Response to the Neanderthals

http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20090602_geography_recession?utm_source=LG&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WIFLSFILG091229151087


Dear Jim Archibald,

Grade school Geography about the Midwestern "breadbasket", but one certain consideration that these ridiculous neo-cons seem to be overlooking is that food has to be produced, not just transported.

True, if we have anything left, perhaps we could go back to draft horses, river transport, etc., but to claim that an evolutionary Capitalist "free market" is the path is absurd. We are in overshoot and the population is and will be without coordinated education, effort, and action too ignorant, too incapable, and too old, and too few for any sort of survival to occur.

It is an evolutionary dead end, without the rational evolution to Homa Cooperativo.

Concerning their claims that the US Invasion and Occupation of Iraq, will be/is breaking the back of OPEC is profoundly premature.

By the way, any freezing in the Mississippi Waterway?, and any recognition of the reality of the fossil fuel bust that is going to wreak havoc on an ignorant people who just assume that the ignition is an extension of the hand?

Oh yeah, with all the dead putrefying bodies even the most primitive agriculturalists will not stand even the slightest chance.

By the time the dust clears on the largest cataclysm of all time, such a question would hardly be worthwhile.

But go see Avatar, I guess. The cataclysm will be on some planet far away. The cyclical market will rebound and we only have to switch on cruise control and wait for the invisible hands to continue their WMD performance of aggravated rape on this bountiful land.


In Peace, Friendwalkin', Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin

Posted to Michael Moore's Website: 12/30/09

As we neglect the needs of the frozen North American Continent, Obama vacates for Hawaii.

For those of you who are not acutely observant, I pointed out at the time that Private WarBushitler appointed Karzai, that it was quite an appropriate name for a USA ally.

Ham=Pig Meat, Id=Rash Behavior, Karzai= Auto Headlamp.

AmeriKar Bombs and Drones.

Please USA admit to yourselves and the world that the 20th Century was a fluke of human history and let us commit to the peaceful adjustment that conserves the fossil fuels and all valuable resources.

Now, if you all would rise up and show the appropriate amount of indignation, instead of cruising in your rods, I'll make a very successful attempt to perform "Invisible Hands Don't Make It".

By the way, in a moment of blue skying, I called Directory Assistance for Flint, MI and got the number of a Michael Moore. Got his answering machine. Sounded very African American.

So, Michael, in your genius but willy-nilly target market Capitalism attacks on the status quo, if you care to take our work in a more positive benevolent direction, then why don't you contact me...


In Peace, Friendwalkin', Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin
512 W. 10th Avenue, #2
Eugene, OR 97401
(541) 343-3808
peoplesequityunion@earthlink.net

Response to "Local" Genius

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNkugyv2Mkk


----- Original Message -----
From: Mike Morin
To: rlogan@igc.org
Sent: Tuesday, December 29, 2009 10:12 PM
Subject: Re: new paradigm of development


Ravi (and Jason),


With respect to your Post-Peak "Moment":

They'd rather drive.

Also, there is not a cooperative (or intelligent) bone in the USA Body Politic.

All seriousness aside, allow me to make the following commentary:


Good work.
I agree with almost all of what you say.

The planning locus needs to be the village/neighborhood with inter-community unity and cooperation within the watershed (planning region) and, of course inter-regional unity and cooperation.

Federation? That smacks of nationalism. No, thanks. There would need to be a world around unity and cooperation and accord and inter-regional trade and peace relations directly established and carefully nurtured.

I echo the moderator's questions as to how do we get from where we are to our desired destination. Also, where do we start?

I recommend that we abolish the Federal Reserve System and maintain the US Treasury to allocate notes and coinage to Regional Administrative Agencies (Equity Unions) that would allocate money to ecological economic redevelopment community betterment projects and programs based on explicitly stated and inculcated mission and principles. Eventually, a world currency may be the goal.

When you mentioned cooperatives, you omitted housing and other real assets. It is imperative that we completely overhaul the way that we deal with ownership relations in ALL sectors of the economy, particularly the financial/resource allocation sectors. We must fundamentally change the ways and means by which resources are allocated to and within communities and among and within economic sectors.

Very importantly, I will repeat one of my most important messages, that we in the United States and similar environs, need to reduce automotive vehicle use by 80% in the next twenty to forty years. This is absolutely essential to the survival of the species. All "permanent culture" designs, endeavors, projects, programs, and policies need to embody this goal.

More than just models, we need reality.


In Peace, Friendwalkin', Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin
----- Original Message -----
From: rlogan@igc.org
To: Mike Morin
Sent: Tuesday, December 29, 2009 2:32 PM
Subject: new paradigm of development



This finally got posted: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNkugyv2Mkk

Let me know what you think.

Ravi

Response to "LA Progressive" Editorial - It has Nothing to Do With Obama’s Ethnicity

Duh,

The "fact" that O'Bomber is half African American has nothing to do with his behavior and the racist comment about AA's running away from a noble fight is absurd.

I have blue eyes and I know the problem is that O"Bomber is nothing more than a servile puppet of the militaristic Capitalist moneyed class, colored darker and kinked to be audaciously and atrociously sold to the liberal target market as at least, turns our at most, better than the alternative.

The slander on African Americans is ridiculous and un-called for. Among ethnic groups in the USA, the AAs have the most historical, longest lasting, and strongest radical tradition. As a French-Canadian/Sicilian American from Labor Heritage and an almost lifelong Cooperative Communitarian (Socialist/Communist), I find it easier to reach out and feel solidarity with "black" Americans.

I am frustrated by the ignorance and complicity of "white" people and their inability or lack of willingness to understand and embrace a radical agenda, even if presented in a most peaceful, orderly transition language.

I know it is an oversimplification to say White is to Capitalism as Black is to Socialism, but the History of the OEO of the 1964 Civil Rights Act suggests strongly that the appeal to O'Bombers "blackness" was an audacious rip-off of the legacy of Dr. MLK Jr.

Bringing "whites" into the fold, who seem to believe that freedom is equal to lack of responsibility to, for many, self, and to almost all, others, is problematic.

Chavez is the closest thing we have to a world leader. There is none in the US. His Bolivarian mantra almost draws the line in the sand between White Capitalism and Brown Socialism. If Obama thrusts us into full blown World War 4 in his ignorant attempt to enforce World Manifest Destiny then surely it will be the acts of a Capitalist Oreo and has no reflection on his ethnicity.


In Peace, Friendwalkin', Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin
Eugene, OR

Point of Clarification – Terminology: Posted to Venezuelanalysis.com on 12/26/09

The word "Bank" makes me shudder.

In Business School, we learned that "Banks" were investor owned.

Surely the nationalization of such implies that the government will be holding ownership shares in trust for the benefit of the poor and the workers. While nationalist borders are not ideal, such would seem to be a prudent intermediary step, given that the administrators are not corrupt.

Consistent with Hugo's Communitarian philosophy those assets need to be applied to community betterment projects and a portion of not-for-profit endeavors earmarked for other programs and projects.

Certainly, Chinese know-how could be helpful to the folks of ASA, but "investments"? (Which seem contradictory to the non-exploitation goals being espoused and carried out by Mr. Chavez).


In Peace, Friendwalkin', Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin
Eugene, OR, USA

Troubled by the Terminology – Posted to Venezuelanalysis.com on 12/26/09

Though I understand Chavez's Maoist philosophy and therefore applaud cooperative relations with China, I am troubled by the word "investment" (Chinese "investment" in Venezuelan economic development).

Such suggests an expropriational relationship with respect to land and labor.

The US has had an exploitative relationship with China for the last generation (be it mostly with Taiwan, Hong Kong, Shanghai?) which has been exploitative of Chinese labor and contradictory to the interests of USA workers and coming to fruition, owners, as it seems that the schism between diluted assets ownership and the mushroomed liabilities of many or most has created a tremendous mess for the folks in the USA.

Maybe it is a Maoist plot to: "I didn't come to praise Reagan, I came to bury him"

I don't know.


In Peace, Friendwalkin', Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin
Eugene, OR, USA

Letter to "Capitalist" Friend

Ian,

I am writing to request your assistance with respect to my strategy to transition the Private Investment Sector to a Quasi-Public Equity Sharing One. Certainly, if you have perused my web log you would have gleaned reference to such a fundamental paradigm shift from Capitalism to Socialism.

Recently, the USW (United Steelworkers) signed a letter of intent with the Mondragon Cooperative Community Corporation (MCC), a rather hopeful, peaceful evolutionary model that originated in the Basque Region of Spain and has grown tremendously (not without its problems associated with trying to integrate into the Capitalist Economy). I have been trying to work with USW, but have so far been rebuffed. My, not brazenly presented, suggestion that seriously pursuing such an intent translated to evolving the acronym USW to United Socialist Workers was rejected in an arrogant, reactionary manner.

I am frustrated by the apparent lack of historical perspective and long range vision that our Labor "leaders" possess.

Anyway, thee should read about Mondragon. I'll give a very brief recap.

They were formed in the Basque region of Spain, called Mondragon because it was a FORMER region of iron ore deposits and iron and steel smelting. The people of the region were separatists continuing rebellion in sympathy with the revolutionary movement in Spain, of which they were part, that was defeated by the notorious forces of Franco.

The Mondragon system came about as an attempt to positively channel the Socialist ideals of the communities in the region. They started not-for-profit workers' cooperatives with pre-determined revenues earmarked to re-invest in new workers' cooperatives. Being a very principled and democratic organization, based on the principles of the International Cooperative Alliance, and being fortunate enough to be starting while the Capitalist economy, within which they were working, was still in a growth phase (unlike the very dangerous resource constraints that the world faces now) and astute enough to find opportunity, they were fabulously successful.

They grew so much, so fast, that they began to and increasingly to stray from the ideals upon which they were formed, eventually being corrupted by their perceived growth needs and less than fully principled leadership that saw, rightly or wrongly the need to integrate themselves into the ways of Capitalism as they began joint ventures with less than principled Corporations.

Being a product of their times, they are not and never were "green".

Our discussion of Zip-Car, which I stated to be a less than optimal co-optation of the great and necessary idea of vehicle cooperatives, could be a small move in the right direction if it were structured as a not-for-profit worker/community hybrid cooperative.

Your thoughts?


In Peace, Friendwalkin', Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin
Eugene, OR, USA
(541) 343-3808

From a Discussion of Agriculture

Arable land, has always been precious, and from an anthropocentric view point, at least until our species began gardening and then farming.

However, farmers and farmworkers have been severely mistreated almost since the beginning of that evolution.

I point to Shay's Rebellion as a relatively recent example.

While I agree with your sentimental statement about work hard, love well (mixing oil and water?) and care for ourselves and others, I would reckon that you are just showing your underbelly and are sufficiently knowledgeable and experienced to understand that we must remain truely Cynical, and that in a way we may be damned if we do and damned if we don't concerning the reality that it might take fighting to overcome.

We all should know and understand that fighting just leads to more fighting and any hope of any race or nation that they are the Master Warriors is wrong, both from a perception and a reality.

Extinction comes from many strategies, and we as Homo Sapiens are on a many pathed linear trajectory towards exactly that. It will take nothing short of a conscious evolution of the whole world of men and women to the evolution of Homa Cooperativo to solve this piece and all the others necessary.

We live in a time when it is possible, unlike any time before, to communicate with each other. My sadness comes from the apparent fact that there is too much diffusion and triviality associated with that ability. Also, to restate the extinction claim, we are living in by far the most precarious time in the history of Man.

Much more than likely, the sins of agriBUSINESS will not yield with a simple loving plea. AgriBUSINESS like all the competitive Capitalist pursuits will probably try to run its course of genocide, ecocide, and suicide. As likely, farmers will wither away as their occupation will become so impossible and so distasteful that no one will enter it.

In Peace, Friendwalkin', Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin

Clarifying the Peoples Equity Union Concept

Collin,

Thank you for writing.

As you know, the banks not only charge interest, but most often issue a lien (i.e. they want collateral for the loan).

The entire Capitalist paradigm, whether it be in credit relations or equity relations, however inequitable the latter and former usually are, is based on the self-fulfilling, inflationary, and wasteful assumption called the time value of money, sometimes referred to as "the discount rate", which assumes that money will be worth less in the future. And, as we can see by the housing market, as the most burdensome example, eventually worthless.

Such a system sets off furious, irrational competition for businesses and institutions (I make the distinction because business can be productive and institutions tend to be exploitative) who set as their objective a "hurdle rate", "internal rate of return", "return on equity" rather than the meeting of peoples needs.

I have read Greco's book. I did not finish it. It started out good when he explained his personal history and intentions but deteriorated soon.

I am in favor of keeping the Treasury and eventually evolving to a world currency. The Federal Reserve should be abolished, although I am uncertain about the concept and role of "reserve notes". Thinking it through, it is an extension of the inflationary paradigm that I referred to earlier in this note. We must proceed very cautiously in phasing out or down such a system.

I strongly believe that we should redefine the credo word to be equity sharing, only because of the bad connotation that that credit has evolved to date. Equity sharing should replace "lending", equity trading, and equity investing.

I hope you comprehend and can appreciate and share this communication.

Please feel free to continue the conversation.


In Peace, Friendwalkin', Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin

Regarding Transportation Issues

I'm not sure that rail is more efficient than bus. If I am wrong, in my uncertainty, please edify.

Back East, in the USA and northern further eastern reaches, they certainly have enough, if not too much, in the way of rail.

One reason, that I prefer bus to rail is that it seems that it would be easier to make them much quieter. Please correct me, if I am wrong.

In Boston area, for example, the electric? (inefficient use of fuel) and direct power trains can be noisy as HELL, although relatively quiet at low speeds. All this bunk about bullet trains is both incognizant of that and of the terrible risk both in and outside the trains.

My suggestion for Boston, for example is to convert some, if not many, if not all, of the train lines to walking, bicycling, electric? (or at least quiet and relatively slow moving vehicles for the infirm) paths.

Commuter trains must take the human environment into consideration.

Here in Eugene, Oregon, as in most "points" "West", my reply to the AMTRAK corridors, is the same with the additional query, do you all really need to travel those corridors and if so, how often? Again, the issue of a quieter bus comes to mind.

The issue in sprawl communities is best stated relative to the walkability issue (i.e. the non-existence of village centers that would serve muliple beneficial purposes including having the availability of necessities and reasonable wants within walking distance for (almost ( I qualify because there will probably need to be rural exceptions, not to the village center concept, but to the walkability goal)) all.

Of course, new urbanism has been a mantra for some time now, but has been a failure. The reason for the failure has been primarily because it has left the allocation of resources up to the blatantly irrational so-called "free market" system.

Enough for now.

I invite and encourage all to respond, even if it is just in the affirmative (because it is really important and time is of the essence that we go beyond just planning and into the implementation).


In Peace, Friendwalking, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin

Hold It! Advise Regarding the Use of Fossil Fuels

It is very important to the people of Nigeria and Venezuela and elsewhere to let social/environmental policy supercede "economic". In other words, be ecological about your economics and don't fall prey to the dictates of the so-called "free market"

Fossil fuel and potential fossil fuel producers are facing a dilemma in that if they want to grow their revenue streams they must yield to the gluttonous demand, mostly being perpetrated by the USA.

The USA must yield and commit to a massive reduction in their gluttony.

It is good advice that you all protect the cleanliness of your land and waters and to whatever extent it is relatively environmentally acceptable to extract (desert environments) that you steward those resources for optimizing your own habitat improvements and for future generations the whole world round.


In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin
Eugene, OR, USA

Related to Foreclosure Problem: Posted to Michael Moore 12/12/09

Here's a huge part of the problem. Some people make the majority or more of their income off of ownership "dividends". Can't say how many of them are greedy and how many are just getting by, themselves.

Certainly, it would be easier to work with those who only make a small part of their income from economic rents (i.e. mortgages, rental collections stock dividends, equity trading, etc.). One can hope that those who are greedy can and will forego their greed and release their competitive advantage grip, but it almost goes without "saying" that they would be more problematic to a cooperative world.

Those who are just getting by (in a humble manner) with such incomes could perhaps be more easily persuaded to join the work force, especially if job training were made available to them.

Anyway, given the "invisible handed" practice of Capitalism, we are unjustly finding ourselves at the mercy of the unscrupulous, the evasive, the uncaring, and the irresponsible.

Some talk and write about Revolution, but it would be a whole lot easier to overthrow the government(s) than it would be to realize any real economic gain, especially a sustainable cooperative scenario, with violence.


In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin
Peoples' Equity Union
Eugene, OR

Mortgage Defaults and Related Capitalist Fallaciousness

Let's not quibble about minor adjustments, "loan modifications", that cannot begin to deal with the structural malaise of a mortgage default and possible ensuing eviction.

The first matter at hand, is can we have a moratorium on evictions, both mortgage and rental related? It seems as the Chief Executive, Obama could issue an executive order relative to such. Whether it be heeded on local levels is an entirely different question.

More fundamentally, the whole mortgage/lending and landlord/tenant reality of the Capitalist system is wrong. When I make a payment of $500 to my property management firm, what good reason is there that I should not be getting at least $350, if not $400, of equity from such a payment?

Such a world unity cooperative housing policy and program needs to replace the current Capitalist rip-off.

We have to recognize that first, and come together as a peoples' union to demand that we be treated as such.

Similarly, the exploiters need to organize to protect whatever legitimate interests they may have and to work with us on a transition strategy.

I understand the cutthroat mentality of the Capitalists. I am not naive. But the massive suffering that we have been experiencing and being realized by an accelerating segment (One argument is that we are only beginning to discuss it because it is now starting to effect the ownership "class") in the real estate/financial sector as in all sectors of the economy is due to the complete inequity, fallaciousness, inhumanity/uncaring nature that has been the Feudal/Mercantile/Capitalist evolution.

Tinkering will not suffice.


In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin
Peoples' Equity Union

Letter to Fred Redmond ("Civil Rights" Rep.): AFL-CIO Blog 12/11/09

Liked your s'peach, Fred.

S'peace!

USW has signed a letter of intent with Mondragon. To me, and hopefully for the enlightened all, that should translate USW to United Socialist Workers.

IWW would best be International Workers of the World, until that ideal day when there are no borders. It should also be Industrious Workers of the World, because the concerns of humanity strongly translates to much happier workers (and May I add Equity holders) when there is artisanry in their occupation.

I have tried to communicate with Witherell, Garrard, and Trumka (and others). The following may be of interest:


12/7/09 Post to AFL-CIO Blog


Yes, Cherry, you are correct.

There have always been these tendencies relative to Labor/"Management" Relations, and the real exclusion of thinkers, organizers, agitators, and brave strikers and fighters who often if not most of the time had the best interests of workers and the benefit of the poor, and more recently the natural environment/resource base in their minds, their hearts, their bodies.

You are right that Organized Labor has been, as we so colorfully say, "blown out of the water", particularly in the last thirty years. I would venture a guess that many if not most who built the once strong labor movement in the USA, if alive, would admit that their complicity with Capitalists after they achieved a relative parity was a huge strategic mistake.

Did you know that Lawrence Summers, who was Clinton's Treasury Secretary and Geithner's boss and mentor, before the latter became Chief of the Federal Reserve of the Empire City was one of Ronald Reagan's Chief Economic Advisors?

Anyone who had a good introductory Economics course would know that Say's "Law", which supply-side economics is based on, is totally fallacious.

We now find ourselves in the very precarious position of a post over-supply side economy, where the off-shoring has deadened demand and accompanied by an imploding finite resource supply.

That's all for now.

It looks like the best we can do, these days, is keep chippin' away.

I have a sincere Cynical hope that that will change soon.


In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin
Peoples' Equity Union
Eugene, OR
(541) 343-3808

Regarding Growth, Climate Change, Post-Peak Fossil Fuels and Ecological Economic Redevelopment

----- Original Message -----
From: Mike Morin
To: Workers World
Sent: Friday, December 11, 2009 11:28 AM
Subject: Re: Addicted to Growth


No shit, Sherlocks!!!

But, Climate Change as the Central Issue?

What is the temp. in NYC as you read?

Post-peak fossil fuels is the environmental issue, and thee all better hope that we are not approaching what some analysts say is an "Odluvai Gorge" (i.e. a precipitous drop) in the supply of fossil fuel heating, cooking, and electricity resources. Then, of course, even if it is a relatively plateuish situation, there is the issue of effective demand.

The ecology of the situation calls for a fundamental socialist paradigm plan and implement eduaction campaign, commitment and realization of ecological economic redevelopment.

Please feel free to contact me regarding further elaboration.


In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin
Peoples' Equity Union
Eugene (hell, it's even cold out here), OR

Health Care Reform: 12-9-09 to AFL-CIO Blog

Incremental Change was not good enough almost 20 year ago when I wrote to the US House of Lords, Kennedy and Kassebaum, and was told by Mick Moran that my five basic pillars, er, principles were "too radical" and ny Dean Rosen, who would later go to work for a British Pharmaceutical Company, that the Senator said, "We have to do things incrementally".

Here it is twenty years later, and I have gone far beyond just stating the basic principles.

Yet, all we get is BS out of DC. Of course, DC cannot do it by themselves. I believe that is the first thing we must recognize.

I have been trying to get my health plan clear and communicated to everyone, but that is a very difficult charge (even worse than Anthony Mason ;-) ) given a limited stage and the frustration of non-response to my efforts.

Oui? Si?
See? We? d
Kelp!
I need somebuddy
Kelp!
Everybuddy!
- with the greatest respect to John Lennon


In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation. and Solidarity,

Mike Morin
Peoples Equity Union
Eugene, OR
(541)343-3808

ProvidersUnion: Posted to “Michael Moore”

I ain't fakin'.

Now, here's the "prescription". All the Physicians and Allied Health Workers and the Owners and Workers of Hospitals and Insurance Companies join that Union and face the FACT that their revenue levels be reduced by, let's say 30 to 40% in the next ten years and staffing levels cut to a similar, yet somewhat less, amount.

There will be unemployment compensation for all workers and eventually for the uninitiated a lesser guaranteed income. All efforts by the Union working within and with other sectors would be to try and guarantee placement and/or re-training.

For example, there needs to be an increased presence in the field of wellness education and wellness policy and program implementation. I am not "talking" about the early screening shams, I am writing about environmental/public health issues. There will also be need for the ethical practice of sorting out what is really medically necessary and beneficial relative to the terrible fraud and abuse practiced by the medical profession and rammed down our every orifice by the medical industrial complex.

Enough for now.


In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin
Peoples' Equity Union
Eugene, OR

12/7/09 Post to AFL-CIO Blog

Yes, Cherry, you are correct.

There have always been these tendencies relative to Labor/"Management" Relations, and the real exclusion of thinkers, organizers, agitators, and brave strikers and fighters who often if not most of the time had the best interests of workers and the benefit of the poor, and more recently the natural environment/resource base in their minds, their hearts, their bodies.

You are right that Organized Labor has been, as we so colorfully say "blown out of the water", particularly in the last thirty years. I would venture a guess that many if not most who built the once strong labor movement in the USA, if alive, would admit that their complicity with Capitalists after they achieved a relative parity was a huge strategic mistake.

Did you know that Lawrence Summers, who was Clinton's Treasury Secretary and Geithner's boss and mentor, before the latter became Chief of the Federal Reserve of the Empire City was one of Ronald Reagan's Chief Economic Advisors?

Anyone who had a good introductory Economics course would know that Say's "Law", which supply-side economics is based on, is totally fallacious.

We now find ourselves in the very precarious position of a post over-supply side economy, where the off-shoring has deadened demand and accompanied by an imploding finite resource supply.

That's all for now.

It looks like the best we can do, these days, is keep chippin' away.
I have a sincere Cynical hope that that will change soon.


In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin
Peoples' Equity Union
Eugene, OR

Equity Union Inculcation - Attempted Post on Moore's Website

Yes, but even mutual insurance companies are not the answer because there is nothing mutual about the make-up of their portfolios.

An Equity Union is a better idea in that the participants could be, if the for-profit exploiters were not allowed to lie and steal and cheat and exploit their way through their lives. In other words, if we could get a voluntary consensus for world unity and cooperation with the locus being every individual/every local community, inter-community, inter-regional, and world round based on the principles of meeting needs and reasonable wants in an inclusive, humane, equitable, wellness-oriented, quality of life, peaceful and sustainable principled manner based on a plan and implement modus operandi.

Such would constitute a true mutual.


In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin

Relative to Unemployment Compensation: to AFL-CIO Blog

I had a form of unemployment compensation (Private Disability), which paid 60% of my previous income.

After about one year, the Private Insurer insisted that I apply for Social Security, saying that they would cut off my benefits, if I did not.

After my Social Security came through, the application and approval process took about six months, but SSDI paid me back wages, the Private Insurer carved out the Social Security, making it approximately a 50-50 proposition for about another year.

Then the Privates dropped out. My income, however, did not halve, because in my particular situation the Social Security was not taxable.

Structural unemployment should be viewed as a disability (of the system).


In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin
Peoples' Equity Union
Eugene, OR
(541) 343-3808

An Open? Letter to Michael Moore Prompted by a Health Care Reform Essay

I'm getting tired of not being "heard" and with your incessant inculcation concerning what we already have, a certain consensus on, the need to have a single, or more accurately, double payer health care system.

When you all rail against the Medical Payer Corporations that have diversified into Medical Provider Corporations and vice versa, you are accurately scratching the surface of the health problem and the problems associated with the Capitalist system.

But, we must use this potentially valuable resource that Buffy is providing us and do more than futilely scratch away at the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and all associated "we're only in it for the money" Leviathan.

I'm tired of being ignored with respect to my working plan for a libertarian socialist alternative of world unity and cooperation, which will fundamentally change the ways and means that resources are allocated to meet the needs of people in an inclusive, humane, equitable, wellness, quality of life, peaceful, and sustainable manner.

I appreciate a good laugh as much as anybuddy, and Michael is incisive with his humor and his critical assessment. But we need to do more than expose and criticize. We need to provide a workable alternative. I have done this and will continue to try from my proletarian platform to get my words "heard".

I don't think that a MikeMorin.org website is what we need. In lieu of that is a cooperative amalgamation and alliance, perhaps a PeoplesEquityUnion.org, that would be a good start but not enough.

Michael. I love your work and I love you, but we must go beyond (yet still include) the target marketing of the protest/disillusioned and concerned with the disenfranchised, perhaps majority (i.e. the competitive anti-establishment "vote") and work to establish a working cooperative pro-active alternative plan and implement ecological economic redevelopment modus operandi.

Now, it is unrealistic of me to think that Michael reads every post, but those who do, can you please see that it is important that he reads this one and, if possible, the others that I have posted on this website?

We're One
but we're not the same
we've got to help each other
got to work together
-Bono


In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin
Eugene, OR
peoplesequityunion@earthlink.net
(541) 343-3808

Unemployment and Social Security: AFL-CIO Blog

First of all, the reported unemployment rates (though reportedly relatively high) are a gross misrepresentation of the workers' and potential workers' plight.

I would guess that you all know that the unemployment rate is only the number of those who were working covered by unemployment compensation funds that they are now collecting, unless they got “fired”.

I'm not an expert on this, but if I remember correctly, the law in Massachusetts was that only firms with 25 employees or more were required to pay into the State fund.

At least, fortunately, we have a Democratic majority in Congress, so there has been Federal Extensions on the time limits associated with most, if not all, State Unemployment Programs.

Secondly. Tricky Willy Clinton, to manies potential or actual benefit, eliminated or reduced that villain with a terrible name, Welfare, while putting many if not some of those manies on Social Security. Social Security tends to be overly miserly to those truely in need and unnecessary for some, if not many, of the elderly.

Based on recent reports, I have roughly calculated that 1 in 5 citizens of the USA are receiving Social Security "compensation".

So you see, Virginia, the seasonal stimulus is not anywhere close to being true.

Besides, manufacturing is industrial, whereas people are much more happy workers when they have the opportunity and education to be artisan industrious.

In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin

Workers and the Poor: AFL-CIO Blog

The minimum wage definitely needs to be raised. However, we all must consider regional difference between let's say, Arkansas and California.

More important then "minimum wage" is the issue of living wage. The short term answer is a guaranteed income for all over the age of eighteen (of course, we need to deal with orphans as well, and there still is an issue related to AFDC), increasing with age.

Over the long term we need an equity union to perhaps write off or down the liabilities and bring the cost of assets back to earth.

With respect to a guaranteed income, it should be only enough to meet the bare essentials including the idea that youth can share apartments and houses (although everyone should get equity from their "rent" payments) up to a certain age (suggested for discussion, 23).

Concerning meeting needs, there is a huge difference, climate wise, between McAllen and Minot. And PLEASE let's not dally another second regarding the opportunity costs associated with automotive squandering and MUCH HIGHER PRIORITIES like home heating, cooking, and electricity...


In Peace. Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin

Concerning “Offshoring”: AFL - CIO Blog

“Olderworker”, I’m 57, am I an Older older worker or a younger older worker (i.e. than thee)?

Yes, you raise very legitimate and problematic concerns. Fundamental to such is the rampant inflation that has been going on in the USA, which puts North American Workers at a terrible disadvantage in the competitive job market.

Corollary to such is the prohibitive effect that the ridiculously inflated real “economic rents” and costs of capital assets have had on any entrepreneurial opportunities, already at great disadvantage to corporate diversification strategies and (now failing) economies of scale.

Concerning “stimulus” money such is a fundamentally destructive concept anyway in that it appears to assume the addiction to what I previously described as the specious fantasy of infinite economic growth within a finite earth in the solar system.

Secondly, this concept of “clean energy” is unfortunately an irreality.



In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin
Eugene, OR

An Open Letter

Mike Morin
512 W.10th Avenue, #2
Eugene, OR 97401
December 2, 2009


Mr. Kenneth Lewis
President
Bank of America
Corporate Center
100 North Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28255


Mr. Lewis and/or whoever (else) reads this letter:


It is my sincerest Cynical hope that you all will read this letter, take it seriously, and strongly consider cooperating with the plans that I have laid out and will try now to succinctly summarize.

I am asking thee to take a leadership role in the Banking “Industry” and consider the education, communications, and actions that you can take with respect to a peaceful transition regarding the evolution to a cooperative communitarian economy that is fundamentally dedicated to meeting peoples needs and wellness in an inclusive, humane, equitable, clean, and sustainably principled manner and modus operandi.

The basic call is to convert the “private sector” to a quasi-public one, working in unity and cooperation and helping to relieve the burdens and fiscally strapped potential inadequacies of the various Public Institutions and Programs.

We need to reorganize, reallocate to and within communities and among and within economic sectors, rebuild our communities in recognition of the post-peak fossil fuel reality and the century of sprawl with a paradigm of ecological economic redevelopment.

It is my firmly held assertion that the business community with its assumptions of discount rates with the concept of the time value of money is a self-fulfilling inflationary perspective and practice where money becomes worth less, eventually worthless. Also on a finite planet, we cannot entertain the fantasy of infinite growth.

We need to move on to a new era in human evolution, that of Homa Cooperativo, where equity sharing replaces equity trading and lending.

I hope you will understand the wisdom and intelligence incorporated into this communication, share it with your compatriots, and seek further communications, elaboration, discussion, and work with me and the interests of the greater world that I represent.

Time is of the essence.


In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin
peoplesequityunion@earthlink.net

Another Futile/Unheeded Post?

Hear ye! Hear me!

Single Payer with very tight budget controlled HMOs with emphasis on wellness (i.e. environmental/public health).

Dealing with pollution at the source (definitely with concern directly related tobacco, alcohol, and sources and causes of obesity (e.g. sugar waters, consumption of meat without rigorous exercise, etc.).

Please, let us get our eduaction together. Work with me on developing the izquierdo correcto policies, programs, and projects related to promoting the "general welfare" both within and beyond the borders of our fifty plus ONE (and that's reality) ways and means and the necessary libertarian voluntary evolution of the "private sector" to a quasi-public ONE.


In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity

Mike Morin
Eugene, OR
Peoples' Equity Union
Industrious Workers of the World
International Workers of the World
United Socialist Workers (USW)

Concerning AFL-CIO Obama Economic “Summit”

Not Good enough!

Jobs and Equity!

Debuilding roads and true Green Jobs Initiative with the goal of reversing within the next 20 to 40 years the spurious ill conceived twentieth century of sprawl and automotive domination!

Who the hell are Stiglitz and Krugman (New York Times? No, thank you!)

And do we want to work with O'Bama O'Bomber after the decision that he is reportedly going to make tonight?


In Peace, Friendship, Community, Cooperation, and Solidarity,

Mike Morin
Peoples' Equity Union
Eugene, OR