Hundreds of teach-ins on how to fight Wall Street/Corporate war on the American people April 5!

[Better Believe It]

Editor's note: On Tuesday, April 5, hundreds of schools and community groups will participate in a teach-in on debt, austerity and how people are fighting back. From 2–3:30 pm (EST) a national teach-in will be streamed live from New York City, followed by local teach-ins and strategy discussions around the country. Read the call to action by Frances Fox Piven and Cornel West, check out the organizing guide and join the movement by attending or hosting a teach-in near you. Please see http://www.fightbackteachin.org for more information.


Debt, Austerity and How to Fight Back
By Frances Fox Piven and Cornel West
March 17, 2011

Wall Street Banks, American corporations and their political allies have declared a one-sided war on the American people. This war is being waged at our schools and colleges, the workplace and in our communities.
 
Today, Americans are working harder and earning less while corporate profits soar. As homeowners, consumers and students we see our wealth being stripped away by banks. Our government plunges into debt waging trillion-dollar wars. Meanwhile, our infrastructure erodes and climate change proceeds unchecked. Schools, daycare centers, senior citizen facilities, clinics, parks and firehouses are starved for funds so that corporations and the rich can get billions in tax breaks!

Corporate America’s unprovoked assault on working people has been carried out by manufacturing a need for fiscal austerity. We are told that there is no more money for essential human services, for the care of children, or better public schools, or to help lower the cost of a college education. The fact is that big banks and large corporations are hoarding trillions in cash and using tax loopholes to bankrupt our communities.

We are on the cusp of a great movement to resist and roll back that corporate domination by banks, energy companies and war profiteers. To join that movement and escalate the activism planned in the days, weeks and months ahead we are organizing a “National Teach-in on Debt, Austerity and How People Are Fighting Back.” The live web-streamed teach-in will be held on Tuesday, April 5, 2011, at the Judson Memorial Church in New York City, beginning at 2 pm (EST). Admission is free. Speakers from schools and communities around the country will be hosted by moderators Frances Fox Piven and Cornel West in New York City through a live webcast that you can join by organizing a teach-in on your own campus.

Read the full article and more information on "HOW TO ORGANIZE A PARTICIPATING TEACH-IN ON YOUR CAMPUS" at:

http://www.thenation.com/article/159309/debt-austerity-and-how-fight-back

[Better Believe It]

1. Please keep this kicked so that DU'ers are alerted to this action and can help build local events.

Thanks for your help.

[bobbolink]

2. ALRIGHT! Finally, people are realizing it is important to educate themselves and each other!

However, this is ACTION, so is not likely to get much DU attention.

[Better Believe It]

5. It's action and education!

People have to find out the truth. This will help counter all of the corporate media propaganda.

[bobbolink]

7. I have been proposing this for YEARS here. And ignored.

FINALLY... some are taking it seriously.

NOW, can we start talking about starting a fund for creating billboards and ads to get peoples' attention?

[Better Believe It]

10. I'm glad you hung in there!

:)

[bobbolink]

13. Just to see somebody is doing this lifts my spirits

Now, if we can do the same thing with poverty and homelessness..!!

I will soon have a rather large fact sheet ready on homelessness that would be perfect for efforts like this.

Thanks for reporting on this!

[jtuck004]

3. K&R great idea eom

[xchrom]

4. and on my birthday -- recommend. nt

[Desertrose]

6. Hopefully this is just the beginning....

I am hoping that action begets MORE action.


(But I'm mostly an optimist)

[Better Believe It]

8. I think the Wisconsin protest and this teach-in are just the beginning of

building effective and powerful mass movements.

The economic crisis and attacks on our living standards will deepen and along with that the anger and willingness of millions of people to do something to defend their rights and demand economic justice.

[Scuba]

9. April 5 is an important election in Wisconsin... Kloppenburg for State Supreme Court...

...don't forget to vote, Wisconsin DU'ers.

[Better Believe It]

11. Kick

[OneGrassRoot]

12. K&R and sharing! :) n/t

[Better Believe It]

14. Kick

[bobbolink]

15. It does look like exciting actions aren't going to get much attention.

I appreciate you posting this, and can imagine it is discouraging that such good news doesn't get more attention.

:(

[Better Believe It]

16. Well, perhaps I didn't write a good enough caption to get DU'ers attention.

On further reflection I think I could have done better.

[bobbolink]

17. The subject line said it all. People choose what is a priority, and it ain't action.

Many of us are finally seeing this.

Its much more fun to gripe and to ridicule "the stupid" rather than taking action to change it.

[Better Believe It]

18. Well, I might have captioned it ....

Want to fight the Wall Street/corporate a-holes who want to destroy us? Join us on April 5th!

That might have gotten more attention!

[bobbolink]

19. hmmmmm.........

No law saying you can't do that in a day or three... ^_^

At any rate, I appreciate your efforts! :yourock: