agencies were oblivious to plans of violence by the Facists on a mass scale. They allowed it to happen nonetheless. There is no question that Black Lives Matter protesters, leftists, workers, or people of color organizations would have been shot dead for much less havoc! Events in both DC and around the country point to a synchronized, tightly-knit organization by the fascists, in tandem with the police.

None of this should be a surprise to anyone. The pandemic combined with Trump’s racist rhetoric and policies has untethered the vile racism that has existed in this country since its inception. The US is based on both the genocide of the indigenous population and upon slavery. Capitalist politics has pit one ethnic group against the other for years, driving down the wages of all workers. US imperialism has uprooted workers internationally, especially from Latin America, and forced them to migrate to the states. This has added fuel to the fire for these racist thugs. Trump speaks hatefully about the oppressed while his actions continue to widen racial divisions within the working class. These tensions can only result in racist violence. We should not have been surprised. In fact many of us, especially revolutionaries, have predicted this for years.

For the last few months, the UFCLP has warned against the violence unleashed both by the police and by the paramilitary gangs against protesters who demand justice for the victims of police terror. We called attention to the increasingly organized nature of the so-called “counter-protests” called for by white supremacists. We demanded that the Left and the organized working class form United Fronts and Public Safety Committees. When the Republicans seemed to be retreating in the face of the slim Democrat victory, we pointed out that this concession was a tactic to buy time and whip up support. Our warnings didn’t come out of the blue but from careful observation of Trump’s tactics and actions. Throughout the summer, Trump did everything in his power to put down the anti-racist popular revolt and steal the election. He deposed the Commander of the Armed Forces when the latter refused to deploy troops against the people in revolt. Trump’s threats to overturn the election and stay in power no matter what the results dictated were commonplace. Today, we are witnessing their culmination! This is not the ordinary racist “mob” that this country is unfortunately used to. This is an organized fascist attack.

The trade union leadership has been missing in action, allowing the capitalist politicians, both Democrat and Republican, to follow the lead of their bosses, permitting Trump to become leader of the “free” world. Trump did not just appear from thin air. The ground has been laid for him for more than four decades. By the 1970s working class people began to take a hit: outsourcing became the lynchpin of capitalist development, privatization of public services held sway, and many workers were barely able to hold on to their jobs. At the same time, the Southern Strategy was employed, pitting white working class people against workers of color. The union leadership took no stand against the cuts. In fact, when air traffic controllers went on strike in 1981, the workers were left high and dry by the bureaucrats who refused to call for a general strike to support them. Capitulations like this eventually threw white workers into the clutches of a demagogue like Trump. Nonetheless, the trade union so-called leaders have been supporting Democrats who have time and again demonstrated that are as anti-worker as the Republicans. We are still asked to put our faith in the police who are the same goons that shoot Black people daily. The chickens are now coming home to roost! THIS OUTBURST WAS INEVITABLE!

We shouldn’t harbor any illusions that the Democrats will come to our rescue, for they are unwilling to fight even for their democratically won election. Today’s events proved irrefutably that relying on the forces of “law and order” to uphold their own rules is a deadly mistake. In fact, the mayor of Portland has now said he is gunning for Antifa instead of the Proud Boys who created the crisis in Portland in the first place. Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, went on national TV to announce that he will no longer tolerate dissent and therefore will be going after Antifa. One can expect this kind of rhetoric more and more from public figures. We have seen this all before. Capitalism has already plunged the world into two world wars and countless others killing untold millions. The capitalists and their politician servants are criminals against humanity.

This kind of carnage will continue if we let it, impacting people of color the worst. This country is in deep crisis because capitalism is gasping for breath in its death throes. Unless there is a working class movement to cohere a coordinated challenge against this capitalist assault, repression against people who are fighting for their legitimate rights will go on. The police will come down harder on people of color for any perceived transgressions.

We need to build a political party based on working class self-activity, and eventually, we need a society that is built and controlled by workers. The only way we will survive the devastation of wars foisted on working class people globally is to change society from one based on profits to one based on human cooperation.That means building a socialist society. As a first step, we need to form a labor party independent of capitalist politicians that will guide the working class to fight for their rights and the rights of all oppressed people.

This incident at the Capitol will be the first of many. We have to decide as workers how to stand tall and firm against fascists to defend and expand our democratic conquests, and how we can eventually rid the world of capitalism.

Forward for Workers’ United Front against Fascism! Forward for a Workers’ Party! Down with the Fascists! General Strike to defend and expand our democratic conquests! Millions of fellow workers, to the streets on the 20th!

United Front Committee for Labor Party, UFCLP

January 6th, 2021

committeeforlaborparty(at)gmail.com

68453
Book Talk: Women and the Legacy of Imperialism in the Pacific @ Online
Jan 9 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

At the southern end of the Japanese archipelago lies Okinawa, host to a vast complex of U.S. military bases. A legacy of World War II, these bases have been a fraught issue for decades—with tensions exacerbated by the often volatile relationship between islanders and the military, especially after the brutal rape of a 12-year-old girl by three servicemen in 1995. In Night in the American Village, Akemi Johnson takes readers deep into the “border towns” surrounding the bases—a world where cultural and political fault lines compel individuals, both Japanese and American, to continually renegotiate their own identities.

Joining Akemi in conversation is author of Green Island and former Fulbright scholar, Shawna Yang Ryan. In a story that sweeps across six decades and two continents, Green Island traces the course of Taiwan’s history, from the end of Japanese colonial rule, to the decades under martial law, and finally to Taiwan’s transformation into a democracy. This lush, lyrical novel depicts a family and a nation grappling with the nuances of complicity and survival, raising the question: How far would you be willing to go for the ones you love?

RSVP to receive the Zoom link to participate in the live Q&A! The event will also be streamed via YouTube Live.

68434
Strike Debt Bay Area Book Group: The Complexity Blog Symposium @ ONLINE, VIA 'ZOOM'
Jan 9 @ 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm

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 EconomicsLimitsBanking on the PeopleCapital and Its Discontents, How to Be an Anti-Capitalist in the 21st Century, The Deficit Myth, and Revenge Capitalism.

Join us – all are welcome!

68413
Jan
10
Sun
Sunday Morning at the Marxist Library @ Online
Jan 10 @ 10:30 am – 12:30 pm

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

One tap mobile

+16699006833,,2591082607#,,,,,,0#,,396538# US (San Jose)

+13462487799,,2591082607#,,,,,,0#,,396538# US (Houston)

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

68424
DSA General Meeting @ ONLINE, VIA 'ZOOM'
Jan 10 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

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
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,88197589947#,,,,,,0#,,215458# US (San Jose)
+13462487799,,88197589947#,,,,,,0#,,215458# US (Houston)

68429
Green Sunday: The USA’s 2nd Great Recession–What Lies Ahead in 2021, with Dr. Jack Rasmus @ Online
Jan 10 @ 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm

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

One tap mobile
+16699009128,,82620271999#,,,,,,0#,,2020# US (San Jose)
+13462487799,,82620271999#,,,,,,0#,,2020# US (Houston)

Dial by your location
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Meeting ID: 826 2027 1999
Passcode: 2020
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kgrlxBN1m

PLANET PEOPLE PEACE
before profit!
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Jan
11
Mon
Decarcerate Alameda County Covid-19 Press Conference @ ONLINE
Jan 11 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am

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Community Comment: OPD’s Armored Vehicle Policy @ Online
Jan 11 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

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.

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