Issue #128, November 13 – December 10, 2008 the indypendent A FREE PAPER FOR FREE PEOPLE SPARE CHANGE? Post-election coverage starts page 6

Illustration by Rusty Zimmerman

The Cost of the macktivist, surviving in p15 The Gaza STRIP Deconstructing p12 Bloomberg p4

nyc.indymedia.org • indypendent.org • us.indymedia.org community calendar nov–dec The next open editorial meetings for The loved ones lost at the hands of the police Indypendent are Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 7pm. is acknowledged in contrast to the 4 W 43rd St, Room 311. All are welcome. demonization by the powers-that-be. Please send event announcements to The Gallery of John H. Holmes Com- [email protected] munity House of the Community Church of New York, 28 E 35th St (btwn Park & MON NOV 17 Madison Aves) 7:30-9:30pm • $5 Donation [email protected] DISCUSSION: “IS CAPITALISM The Indypendent COMING APART? ELECTION SEASON 11am -3pm • FREE P.O. Box 1417 TUMULT AND OPPORTUNITIES” EVENT: SINGLE-PAYER TEACH-IN New York, NY 10276 Can the world financial crisis be solved Join a NYC-wide teach-in on high profile by electing the right people? Join the strategies to build a united front of Phone: 212-221-0521 Freedom Socialist Party in discussing the sustained political action that creates a Fax: 646-478-9787 presidential election results in the con- national single-payer healthcare system General Inquiries: text of the history of vote suppression. in the U.S. [email protected] Freedom Hall, 113 W 128th St (btwn 212-865-6027 • phimg.org Reader Comments: Malcolm X/Lenox & 7th Aves) [email protected] 212-222-0633 • [email protected] TUE NOV 25-WED NOV 26 Subscribe or Donate Online: 4pm (Rally)-7am (Sleep-out) • FREE indypendent.org wed NOV 19 EVENT: SLEEP-OUT PROTEST Editors: 7pm • Donations appreciated Two days before Thanksgiving, [email protected] READING/DISCUSSION: “SEX IN Picture the Homeless will be holding Advertising and promotion: CRISIS: HOW THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT IS a sleep-out protest on the streets Arun Gupta: [email protected] TRYING TO RUIN SEX FOR EVERYONE” of Harlem. The message to send to Outreach: Author Dagmar Herzog will read from his elected officials is clear: Housing is Amy Wolf: [email protected] new book, Sex in Crisis: The New Sexual a human right, every day and every Volunteer Coordinator: Revolution and the Future of American night! Jessica Lee: [email protected] Politics, and holding a discussion about it Harlem State Office Building, 163 W Submissions: [email protected] afterwards. 125th St (at Adam Clayton Powell Blvd) Revolution Books, 146 W 26th St (btwn 646-314-6423 • sam@picturethehome- News Coordinators: John Tarleton, Jessica Lee 6th & 7th Aves) less.org Culture Coordinator: 212-691-3345 • revolutionbooksnyc.org Irina Ivanova WED DEC 3 Nov. 27: Illustrations Coordinator: SAT NOV 22 7:30 • FREE National Day of Mourning: People from around the Northeast will gather on Cole’s Frank Reynoso 7pm • $30 BOOK PARTY/FORUM: “The Radical Hill in Plymouth, Mass. at noon on Thursday, Nov. 27 to mark the 39th annual “Day of Designers: PERFORMANCE: “EXIT CUCKOO” Jack London: Writings on War Mourning,” i.e., Thanksgiving. A New York bus will leave in the morning and return later Ryan Dunsmuir, Anna Gold Lisa Ramirez is the star of this autobio- and Revolution” that night. For more information, call the International Action Center at 212-633-6646. graphical one-woman play chronicling Author Jonah Raskin discusses ABOVE: A statue of Chief Massasoit overlooks Plymouth. Massasoit was the Wampa- IndyKids: [email protected] her experiences as a Manhattan nanny. the authentic Jack London, noag Indian chief who welcomed the Pilgrims in 1621. Photo: DIKIMAGES.COM IndyVideo: [email protected] All proceeds from this performance will writer-adventurer-ardent socialist. go to Domestic Workers United. Reser- Brecht Forum, 451 West Ave. The Indypendent is a New York-based free news- vations are required, and there will be a brechtforum.org SAT DEC 6 Call upon New York City councilmembers paper published 17 times a year on Fridays. Since party following the performance. 10am-4pm • FREE and local elected officials to take a stand 2000, more than 600 citizen journalists, artists Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington FRI DEC 5 RECYCLE: COMPUTERS AND in support of labor standards for New and media activists have contributed their time Sq S (btwn Thompson & Sullivan) 8pm • $10/$6 kids ELECTRONICS. York’s 200,000 domestic workers. This and energy to this project. Winner of dozens of 718-220-7391 x23 • exitcuckoo4dwu@ PERFORMANCE: FRICTION FARM Drop off your old television sets, printers, critical workforce supports New York New York Independent Press Association awards, gmail.com AND BEV GRANT & THE DISSIDENT laptops, radios, cell phones, disks, wires families as caregivers and housekeep- The Indypendent is dedicated to empowering DAUGHTERS and computers. Sponsored by the Lower ers, yet works without a safety net, living people to create a true alternative to the corpo- 4:30pm • FREE Bev Grant & the Dissident Daughters East Side Ecology Center. wages or basic labor standards. rate press by encouraging citizens to produce their EVENT: STOLEN LIVES INDUCTION offer an eclectic mix of songs of social PS 321, 7th Ave (btwn 1st & 2nd St) • City Hall, 260 Broadway (at Park Place) own media. The Indypendent is funded by sub- CEREMONY justice with a distinct woman’s point of lesecologycenter.org 718-220-7391 x23 or x11 • domestic- scriptions, donations, grants, merchandise sales, The Stolen Lives Induction Ceremony view. Friction Farm are folk musicians [email protected] benefits and advertising from organizations with formally inducts victims of police killings who find inspiration in the ordinary. SUN DEC 7 similar missions. Volunteers write and edit arti- into the roster of the Stolen Lives Project. Good Coffehouse Music Parlor, 11am-1pm • FREE Next Issue: December 11. cles, take photographs, do design work and illus- It brings together family members to 53 Prospect Park West, Bklyn EVENT: CHILDREN’S VIGIL FOR THE HU- trations, help distribute papers, update the web- a space in which the humanity of their 718-768-2972 • gchmusic.org MAN RIGHTS OF DOMESTIC WORKERS site and more! The Indypendent reserves the right to edit articles for length, content and clarity.

The Indypendent is the newspaper project of the reader comments New York City Independent Media Center, which is affiliated with the global Indymedia movement JUST LIKE US does not represent us, not one WAR OF WORDS CORRECTION: Due to an edi- (indymedia.org), an international network that is Responses to “Dreams from that loses. More choices give us Response to “‘Obscene Monu­ tor’s error, the New York City Eco- dedicated to fostering grassroots media produc- My Mother,”Oct. 27: more of a chance to be represent- ment to War’ Returns to NYC,” nomic Development Corporation tion. NYC IMC sponsors three other projects, ed in the selection. Oct. 27: was misidentified as the Empire the children’s newspaper IndyKids, the IndyVideo I can only imagine little kids —puccolo State Development Corporation news team and the NYC IMC open publishing reading their history books and I find it to be shabby journalism in an article (“City Carves Up website (nyc.indymedia.org). NYC IMC relies on seeing one line, Barack Husssin NO DIRECTION HOME when Mr. Stoner did not even E. 125th St. for Developers”) that volunteer participation and is open to anyone who Obama, first African-American Response to “Galveston Pushes seek comment from the Intrepid appeared in the October 24 is- is interested. president. I hope his autobiog- Gentrification by Hurricane,” Museum leadership when writ- sue of The Indypendent. raphy is required reading. Oct. 27: ing such a one-sided, bullshit Volunteer CONTRIBUTORS: —F.E. Duncan piece on 12 people protesting Daniella Adams, Sam Alcoff, Chris Anderson, I feel like it is wrong to keep a the return of the Intrepid. Steven Arnerich, Eleanor Bader, Lindsay Ballant, Good to know that Obama is man away from his home when —Bill White, President of Gino Barzizza, Charlie Bass, Bennett J. Baumer, human like everyone else. Guess all he wants to do is check on the Intrepid Foundation MK Britton, Mike Burke, José Carmona, Chris Cascarano, Louis Joe Comeau IV, Kenneth that means he’s not gonna change things and make sure his place Crab, Ellen Davidson, Renee Feltz, Seth Fisher, anything either. Things never is still secure. If the city would Author’s Reply: THE INDYPENDENT Lynne Foster, Leo Garcia, Max Garcia, Aman change from above and hopefully have allowed its residents back I wonder if Mr. White would Gill, Shira Golding, Samantha Gorelick, Mary people will learn that Obama is in right away, many items could call every single other article writ- Heglar, John Isaacson, Alex Kane, Ruth Kelton, the perfect example of that. have been washed and salvaged, ten about the Intrepid “shabby Jesse Kuhn, Judith Lantigua, Paul Leddy, Jamie —jared houses could have been opened journalism” because none men- Lehane, Jennifer Lew, Thomas Marczewski, up to air out and begin drying tioned the other side of the story Gary Martin, Rebecca Migdal, Ari Moore, Nik MORE CHOICES, PLEASE instead of containing the quick- — that there were protesters there, Moore, Alex Nathanson, Ana Nogueira, Jaisal Response to “Third Party—An growing mold. Damage would and that there are folks upset Noor, Donald Paneth, Nicholas Powers, Katrin Alternative Vote,” Oct. 27: have been done just the same, about the ahistorical (and pro-war) Redfern, Aaron Reiner, Jacob Scheier, Ann but there would have been much nature of the museum’s exhibits. Schneider, Sarah Secunda, Jonathan Shannon, Thank you for presenting the more salvaged. My guess is that he would not. Doug Smith, Juell Stewart, Xavier Tayo, Erin “other” choices. A “wasted vote” —J.P. Smith, Galveston, Tx. —Eric Stoner Thompson, Dana Vindigni, Eric Volpe, Steven is one cast to a representative that Wishnia and Rusty Zimmerman. 2 N ovember 13 – D ecember 10, 2008 local The Fight for “Real Rent Reform” Begins Democrats Win Majority in State Senate — Will It Clear the Way for Pro-Tenant Bills?

By Kenny Schaeffer recapturing the senate. The Tenants Po- counted, he led City Councilmember James be crumbling. Monserrate endorsed Smith litical Action Committee, labor unions, the Gennaro by less than 750 votes. on Nov. 8. And party-switching could be po- fter nearly 50 years of Republican con- National Abortion Rights Action League, Democratic plans were temporarily disrupt- litically dangerous: Olga Mendez joined the trol of the New York State Senate, Dem- Citizens’ Union, Planned Parenthood and ed when a group of four senators — Carl Kru- GOP in 2002 after 24 years in the Senate as a Aocrats and the Working Families Party the League of Conservation Voters blan- ger of Brooklyn, Pedro Espada Jr. and Ruben Democrat, but lost her re-election bid in 2004 unseated two long-term incumbents to gain a keted the district with volunteers. Diaz Sr. of the Bronx and the newly elected as a Republican. (Mendez, who represented the 32-30 majority on Nov. 4. This should pave the In Suffolk County, Brookhaven Town Su- Hiram Monserrate of Queens — threatened East Harlem/South Bronx district, claimed that way for long-overdue legislation to address New pervisor Brian Foley won a 17-point victory not to back fellow Democrat Malcolm Smith Democrats hadn’t done enough for Latinos and York City’s housing crisis that tenants’ groups over 36-year Republican incumbent Caesar of Queens for the post of new majority leader that she would have more clout as a member of have been working on for years. Trunzo, the assistant majority leader. in January. the majority. But when she got a bill to raise the At separate election-night victory parties In other key races, Democrats Craig Some observers suspect that Espada has minimum wage through the senate, Pataki ve- at a downtown bar and the Sheraton Hotel, Johnson in Nassau County and Darrell taken contributions from the Rent Stabiliza- toed it.) WFP Director Danny Cantor and Deputy Aubertine of the Oswego-Watertown area tion Association (RSA) a landlord lobbying The long-anticipated elevation of Malcolm Director Bill Lipton both declared that the upstate, who both narrowly won their seats group that has been openly offering large Smith to majority leader will not make prog- first fight under the new regime in Albany ress on housing issues automatic. Smith has “will be over rent regulation.” sent mixed messages about his intentions. He The top priority for the tenant movement has stated his support for repeal of vacancy and affordable-housing advocates is a package decontrol and other measures, but declined of bills called the “Real Rent Reform” agenda. an invitation when Met Council and other These include repealing vacancy decontrol for tenant-rights advocates traveled to Albany the city’s one million rent-stabilized apartments; last May to witness the passage of pro-tenant extending protections to the tens of thousands of bills by the Assembly. Soon afterward, RSA tenants whose apartments have been taken out head Joseph Strasburg told the New York of the Mitchell-Lama and Section 8 programs; Observer that Smith was “attempting to be reforming the New York City Rent Guidelines the voice of reason” to avoid jeopardizing Board; and restoring the city’s home rule over contributions from real-estate interests. rent laws by repealing the 1971 Urstadt Law. On Nov. 7, Smith announced that he had Another goal will be restoring rent controls to chosen Angelo Aponte to head his transi- units that have been deregulated. tion team and possibly become his chief of Tenants have long awaited an end to the Third Man in the Room?: Tenant groups have high hopes as the Democrats and Malcom staff. As state housing commissioner under Republican control of the senate. Under for- Smith (D-Queens, left) look to take charge of the New York State Senate in January. However, former Gov. Mario Cuomo, Aponte was no mer Gov. George Pataki and Majority Leader friend to tenants, stating that he did not be- a breakaway faction of Democratic state senators — including Ruben Diaz Sr. (center) of Joseph Bruno (who retired last June amid a lieve in rent regulations. the Bronx and Carl Kruger (righ t) of Brooklyn — are threatening to ally themselves with the federal corruption probe), the state signifi- All of this means that the end of Repub- ­Republicans. PHOTOS: NYSENATE.COM cantly weakened rent and eviction protections lican control of the state senate is only the in 1997 and in 2003. The Assembly passed beginning. But with the Working Families several bills related to the Real Rent Reform in special elections, were re-elected for full contributions to any politician who would ac- Party and other allies, such as the unions agenda in May, but Bruno blocked them. terms. Incumbents Andrea-Stewart Cous- cept them. But this is not possible to verify participating in the Real Rent Reform and The Democrats took the Senate for the ins of Yonkers, Suzi Oppenheimer of West- as Espada has not filed required campaign Housing Here and Now coalitions, the pros- first time since 1965 by winning seats on chester, and Toby Ann Stavisky of Queens contribution reports and is being sued by the pects for stronger rent and eviction protec- Long Island and in Queens. In the 15th Dis- also defeated Republican challengers well Board of Elections to do so. tions are definitely brighter. trict (Glendale-Middle Village), pro-tenant financed with real-estate money. But the Monserrate, on the other hand, has long been City Councilmember Joe Addabbo Jr. won other Queens Republican targeted by tenant close to the Working Families Party and claimed This article originally appeared in Ten- 57 percent of the vote to defeat nine-term groups, Frank Padavan of the 11th District to be acting only to increase the representation ant/Inquilino, the newspaper of the Met­ incumbent Serphin Maltese. This race was (Bayside-Queens Village), appeared to have of Latinos in leadership positions. ropolitan Council on Housing, www.met­ the top priority for many concerned with held his seat. With absentee ballots not yet At press time, the mini-revolt seemed to council.net.

Gay & Straight Against Prop 8 THE INDYPENDENT N ovember 13 – D ecember 10, 2008 3 Thousands of supporters of gay marriage demonstrated outside the Mormon Temple at 65th St. and Columbus Ave. on Nov. 12. The Mormon Church poured tens of mil- lions of dollars into the campaign to pass California’s Proposition 8, which formally banned gays from being able to marry in the nation’s largest state.

photo: ALEX NATHANSON local From the White House to Your House Change Needed in New York City Interviews by Jaisal Noor

he Indypendent’s Jaisal Noor sat gentrification of these neighborhoods. the corporate elite realized that they were down with two veteran progressive At this juncture, the bought-off politicians not only losing social control, they were los- JN: One of the most important points in Tjournalists to discuss the impact of in Harlem and in other neighborhoods in the ing political control. So you had then the your piece three years ago was your criti- New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s city don’t have a sugar-daddy anymore. They beginning of a whole process to try to re- cism of the progressive movement. You plan to run for a third term, what might be are exposed. If Bloomberg is elected to a third claim the cities. wrote how it is divided on ethnic and class expected from the administration of Presi- term he has the wealth to fill this void, which Gradually, political leaders reached a lines, and there is a disconnect between the dent-elect Barack Obama and the role of makes it even more crucial to defeat him. conclusion that there were other ways to middle-class progressive movement and community-based, grassroots organizing. spatially de-concentrate or gentrify the cit- the realities of urban America. Where do JN: Now we even have more to lose, be- ies through the use of land policies and tax you think the movement stands today? cause it is taxpayer money that’s going to policies. So tax policies were adopted that invested in these gentrification projects. in essence gave preferences to developers JG: I think the progressive movement is still that built certain types of housing. much more interested in international af- GF: In fact what has occurred is that the investment banks have stuck their trunks JN: What would be the consequenc- into the wealth of the country in order to es of a third term for the Bloomberg resurrect themselves after this great deba- administration? cle. They can no longer fulfill the mission that has historically been assigned to them JG: Bloomberg has engineered what I call a ... which is to decide which sectors of the velvet coup in New York City politics. He economy, which neighborhoods of the city has, in essence, increasingly reduced the will be developed — which populations will powers of other elected officials and of city stay and which ones will leave. government in general and replaced it with All of those were private decisions often administrative or executive power which facilitated by corporate influence in govern- is concentrated in the hands of the mayor, ment, but not based upon what the needs especially when it comes to what to me is of the people in the city are. It’s time for the most important issue in any city — in activists to rise up and demand a people’s modern times — land policy. Glen Ford plan — plans that put the people’s money in The Bloomberg administration has been service of the people — to anchor the cur- involved in a massive rezoning of the New rently existing population in place. This is York City neighborhoods, usually upscale Interview with Glen Ford, the challenge to activists — to actually have rezoning. It has attempted in more well- executive editor of Black Agenda Report. a plan for development that they can use as to-do, powerful neighborhoods to down- a counter to corporate plans or to Bloom- zone, in essence protecting those wealthy Jaisal Noor: What are the stakes now that berg’s plans that serve the corporations. neighborhoods from further development Juan Gonzalez Barack Obama has been elected president? or over-development. But in poor neighbor- For more, go to blackagendareport.com. hoods and working-class areas of the city fairs … than it is in what’s going on right Glen Ford: The September [economic] melt- and the central city core it has been up-zoning here, in the neighborhoods of the city. Part down was not just an ordinary occurrence, • • • all of these neighborhoods. of it is that most progressives are middle not just part of the boom-and-bust cycle The other thing that it [the administration] class and are not that connected to every- of capitalism. It resulted in the capitalist Interview with Juan Gonzalez, has done is that it has moved land out of the day situations that occur in the city. And system as it operates economically and in columnist with the New York Daily News control of city government and into the con- also the fact is that someone like Bloom- terms of power, being grievously wounded and Democracy Now! co-host. Three years trol of the New York City Economic Devel- berg can be confusing to progressives, be- — some of their institutions put out of busi- ago he authored Where Have All The Fighters opment Corporation. This is land technically cause on many social issues he is relatively ness. What the project is now — the ongoing Gone? An Analysis of New York City May- owned by the IDA [New York City Industrial moderate. He seems to maintain a veneer project — is to restructure the way the Unit- oral Race of 2005. Development Agency] or EDC [New York of progressive thinking or enlightened ed States develops. It’s that fundamental. City Economic Development Corporation], ideas, and he’s generally not a belligerent Jaisal Noor: Can you give a historical con- therefore off the tax rolls. Then the IDA or man himself in his dealings with commu- JN: Will there be a smooth transition from text for the Bloomberg administration? EDC create special deals with private devel- nity leaders and other political rivals. So as a Bush administration — which was domi- opers, where developers can develop land a result of that, they are lulled into think- nated by corporations — to an Obama ad- Juan Gonzalez: What I think this is part that is technically publicly owned, but is in ing, especially after eight years of [former ministration that is dominated by corpora- of is a vast re-engineering of the American reality privately operated. Mayor Rudolph] Guiliani, that Bloomberg tions? Every sign says so. city that has been going on for the last 30 is a breath of fresh air. years. I think he is actually more danger- [Now that] Barack Obama is president In the early 1960s and into the 1970s, cor- ous, precisely because it takes a little bit elect, [we are] in the transition period. porate America had a problem. The central more work to analyze how it is that his These months of transition will see the re- cities were becoming increasingly Black, policies are reactionary. And I think as a distribution of several trillion dollars by Hispanic and poor, but the cities result of that many progressives are dis- Jan. 20; the changes that have been insti- were the fulcrum of all economic armed. And you have the other problem, tuted will be irreversible. activity in America. that because he has so much money, he is Therefore it is incumbent upon progres- They were the able to provide grants to lots of com- sives not to wait until Jan. 20, but to start banking centers, munity organizations and those agitating right now with President-elect industrial centers, community organizations then Obama, who can effect some alteration of and the riots in essence have a conflict in that scheme as president-elect. and rebellions being able to adequately cri- of the 1960s and tique the mayor because they JN: A lot of people are excited about the 1970s made are receiving funding from the 2008 election, but will there be a huge let- clear to America’s mayor. Bloomberg is one of YP ENDENT down by the time the 2009 New York City corporate elite those rare politicians that ... IND election comes around for the mayor and that they were can’t be bought — he does the THE the City Council. What’s your message to losing control of buying. He has enough money people involved in politics or who have be- the cities. It was to carry out this enormous come involved in politics for the first time? also reflected in social bribery with commu- the 1970s by the nity leaders and nonprofits GF: The meltdown had extremely intense ef- increasing elec- throughout the city. fects in New York City, which is the home of tion of Black and these same investment banks. They in con- Latino offi- junction with billionaire mayor [Michael cials to city To listen to the entire inter- Bloomberg] — created little power centers councils and view, go to indypendent.org. through their philanthropy. They created mayoralties power centers in Harlem, and in other ar- t h roug hout eas of the city, to smooth the way for the America. So 4 N o v ember 13 – D ecember 10, 2008 UNMOVEABLE: British landlord Dawnay, Day Victory in El Barrio hoped to force rent-stabilized tenants like Filibeto Hernandez (Left) out of the 47 apart- ment buildings it purchased in East Harlem in 2007. However, Dawnay, Day’s plans went up in smoke after the global financial crisis struck the over-leveraged company. [It] is a powerful, rich company, and it has fallen as a victim of its own devices,” Hernandez says. PHOTO: JAMIE LEHANE

The harder they fall Dawnay, Day isn’t the only private-equity company that over-leveraged its invest- ments in rent-stabilized apartment build- ings. A recent report by the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development (ANHD) states that from 2006 to 2007, projected income — not actual income — was used to justify inflated loan amounts for an estimated 90,000 units of affordable rental housing in New York City. Perhaps the most notable example was Tish- By Jennifer Janisch they were living in and ready to take action.” an electric heater months ago, but has not yet man Speyer’s purchase of Stuyvesant Town and After MJB held protests to draw atten- sealed the wall shut. Peter Cooper Village from MetLife. The firm he global economic crisis that has tion to Kessner’s negligent management “People in the building say they want bought the 80-acre, 11,200-unit complex of shaken the real-estate industry has practices in East Harlem, he sold his 47 to force all the Hispanics out and fill the mostly rent-stabilized apartments for a record- Tone tenant organization in East buildings to Dawnay, Day. MJB decided to building with white people,” he says. breaking $5.4 billion in 2006. In late Septem- Harlem celebrating victory over a British put the British financial firm on notice. Carolina Ortega has lived with her father ber, Standard and Poor’s downgraded ratings landlord. “We held a press conference warning Dawn- and her children on East 116th Street for on 22 classes of mortgage-backed securities After nearly two years of community ay, Day, saying ‘Welcome to El Barrio. We will decades. She says Dawnay, Day has tried to related to these properties. It estimates that the organizing, demonstrations, an innova- not be moved, we are here to stay,’” says Haro. force them out by ignoring their pleas for complex is now worth 10 percent less. tive lawsuit and international campaign- “You may not know this, but you bought build- extermination of the rats and roaches that In Harlem, Riverton Houses and Savoy ing, Movement for Justice in El Barrio ings where tenants are organized.” infest their apartment. Park are on the verge of default as well. (MJB) — an East Harlem collective of Dawnay, Day representatives clearly stat- “They do things for the new tenants, but Their new owners failed to meet their pro- mostly Mexican immigrants — is calling ed their intentions to the British press. not for us,” she says. “We’ve taken them jections that they could double or triple its battle with failed financial-services “East Harlem is the last area of the whole to court two or three times, but we haven’t their income by bringing rents up to mar- firm Dawnay, Day “a triumph of David of Manhattan being gentrified. Our inten- said anything lately because my father ket rate. According to the ANHD report, and Goliath proportions.” tion is to build up,” Phil Blakeley, leader of doesn’t want to fight it anymore.” which cites SEC “Free Writing Prospectus” Dawnay, Day purchased 47 buildings in the firm’s U.S. expansion, told the London MJB has filed a lawsuit against Dawnay, filings, Savoy Park’s landlord had antici- the neighborhood for a quarter of a billion Times. “We are not just looking at New Day, claiming the company violated con- pated increasing its net operating income dollars in March 2007. It was the British York — that is just a start. Our aim is to sumer-protection laws by using deceptive (NOI) from $7.4 million to $19 million over firm’s only foray into the U.S. real-estate have in excess of $5 billion within a short business practices. Despite the company’s a five-year period. The owner of Riverton market, following the lead of several large period — within a few years.” financial turmoil, MJB says it does not plan Houses believed it would increase its NOI property firms that over-leveraged their Blakeley added that he was attracted by to drop the suit. from $5.2 million to $23.6 million in the investments in New York City residential the opportunity to raise rents on vacant MJB’s attorney, Ed Josephson, recently same timeframe. buildings over the last couple of years and apartments. “With renovation, a flat could filed a motion to obtain Dawnay, Day’s fi- Although investors claimed they could are now paying the price. well take $1,700 a month once re-let on the nancial records. He says the company was turn over the rent-stabilized apartments The London-based company, which man- open market,” he said, adding that long- slapping tenants with suspicious bills, citing at a rate of 20 to 30 percent each year, ages more than $10 billion in assets world- term tenants could be bought out. charges they did not owe. the reality is that tenants won’t move out wide, has become one of Europe’s most “They were planning to take advantage “They invent phantom charges to make voluntarily at that rate, as they know they high-profile casualties of the international of New York’s lax rent laws,” Haro says. us leave here,” says Filiberto Hernandez, can’t find equivalent affordable housing. financial crisis. It is now under the ad- a mechanic who lives in a Dawnay, Day The average annual turnover rate is 3 to ministration of accounting firm BDO Stoy Rats and Roaches building on East 106th Street and is an MJB 5 percent, making the quick profits these Hayward and the real-estate advisor DTZ, According to some tenants, the negligent member. “They say the rent arrives late and firms envisioned next to impossible without which are charged with restructuring the maintenance continued under Dawnay, they overcharge us.” employing high-pressure eviction tactics. company and selling its property holdings. Day’s management. (The British firm could Tenants say the company offered them ANHD deputy director Benjamin Dulchin Neither BDO Stoy Hayward nor DTZ not be reached for comment.) buyouts of $10,000 to vacate their apart- says that despite tighter access to credit and would comment on the status of the trans- Andres Hernandez lives with his family in ments. They have also reported that Dawn- the bursting of the national housing bub- actions. But according to PropertyWeek. a Dawnay, Day building on East 117th Street. ay, Day charged them for ordinary mainte- ble, he doesn’t see a transformation yet. “I com, final bids were submitted November He gestures toward a gaping hole in his kitchen nance and for washers and dryers that they think these investments will slow, but firms 7 by Threadneedle, F&C REIT Asset Man- wall, near the stove. He says the superinten- do not have. will continue to argue that these assets are agement, Criterion Capital and Exemplar. dent replaced the apartment’s small boiler with undervalued,” he says. “They’ll say ‘if only Two unknown U.S.-based cash buyers are we can get rid of these pesky rent-stabilized submitting bids as well. tenants, we can reap a large profit.’” Haro says it’s unlikely the tenants will ‘INSPIRED BY TENANTS’ have a cordial relationship with another big Organizing in the buildings began more financial firm. than five years ago, when they were owned Dawnay, Day “We’re more ready than we were before by Steven Kessner, who was once named Dawnay, Day bought these buildings,” he one of New York’s ten worst landlords by vs. East Harlem says. “The tenants know their rights and THE IND the Village Voice. Originally, about 15 ten- are ready to fight.” ants met in the lobbies of their buildings to Dawnay, Day spent close to $250 million in Members of MJB were poised to travel YP ENDENT N discuss ways to confront Kessner and get March 2007 on 47 buildings north and east to London to confront Dawnay, Day when him to make repairs. They expanded their of Central Park from East 100th to East 120th they heard the news that the firm was col- initiative to his other buildings. streets, containing 1,137 apartments and 55 lapsing and had to sell its property holdings. Since they had little experience organiz- commercial spaces. East Harlem, called El They recently held a march in East Harlem o v ember 13 – D ecember 10, 2008 5 ing, the tenants turned to Juan Haro, who Barrio by many of its 100,000 residents, is a to celebrate their victory. once worked organizing restaurant work- historically Puerto Rican neighborhood that Hernandez says the Dawnay, Day tenants ers, to help them develop a strategy. has recently experienced a large influx of Mexi- aren’t fearful of the future. “I was inspired by these tenants who want- can, Chinese and Arab immigrants. Nearly 40 “We are very happy,” he says. “We feel it ed to initiate something and really just didn’t percent of its residents live below the poverty is a great success for us. [Dawnay, Day] is a know how,” says Haro, the coordinator of line. The median household income in 2005 powerful, rich company, and it has fallen as MJB. “A lot of people have this stereotype was only $23,000 per year, less than half of the a victim of its own devices. that immigrants live in fear and don’t want to $50,000 figure for all of Manhattan. The me- “We are a people that is fighting for the take on such a battle, but we found the oppo- dian rent was $900 a month — 47 percent of right to live with dignity.” site: tenants were fed up with the conditions The Indypendent, Nov. 16, 2007 the median income. First Person

DREAMING OUT LOUD: A woman watching election night returns in Harlem is overcome ES WE CAN,” we sang, our voices searchlight in our skulls, its beams shooting with joy when she learns Barack Obama will be the next president. PHOTO: JOEL COOK like a flag blowing through the out of our eyes as we blast each other with Ystreet. We raised our chant to the luminous suspicion. Terrified, we wear a sky as men with drums hammered out mask for Him and blindly build the wall. rhythms. And we danced our victory dance. On Election Day, the wall fell. Under the Faces blurred into faces. Eyes reflected the pressure of millions of people, chipping one same brilliance. Hands touched hands. vote at a time, it fell beneath our feet and A man pulled me into the circle where we we poured through. writhed like human flames. Heat, unrelent- Obama promised us this moment and we ing heat carried us into a vortex of time. We believed him because he was our hope for sang sounds older than words. We felt his- redemption. Since the first slave was bound tory older than memory, some original hu- to the first master, intimate exploitation man need that could not be named blasted was secured by a line of division. Each gen- through us. When we used words again it eration, each immigrant group was made was the chant “YES WE CAN!” to re-enforce that line, build it higher until Dizzy, I staggered out of the circle and it became a wall too large to bring down. stood on 125th Street. Obama supporters When we went into the voting booth and flowed around me like a river. Arms on pulled Obama’s name, we reached through shoulders, they smiled, laughed and raised the symbolic blackness layered on brown their hands and yelled. Every color, shape skin to the humanity of the man within. and shade of humanity moved in the same When police cars with spinning red and direction. Rainbow America, more colored blue lights nudged Harlem’s revelers onto than not, was not supposed to arrive until the sidewalk, I hopped in a cab for Union 2042, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Square. During the ride, I thought of ear- But here we were, dancing in the street. lier that morning, walking to a church near I spread my arms out wide as if to hold my home in Bed-Stuy, joining the line of the people and this moment forever. “This is people, seeing the warm joy in their faces. who we really are,” I shouted. And when we Older black folk, hobbling on canes, were are not ourselves, I thought, it’s because to led to the front. They went into the booth Future Perfect survive we internalize a gaze as if The Man and came out smiling. By Nicholas Powers stood above us, his one-eye like a sweeping As the voting official looked for my

AnaLysis

SCANDALICIOUS: Why political reporting feasts on drama and trivia

petroleum products; for Microsoft it’s soft- According to the Oct. 20 issue of Media America or the absurdity of a $150,000 By Arun Gupta ware; and for the media outlets that drove Week, CNN saw a 69 percent jump in the clothing budget. Loud, extreme positions, election coverage — talk radio, websites 25–54 demo during prime time from March often coming from the right, grab the most uring the 2008 election cycle, which and most of all, cable news channels — it’s 31, 2008, to Oct. 15, 2008, compared to attention. With so much competition for dragged on for almost two years, scandals. 2004. MSNBC had a whopping 146 per- viewers, a media outlet can distinguish it- Devery week seemed to bring a new Scandals mean more viewers. More view- cent increase in such viewers over 2004. self by catering to partisan leanings and scandal: Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Pastor John ers result in better ratings. Better ratings Fox News, the category leader with an av- broadcasting lurid reports. Hagee, $400 haircuts, fist bumps, flag flaps, mean higher ad rates, which brings in more erage of 500,000 viewers a night this year, McCain’s chief strategist, Steve Schmidt, lipstick on a pig, ACORN, palling around money and hence more profit. And profit- recorded a drop of 9 percent from 2004. who knows a little about hyping scandals, with terrorists, $150,000 wardrobes and making is the main purpose of the corpo- Media watchers expected Fox to take a hit said a few days before the Nov. 4 election, many more. rate media. this year because of the unfavorable climate “The news cycle is hyperaccelerated and Some were real, many were invented, for Republicans, but it increased its overall driven by new players on the landscape, like but most were irrelevant. The scandals The Scandal Formula viewership by 21 percent in 2008, so it did Politico and Huffington Post. He explained swamped nearly every other issue: the hous- There is a basic formula. The scandal is well. because “there is a high premium on being ing bust, global warming, the Iraq and Af- introduced. If it gains viewers, then it gets The difference is even larger compared first … this hyperaccelerates a cable-news ghanistan wars, White House lawlessness. more coverage. The news media devote to 2007. This year, from Oct. 17 to 23, cycle driven to conflict and drama and At times they even eclipsed the global mar- hours to dissecting the “latest develop- MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olber- trivia.” ket meltdown. ments” in the scandal, as if some profound man and Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor This is not to say the media’s obsession The scandals persisted despite pundits event occurred. They demand official re- ranged from half-a-million to a million over trivial issues is inevitable. Investiga- decrying the intense coverage devoted to sponses, which generates new content, and viewers aged 25–54. The following week, tive reporting can grab market share, but them and despite a survey a year before the further rounds of analysis. Then the media Oct. 24–30, they both averaged more than it’s resource intensive and fares best in an election showing that 77 percent of voters conduct polls about the scandal, which it- a million viewers a night in the same demo- informed political culture. However, the wanted to hear more about the candidates’ self becomes a news item to draw in more graphic. For Fox, this is up to three times U.S. public is generally poorly educated positions on the issues. viewers and revenue. And so on, until in- the number of viewers the network had dur- about politics, history and economics, so THE INDYPENDENT Why, if journalists dismiss scandals as terest wanes and attention shifts to a new ing prime time in 2007, and for MSNBC many voters accept the canard that what distractions and voters claim they want to scandal. the increase is nearly fivefold. matters more is “character” issues, which hear more about the issues, does the corpo- One only needs to examine ratings and To build audiences and ratings, the media scandals play on, rather than issued-based rate media latch onto each new scandal like content of cable news programs to find the compete to be first with a story. To 24-hour reporting. a drunk clutching a bottle of Night Train? evidence. Ratings for the three main cable mediums like cable news, the web and talk Last year, the Pew Research Center for Because of money. Scandals serve a criti- news stations boomed in 2008, whether radio, scandals are a quick fix. Understand- the People and the Press surveyed 48 media cal function in the political economy of the compared to 2007 or the last presidential ing the health-care crisis requires devoting outlets and found that 86 percent of reports corporate media: they are the “widgets” the election in 2004. What network executives time and attention to detailed analysis. It’s dealt with horse-race coverage like “fund- mainstream news outlets produce to gener- obsess over is the “25–54 demo,” that is, not that the broadcast media can’t do it, raising, tactics and polling.” Pew noted that ate revenue and profits. viewers between the ages of 25 and 54. it’s that thoughtful debate on global warm- as part of the media’s fixation on tactical Every company has a widget, the prod- These are the most important numbers as ing or the Iraq War is not as likely to draw questions, it watches for “misstatements uct it manufactures. For ExxonMobil it’s they are used to set advertising rates. viewers as video of a preacher damning and gaffes,” which is the essence of many 6 November 13 – December 10, 2008 THE INDYPENDENT November 13 – December 10, 2008 7 m u

ent that Moves m at the brecht for brecht the at Upcoming events events Upcoming 212-242-4201 212-242-4201 brechtforum.org Building a Move 451 West451 Street (Between Bank and Bethune) For more information and tickets contact Introduction to Marxism with Vivek Chibber Vivek with Marxism to Introduction Introduction to the Theater of the Oppressed the of Theater the to Introduction Three By Fo: Featuring Tony Palmeri Tony Featuring Fo: By Three -4 PM -4 Just Seeds Exhibit/Opening and Reception and Exhibit/Opening Seeds Just The Economic Crisis and Socialist Strategy with Rick W Rick with Strategy Socialist and Crisis Economic The M 0 PM 0 3 ormation and ticket reservations ticket and ormation f The Radical Jack London with Jonah Raskin Jonah with London Jack Radical The ec 6 10:00 A 10:00 6 ec ec 8 7: 8 ec brechtforum.org or 212-242-4201 or brechtforum.org D in For Nov 22 10:00 AM 10:00 22 Nov PM 8:00 22 Nov 3 Dec PM 6:00 4 Dec D - - - e R odern M bama is under O bama did not change veryone gets what they O E linton, whose presidency C ut anner.” Some kissedstrangSome anner.” B B bama’s political bama’s capital. If any epublicans get to reclaim some arley anthems that poured out O R ama M ye frictionye then sparks. word ob ob B on’t on’t be surprised if ut a new chant rose, “Dance, cops, mpaigns use money to create an emo D Days later I play my phone messagesfromphone my play I later Days I clicked off knowing her message will B All that is left to discuss are issues of im- bama’s bama’s team is more cautious and better ill join the mob. a eam Ob alssap to tar-Spangled raft and most of all, branding. lose. E umed office. he economy, thus it willthus it difficultbe economy, he for he this system; he used it almost flawlessly to get elected. scandalgains traction, thebroadcast media w politics is a industry. creation of The the dential congressional advertising races cost and $2.7 billionC presi- this cycle. power while the news media get to reclaim viewers. The only losers are the public. So, despite all the talk about change, it’s still a long time coming. publicans to oppose progressive policies on their merits. The right will try to use scan- d want: The T O disciplined than assault before he takes office. now The favors public a stronger government role in t tional bond between voters and candidates through branding, packaging and market- ing. This is why campaigns need scandals. demolishanpowerful to weapona Theyare opponent’s brand. was mired in scandal befores he even as- dance,” we yelled. “Dance, cops, dance!” They didn’t come over but we spun in our centergravity of andthe police stood there, holding a net that only they were trapped in. In the morning, I stumbled slept in clothes. my home and election night to feel rapture again. In the last message from a friend, I can hear roaring crowd behind “History.the her, This is history, this is such an incredible moment, I am without words but I share and joy just my hope.” wanted to be erased automatically in can a never go month. back We to that night. one-time It was event a but hearing her my body and I rubbed my chest, reminded feeling the afterglow. ers. At the end of the street, grim-facedunrolledwithan police orangenet.We stood wanted the park. The cops gripped the or- ange net. The silent lightning of challenge flashed between us and police.c We stood rations to fund their campaigns. age – message discipline, character, stage- c t of an apartment window like a waterfall of music. Some waved the flag and sang “The S - ut B ark’s ark’s y eyes M M bama on ain could C O c N voter-fraud epublicansuse M R ain since 2000.” C COR bama’s bama’s comments c ain and O C M c bama and orn M c O oth supported the Wall Street Wall supportedtheoth B y a ain’s ain’s statements on the econo C ither the corporate media ignore oth opposedothuniversal healthcare c E B urious, I waited for the back-beat M C honey, honey, you don’t know how long I’ve iden’s mouth. iden’s

h Talking politics means talking about win-talkingpoliticsmeansTalkingabout None of thisNone of wouldbe possible if the two Young Young people swirled in circles around I bought incense and walked to Tomp- Four centuries, I thought, four centuries I voted, left the church and saw that the e like a vanishing tail. Along St.

aiting to vote for artiesactually talked theaboutissues. ers and losers. utrage. f B f slavery and terror and doubt. O iews, ir, like “lipstick on a pig.” pig.” a like“lipstickon ir, an!” uch as the fabricated A reaties. erence between many issues.many t bailout and favored tax cuts and free-trade becausecorpo-theyneededbig andrichthe dorse policies of economic redistribution needed those voters. And they wouldn’t en- poor, workers and middle class becausetheyclass middle and workers poor, never admit their policies don’t benefit the o my my or pretty much anything that came out f they don’t want theysinceto don’t there was little dif- n Iraq. and backed the wars in Afghanistan and charges. p s the noise leaks into mainstream discourse, a the right as proof of liberal media bias, or that they can fabricate scandals out of thin the fabrication, which then is presented by many powerful right-wing media outlets o as an incubator of scandals. There are so groundswell of a create chamber to echothe from a tin The right-wing echo chamber serves a role v about bitter voters, Palin’s disastrous inter- scandals, whether c out, I ran to them as they chanted we “Yes the tuba players and drummers. Jumping had pulled Union at up Square. were hot and wet. I blinked and saw the cabtheblinked saw I wet.andand hot were m no oneno took call. my up kins Square Park, smoke curled behind went back and forth for a few minutes but o andyelled, “StoptheThe war!” two chants need to break the wall color. of the same sidewalk, the same goal, the same hundreds milled around. Some danced to hipsters nodding with I-pods were sharing ers sipping coffee, workers in hard-hats, corner. Young men in bandannas, moth- line went down the block and around the bell ringing. We We hugged, swaying back and forth like a waited to feel what I’m feeling right now.” w you voting for.” I smiled and said “I’ve been“I’vesmiledsaid and I votingfor.” you “ name, an older woman teased me, “Who she felt. Her face opened and eyes watered, We We laughed knowingly. I asked her how Change We Can Really Believe In

Barack Obama has inspired millions to believe that change is possible. But, what kind of change? And to whose benefit? Our country and our world are in crisis, and the tepid, incremental reforms Obama has been peddling aren’t going to IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN WARS cut it. It’s time to think outside the box. By John Tarleton OBAMA’S PLAN: Obama has called for a The invasion and occupation of Iraq has re- stead of rebranding the occupation, Obama vene multi-party peace talks that include the phased withdrawal of all U.S. combat bri- sulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands should pursue a rapid and complete withdraw- Taliban as the first step toward a full U.S. gades in the first 16 months of his adminis- of Iraqis, and much of Iraq’s infrastructure al from Iraq. In its negotiations with the Bush withdrawal. To address the root causes of the tration – if conditions are deemed favorable. remains in shambles. Also, the United States administration on a Status of Forces agree- conflict, the United States should fund the However, Obama would still maintain a has pursued a divide-and-rule strategy that ment, Iraq’s government has insisted that all development of locally oriented economies, Health Care “residual force” in Iraq to engage in “coun- has pitted Iraq’s various ethnic and religious U.S. troops should leave the country by the instead of pushing export-based industries as terterrorism” efforts against insurgents, communities against each other. end of 2011, but it is likely to leave loopholes a solution. OBAMA’S PLAN: Provide subsidies and tax WHAT WE NEED: Medicare for all! Estab- protect U.S. diplomatic and civilian per- Under Obama’s plan, Afghanistan would so forces can continue past that date. Why Finally, cut all military, security and intel- credits so people can afford insurance from lished in the 1960s, this single-payer program sonnel, and train and support Iraqi se- become the “central front in the war on ter- wait for the door to bump us on the ass? ligence spending by at least 25 percent by the the private sector or from a new public plan. provides affordable medical coverage for all curity forces. He has been silent about ror” and combat troops freed up from Iraq Let the Iraqis take charge of their country end of first term. The government, like some employers do now, of the United States’ 40 million senior citizens withdrawing the 140,000 mercenar- would be re-deployed there. The Afghanistan and oil reserves, and let them address the sec- would pay a portion of the premium. Obama and has far less overhead than private insur- ies that support the occupation. Au- war has spread into Pakistan, however, pit- tarian schisms, which have been stoked by the TAKING ACTION: Iraq Veterans Against the wants to fund it by repealing the Bush tax cuts ance programs. Taxes would have to be in- thor and Indypendent contributor ting Pakistani troops against a homegrown United States. If we want to help, we can do so War has emerged as the moral center of the for those making more than $250,000 annu- creased to bring everyone into Medicare, but Jeremy Scahill argues that Obama’s guerrilla force sometimes called the Pakistani by paying reparations for launching an illegal antiwar movement. To find out how you can ally. Large employers that don’t offer “mean- most people’s healthcare costs would go down withdrawal plan could leave as Taliban. Obama has indicated he would con- and immoral war. help support them, see ivaw.org ... Look for ingful” coverage to employees would be pe- while the quality of care would increase. many as 60,000 U.S. troops in tinue the Bush administration tactics of uni- In Afghanistan, the U.S.-led reconstruction groups like Code Pink (codepink4peace.org) nalized, with the funds going to subsidize Complex schemes, such as Obama’s, are engi- Iraq alongside a similar number lateral U.S. attacks within Pakistan, which is in ruins after seven years and the insurgency to raise a ruckus in the spring when Congress individual insurance policies. The plan would neered to allow insurance and pharmaceutical of mercenaries. are further destabilizing the region. has intensified as the number of international prepares to sign off on another $150 billion or require insurance companies to accept every- companies to keep sucking up vast profits. troops has grown from 40,000 to 70,000 so to finance the two wars for another year. one, regardless of pre-existing medical condi- WHAT WE NEED: In- over the past two years. Obama should con- tions. Additionally, Obma’s plan would try TAKING ACTION: Healthcare Now!, a co- to reduce administrative costs and establish alition of dozens of progressive groups with mandatory universal children’s healthcare. chapters in over 300 cities, is the main force behind H.R. 676, which would establish a PITFALLS: Even with subsidies, many people universal, single payer healthcare sys- will be unable to afford healthcare coverage. tem. H.R. 676 currently has “Meaningful” coverage is poorly defined, and 90 co-sponsors in the Green Deal/Renewable Energy insurance companies would fiercely resist re- House of Representa- quirements to accept all customers because it tives. For more, go OBAMA’s PLAN: He has vowed to create cost-effective. would cut into their profits. Obama is trying to healthcare-now. 5 million new jobs by pursuing a “Green Eighty percent of Americans live in metro- to reduce costs without confronting the for- org Deal,” such as by investing $150 billion politan areas and a wide array of urban sus- profit model, which is the primary factor in over 10 years in alternative energy. He’s tainability initiatives should be launched from spiraling healthcare costs. also promised to have 1 million plug-in funding more mass transit and bicycling to pro- hybrid cars on the road by 2015 and moting urban farming and more public green to have 25 percent of U.S. electric- space and reversing sprawl in favor of shifting ity come from renewable sources by people into cities, which can be much less re- 2025. source intensive than suburbs or rural areas. Carbon emissions should be heavily taxed as a WHAT WE NEED: Obama’s call to step towards mitigating global warming. Ditch ramp up investment in wind and cap-and-trade schemes, which are rife with solar is a start, and the money fraud and may turn into the next speculative saved by winding down two wars bubble as financial firms have already opened and cutting military spending will up carbon-trading desks in anticipation of the go a long way toward funding huge profits that can be made. such initiatives. However, scrap The economy plans for subsidizing “clean TAKING ACTION: For more on efforts to de- coal”, biofuels and a new gen- velop a “Green Deal”, go to apolloalliance.org, OBAMA’S PLAN: Obama supports an esti- a n y eration of nuclear power plants. bluegreenalliance.org or greenforall.org. For mated $100 billion economic stimulus pack- c o r - Viable carbon sequestration more radical environmental activism see ris- age that would provide more spending on p ora- technologies don’t exist. Using ingtidenorthamerica.org or earthfirst.org. To public works, unemployment insurance and t i o n food for fuel exacerbates rising learn more about the struggle against “clean food stamps, and he vows to restore top mar- seeking food prices and world hunger. coal”, go to mountainjusticesummer.org. ginal tax rates from 35 to 39 percent. As for a bailout, Nuclear power is neither safe nor Obama’s promised $1,000 middle class tax such as the cut, it appears he is planning to defer that ini- auto sector. If tiative in the face of spiraling budget deficits. they are failing, As for the bailout, Obama supports it and are too important to More enforcement-driven immigration Trade Agreement (CAFTA) that have driven appears likely to appoint Timothy Geithner, let die and need public means politically-connected private prison more than a million small farmers off their President of the New York Federal Reserve funds, then the public should companies like Correction Corporations of lands and sent them migrating north. In the Bank, as Secretary of the Treasury. Geithner own them. Top executives of these firms Use progressive tax- America will continue to reap enormous prof- face of widespread immigrant bashing, what THE INDYPENDENT November 13 – December 10, 2008 9 brokered JP Morgan Chase’s takeover of Bear should be fired and replaced with managers ation to redistribute its from warehousing detainees. we may need first is for President Obama to Stearns last March in which the Fed ended up charged to work in the public interest. income to the poor and lead a national discussion about how immi- mainly getting worthless subprime mortgage Abolish the Federal Reserve and create a middle classes. To deal with WHAT WE NEED: Stop workplace raids and grants make the United States a more dynam- securities in return as collateral for the nearly central bank that is open, transparent and ac- the economic crisis, address the mass deportations by the Department of ic, culturally diverse and prosperous society. $30 billion it put up. countable to the public, not the current one, stagnant wages of the last 35 years Homeland Security that are terrorizing whole THE INDYPENDENT which is a secret club for private banks. Ban by raising taxes on the wealthy and cor- Immigration immigrant communities. Guarantee immi- TAKING ACTION: Local groups on the fore- WHAT WE NEED: Restructuring not reform. all trading in derivatives, which are financial porations, and making the organizing climate OBAMA’S PLAN: Obama supports Repub- grant workers the same rights as citizens. It’s front of immigrants rights struggles in New Any attempts at re-regulation will be watered products based on an underlying asset. (They easier for unions, all of which will lead to ris- GET INVOLVED lican-led efforts to spend billions on stepped the only way to prevent employers from pit- York include Families for Freedom (families- down by intensive lobbying from the financial are like a side bet on a baseball game, such as ing incomes. Feeling inspired by the election but not sure what to do next? You can up border enforcement. He also supported the ting one group of workers against another forfreedom.org) and New Immigrant Com- sector, and any legislation that passes will find gambling on how many strikeouts a pitcher 2006 immigration reform plan that featured a and to the detriment of all. A guest worker munity Empowerment (nynice.org). Nation- its enforcement hindered by the same forces. will record.) TAKING ACTION: For grassroots organizing change the world right here in your own city. Go to The Indypendent’s guest worker program and a burdensome path program would create a two-tier labor system. ally, two groups to check out are the National Instead, nationalize the commercial banking Only allow futures trading for producers and strategizing, go to bailoutmainstreet. community activism page at www.indypendent.org/resources and to citizenship which would have discouraged End support for unjust trade agreements like Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights sector. If any bank or insurance company is and consumers of commodities, such as farm- com. check out scores of grassroots groups working on a wide array of most undocumented immigrants from coming the North American Free Trade Agreement (nnirr.org) and the National Immigration too big to fail, take them over. Same goes with ers that grow grains or airlines that use fuel. issues. If you have a group for us to add, call 212-221-0521 or email out of the shadows to legalize their residency. (NAFTA) and the Central American Free Law Center (nilc.org). [email protected].

Arun Gupta, Jacob Scheier and Sarah Secunda contributed to this article. 8 November 13 – December 10, 2008 national

“Election Day Will Not Be Enough” An Interview with Howard Zinn

deserting GIs, angry veterans and draft re- by Jessica Lee and John Tarleton sisters created an atmosphere in which the government could no longer count on the he election of President-elect Barack support of the American people — and then Obama is a historic moment pinned the government began to move gradually Tbetween an energizing rhetoric and a toward ending the war. dire reality. To help put the occasion in per- spective, The Indypendent reached out to re- The Indy: Obama has inspired a “hope” nowned U.S. historian Howard Zinn, author and energy among millions of people that of A People’s History of the United States. has not been seen in decades. Do you be- lieve this grassroots activity is actually a The Indypendent: Since its inception, the sign of a growing social movement? Have United States has experienced vast social grassroots movements centered around changes that are often oversimplified in electoral processes resulted in large-scale Life of the Party: Kartika Liotard of the Dutch Socialist Party. PHOTO: SMOOZ.4YOUR.NET history books as the projects of politicians change in the past? and the product of presidents. How does change actually occur and what can be HZ: The new energy and enthusiasm have the learned from these collective moments in potential of a new movement, but if they stop history? on Election Day that will not be enough. Too often the diversion of energy into electoral Howard Zinn: Significant changes occur campaigns saps the movement’s energy. This Change from Below when social movements reach a critical point happened in 1896 when the Populist move- of power capable of moving cautious politi- ment supported the Democratic candidate, By Aron Guy the street? Not enough lights on at night? cians beyond their tendency to keep things William Jennings Bryan, and when he lost, No facilities for the elderly? Once the as they are — or when these movements, by the movement fell apart. Even if he had won, hree days before the presidential elec- needs were identified, the SP would help direct action, bypass the political system the movement would have had to sustain its tion, Dutch Socialist Party member to organize local people to solve those and bring about change by acting directly momentum for a Bryan administration to Tof the European Parliament Kartika problems. The SP also cooperated with on the obstacles to change. When the anti- bring about change. Liotard met with the New York City chapter trade unions, helping during strikes and slavery movement reached its height in the of the Socialist Party USA at the A.J. Muste working to reform labor law. late 1850s and early 1860s, it pushed Presi- The Indy: What will Obama need to do to Institute in lower Manhattan to share her This strategy eventually led to the elec- dent Abraham Lincoln toward the Emanci- ensure that his presidency results in trans- experience of building a widespread grass- tion of socialist members at the local and pation Proclamation and pushed Congress formational change? roots movement. regional level, and by 1996, the SP had its toward the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. “People were looking for something first national representatives in the par- When the labor movement became militant HZ: Withdraw troops from Iraq and Afghani- different,” said Liotard, who has spent liament. The SP began to be identified as and called strikes all over the country in the stan as fast as ships and planes can carry them 21 years helping to create a party that is the party of the working class, in part by 1880s, it won the eight-hour day directly home, declare that the United States will not en- strong on the streets and a winner at the people who felt the older and larger La- from employers without the actions of gov- gage in aggressive wars, renounce the Bush doc- ballot box. bor Party no longer represented them. As ernment. In the 1930s, the strike and the trine of preventive war and the Carter doctrine, In a small country of 16.5 million peo- the SP became more successful, the party growing labor movement pushed President which threatens force to control Mideast oil, ple without a substantial left-wing tradi- made an important decision. SP members Franklin D. Roosevelt into the New Deal and start dismantling our military bases over- tion, the Dutch Socialist Party (SP) has in all levels of office would draw an av- reforms — minimum wage, Social Security, seas. He should announce that we are hence- more than 60,000 members and is the erage salary, with any excess money re- subsidized housing, etc. When black people forth a peace-loving nation, no longer a target third-largest and fastest-growing of the turned to the party. This would give the protested and demonstrated all over the for terrorists and no longer engaging in terror- Netherlands’ ten parliamentary parties. party more financial resources to address South, bringing about scenes that shocked ism ourselves. He should reduce the military Founded in 1972, the SP holds 25 of issues of concern to their members. the nation, then we got the Civil Rights establishment and the military budget down 150 seats in the Netherlands lower house For example, Liotard said the Dutch SP is Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of to a bare minimum and create a jobs program of parliament, which allocates seats based leading the way in outlawing the use of asbes- 1965. But before that legislation, militant for young people instead of recruiting them for on the proportion of the popular vote. tos and helping the victims of asbestos-related black protesters desegregated lunch coun- military service. This is the equivalent of holding about 72 illnesses — a campaign supported in part by ters and began to change the South by di- seats in the 435-member U.S. House of the salaries of SP-elected politicians. rect action. The movement against the war The Indy: How should Obama fundamen- Representatives, although the U.S. system Other sources of funding come from the in Vietnam reached the point where it could tally address the economic crisis? of winner-take-all voting would make this sliding-scale dues paid to the party by its not be ignored, where the direct action of much more difficult to achieve. Liotard is members. In addition, people donate their HZ: We have a historic and successful prec- one of 27 members of her party elected time, which means a little money can go a edent. The government in the early days to represent the Netherlands in the 785- relatively long way. of the New Deal put millions of people to member European Parliament. With success, the SP increased its fo- work rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure. Liotard explained that the Dutch SP cus on maintaining a close, transparent Hundreds of thousands of young people, achieved success by creating an egalitar- relationship with people at the grassroots instead of joining the army to escape pov- ian socialist movement, built on the expe- level. As the largest opposition party in erty, joined the Civil Conservation Corps, rience and practice of its members. Guided parliament, the SP had a chance to join in which built bridges and highways, cleaned by three core concepts of human dignity, the ruling coalition with Christian Demo- up harbors and rivers. Thousands of artists, equality and solidarity, the party rejected crats and the Labor Party after the 2006 musicians and writers were employed by the notion of a top-down socialist move- elections, but ultimately decided that the the WPA’s arts programs to paint murals, ment and insisted on full representation of level of compromise was too high. produce plays, write symphonies. The New members’ interests and needs. The “secret,” then, of a dynamic socialist THE INDYPENDENT Deal (defying the cries of “socialism”) es- “We knew we had to create a new kind movement turns out to be not so secret af- tablished Social Security, which, along with of modern socialism,” Liotard said. ter all: intense, local, highly adaptive com- the GI Bill, became a model for what gov- The SP is dedicated to the principles of munity organizing done by hard-working ernment could do to help its people. a generous social welfare state and public people who did not let their small numbers This is a golden opportunity for Obama to ownership of key sectors of the economy. or their failures deter them at first and who distance himself cleanly from the fossilized In the short-term, its members are work- so far have not let their growth or electoral Democratic Party leaders, giving life to his ing to alleviate the more egregious harms success take them away from their base. slogan of change. And if he doesn’t act, it of the capitalist state. At the beginning, Liotard ended her discussion with a will be up to the people, as it always has two or three SP members would travel to grand prediction. “I’ll come back next year been, to raise a shout that will be heard a neighborhood and listen to community and we will be in a huge hall,” she said. Howard Zinn. around the world — and compel the politi- concerns. Was there too much garbage on PHOTO: HARVARD SQ. LIBRARY cians to listen. 10 N ovember 13 – D ecember 10, 2008 “VITAL...PROVOCATIVE...ENLIGHTENING... an important, unforgettable wake-up call!” - Avi Offer, NYCMovieGuru.com “Quack or saint? Dr. Gerson, whose work in allegedly curing cancer by alternative means, is highlighted in a light, even convincing way.” - Harvey Karten, CompuServe “A REVEALING and CREDIBLE investigation that’s guaranteed to cause a stir. One of best and most important documentaries you will see this year.” - Scott Hoffman, MoviePictureFilm.com

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“I will send fire upon the walls of Gaza...” childhood malnutrition rates. —Amos 1:7 While Abbas and the Fatah party still By Ramzi Kysia govern the West Bank with Israel’s full support, Hamas faces an uncertain future. GAZA STRIP, PALESTINE — In a small Although Gazans have rallied around the cafe in Gaza City, Amjad Shawa, the coor- government, there is also increasing public dinator for the Palestinian NGO Network frustration with the moribund economy. (PNGO), sips black coffee and ruminates Rawya Shawa, an independent member on the Israeli blockade of Gaza. “This siege of the Palestinian Legislative Council from isn’t about ‘security’ or even about Hamas,” Gaza, describes Palestine as being in political he says. “Israel’s ultimate aim is to separate limbo. “When you’re in power it’s never the Gaza from the West Bank and kill the Palestinian same as when you’re on the outside,” Shawa national project.” says. “Seventy percent of Gaza are refugees. The Gaza Strip, a 25-mile-long narrow Fatah led the Palestinians for 45, 50 years. coastal plain wedged between Israel and Fatah failed. They didn’t deliver anything. Egypt, is home to 1.5 million Palestin- Hamas, now, they are trying. They didn’t suc- ians. Despite its small size, Gaza in many ceed yet, so people are still just waiting.” ways encapsulates the essence of two of the world’s major conflicts: the rise of political The Rise of Hamas Islam and the use by the West of collective Confronting the decline of pan-Arab national- punishment and economic coercion as a ism which had peaked during the 1960s and brutal counterweight. ’70s and the collapse of the 1993 Oslo Ac- Since Hamas won parliamentary elections cords, Hamas found fertile ground in Palestine in January 2006, Israel has subjected Gaza by combining social welfare projects, religious to an increasingly severe blockade. In June traditionalism, anti-elitism (Prime Minister Is- GAZA’S AGONY: Jabar Abujila and his daughters stand in front of their ruined farm in the Al- 2007, after Hamas defeated militants aligned mail Haniyeh still lives in the house where he Farheen neighborhood on the border between Gaza and Israel. Israeli soldiers bulldozed the 12 with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas grew up in Beach Camp, one of Gaza’s poorest acre Abujila family farm five months ago, destroying all of the crops. PHOTO: RAMZI KYSIA and forcibly asserted control of Gaza, neighborhoods) and a hard-line stance toward Israel tightened the blockade to include Israel. Although Hamas is currently observing everything except occasional deliveries of a unilateral ceasefire, in the past its military Few Gazans agree with that description. into a “human chain” that stretched along humanitarian goods. The local economy wing has sent small rockets and suicide bomb- According to B’Tselem, an Israeli human the entire length of the Gaza Strip. has shattered as a result, leading to steep ers into Israel, leading to its designation as a rights group, 955 Palestinian minors have “My phone was ringing off the hook increases in unemployment, poverty and terrorist group by Israel and the United States. been killed by Israeli security forces, while all day because they [the Israelis] thought 123 Israeli minors have been killed in Pal- we were going to storm the border,” says estinian attacks since the start of the second Sameh Habeeb, one of the event organiz- intifada in September 2000. With the block- ers. “Israel couldn’t believe that thousands ade, 3,500 out of 3,900 factories in Gaza of Arabs could peacefully protest. When have closed, leading to over 100,000 private there’s armed resistance Israel can send their The Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign was formed on sector layoffs. Per capita income in Gaza is rockets and F-16s, but they don’t know how less than two dollars a day, and 80 percent to respond to civil resistance. Nonviolence November 2000 with the aim of fighting evictions, water of families are completely dependent on in- makes the Israelis crazy.” ternational food aid. The greatest act of nonviolent resistance in cut-offs and poor health services, obtaining free electricity, The siege has led to massive shortages that Gaza has been simply surviving. Some families securing decent housing and opposing police brutality. have rippled through the economy and soci- have taken to catching and raising wild rabbits ety. Shortages in fuel caused gasoline prices to and birds to supplement their diet. A network spiral to $50 a gallon in early summer, lead- of perilous tunnels that cross into Egypt has ing to sustained power cuts. Hospitals, depen- claimed several lives, but has also helped to dent on diesel-powered generators, regularly relieve shortages with smuggled goods. In re- lost power for up to 12 hours a day. Unable cent weeks, an underground pipeline for to operate irrigation pumps, farmers experi- gasoline has substantially eased the fuel crisis. enced significant loss of crops. Most family Automobile conversion kits, allowing cars to homes have running water for less than six run off cooking gas, sell for about $300. Short- hours a day, and almost a third of homes have ages in propane have led families to revert to no running water. wood-burning stoves for cooking and, with Without electricity, sewage treatment fa- the scarcity of concrete, Gazans have returned cilities are unable to work, and raw sewage to using earthen bricks for construction. is being dumped into the Mediterranean The collapse of Gaza’s economy is an ex- — turning the sea into a toilet. Over 15 bil- ample of imperialism at its most extreme: lion liters of raw sewage has been released prevent raw materials from entering the into the Mediterranean in 2008 alone, kill- economy, weaken and tear down native in- ing much of the marine life in the immedi- dustries through military violence and block- ate vicinity. ade, allow access only to finished products Compared to December 2005, less than imported from the outside (in this case, Israeli 20 percent of the supplies needed for normal products) and force the local population and trade are allowed into Gaza by Israel, and its uncooperative government to expend and foreign investment has fallen off by over 95 exhaust whatever resources and reserves they percent, leading both the World Bank and had managed to set aside. When the Gaza The Anti-Eviction Campaign (AEC) some Israeli human rights organizations to blockade is finally lifted, people here will be call for an end to the siege. hard pressed to recover, even with increased is run off a shoestring budget. It is “This is not a natural disaster,” says John humanitarian assistance. THE INDYPENDENT a 100% volunteer-run social move- Ging, director of the U.N. Relief and Works PNGO Director Amjad Shawa points out Agency in Gaza. “It is a man-made disaster that the blockade is part and parcel of the ment; its leaders receiving no salary Please show your support by created by policies that are not humane.” ongoing Israeli occupation. “Gaza is still or renumeration for their work. Co-or- making a tax-deductible occupied, legally and physically,” says Sha- Direct Action wa, “and the siege is simply one part of this dinators and members of the execu- donation today! The people of Gaza aren’t waiting for the aggression. We don’t need more aid. What tive committee are elected by their http://antieviction.org.za/ siege to end to deal with the crisis. In Jan- we need is an end to the occupation.” community based on their proven uary, hundreds of thousands of Gazans poured into Egypt when Hamas demolished Ramzi Kysia is an Arab-American writer commitment to fighting for a border wall that Israel had erected in 2003. and activist, and one of the organizers the community’s best interests. In February, the Popular Committee Against of the Free Gaza Movement. To find out the Siege organized thousands of Gazans more, visit www.FreeGaza.org. 12 N o v ember 13 – D ecember 10, 2008 PROPAGANDA WAR Magic Laptops hit FARC, Chavez

By Daniel Denvir sources, an anonymous Bush administration official told The New York Times that the ince the Colombian government bombed allegations were partly based on evidence a guerrilla camp on Ecuadoran soil March from laptops recovered from a FARC camp S1, it has orchestrated a highly effective in Ecuadoran territory bombed and raided by media campaign backed by material allegedly the Colombian military on March 1. found on laptops and hard drives belonging to These “magic laptops,” which seem to a high-ranking member of the Revolutionary supply evidence of FARC collaboration at Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the largest an opportune moment for the Colombian rebel group in Latin America. The laptops and U.S. governments, have formed the were used almost immediately after the raid to centerpiece of a propaganda campaign implicate both the Ecuadoran and Venezuelan launched by the Colombian government the Venezuelan government was that it had complicit in the Colombian propaganda governments in drug-trafficking and “terrorist” and security forces, abetted by the media in promised the FARC a $300 million payment campaign, embedding themselves in a connections to the FARC. Colombia’s media Colombia, the United States, and Spain. or loan and that Chávez had maintained a perceived fight against the FARC and campaign has been based on dubious evidence at This campaign uses a well-established financial relationship with the FARC since its supposed allies in the Ecuadoran and best, and many charge that the “magic laptops” technique: Allegations of FARC ties have 1992. It was first reported as a payment that Venezuelan governments. As an unnamed are being used to deflect criticism of Colombia’s long been used in Colombia to defame had already been made, perhaps in exchange U.S. intelligence official told the Los violation of Ecuadoran sovereignty, distract human rights activists and dissident for the FARC’s February hostage release Angeles Times in March: “I think you have the public from a domestic political scandal politicians, often leading to death threats or mediated by Chávez. But on March 30, The to take at face value what the Colombians and justify the government’s policy of total assassinations by the army or paramilitary New York Times, relying on information are saying.” The mainstream media have war against the FARC. forces. The laptop-based allegations have leaked by the Colombian government, done just that—particularly in Colombia. In September, the U.S. Treasury been made through press conferences and claimed that there was evidence of a $250 Uribe’s “War on Terror,” and that of his Department’s Office of Foreign Assets intelligence leaks, as new charges have been million loan “to be paid when we take allies, shows no signs of letting up, and Control (OFAC) announced that it was rolled out to counter Ecuador’s consistent power.” Mirroring Ecuador’s appeal to the use of unverified electronic evidence designating one former and two current high- diplomatic victories at the Organization international law, Colombia announced to prosecute that war seems likely to ranking Venezuelan government officials as of American States (OAS) and other that it would take its charges of FARC ties continue. collaborators with FARC. These assertions international bodies. It has also served to to the OAS, and Uribe threatened to bring came a day after Venezuelan President Hugo distract attention at home from a growing charges against Chávez before the UN Daniel Denvir is an independent journalist Chávez announced that he was expelling the scandal connecting Colombia’s President International Criminal Court for “aiding based in Ecuador. For a detailed analysis of U.S. ambassador in solidarity with Bolivia’s Alvaro Uribe’s administration to narco- genocide.” media complicity in the Colombian propaganda Evo Morales, who had done the same a paramilitaries. Media outlets, particularly in Colombia, campaign see nacla.org, where the full version day earlier. While OFAC did not specify its The most serious accusation made against the United States, and Spain, have been of this article was originally published. THE INDYPENDENT N illo TK o v ember 13 – D ecember 10, 2008 14 November 13 – December 10, 2008 THE INDYPENDENT com o .c s g n i k c o t s e u l b •212-777-6028 St 172 Allen cafe trade fair center | activist bookstore radical bluestockings Join Join D M rhetoric. of use the in thread a common have streets the swarming revolutionary perception,and public change, social for organizing ism, C S Bitchcraft Punks Punks S and social commentary, commentary, social and d passion, whose world, third the of ies A W to a contributor been has and talk,” of sentation r m of pioneer this of idealism and courage Biography Reading: Jason Reading: • Free 7PM 21, Nov Fri R book his about presentation W C joinfilmmaker Please world. the Join Jason Jason Join edication and and edication entury entury adicals: adicals: u i rawford for a screening and discussion. and a screening for rawford c uncan lright lright odern dance. Jones co-founded “ co-founded Jones dance. odern o c fo ar 3 ith a visceral one-two punch of punk punk of punch one-two a visceral ith r n n eening: eening: Nov 30, 7PM • $5 Sugg • $5 7PM 30, Nov S Nov 24, 7PM • Free 7PM 24, Nov abrina Jones reading and pre and reading Jones abrina I r llustrated documents the punk rock visionar- rock punk the documents Ar Radicals A A ctivists . , her book that captures the the captures that book , her e S

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