Posted on 02/09/2009 12:36:11 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny
Yahoo ran an interesting article this morning indicating a rise in the number of survivalist communities cropping up around the country. I have been wondering myself how much of the recent energy crisis is causing people to do things like stockpile food and water, grow their own vegetables, etc. Could it be that there are many people out there stockpiling and their increased buying has caused food prices to increase? Its an interesting theory, but I believe increased food prices have more to do with rising fuel prices as cost-to-market costs have increased and grocers are simply passing those increases along to the consumer. A recent stroll through the camping section of Wal-Mart did give me pause - what kinds of things are prudent to have on hand in the event of a worldwide shortage of food and/or fuel? Survivalist in Training
Ive been interested in survival stories since I was a kid, which is funny considering I grew up in a city. Maybe thats why the idea of living off the land appealed to me. My grandfather and I frequently took camping trips along the Blue Ridge Parkway and around the Smoky Mountains. Looking back, some of the best times we had were when we stayed at campgrounds without electricity hookups, because it forced us to use what we had to get by. My grandfather was well-prepared with a camp stove and lanterns (which ran off propane), and when the sun went to bed we usually did along with it. We played cards for entertainment, and in the absence of televisions, games, etc. we shared many great conversations. Survivalist in the Neighborhood
Hmmm, either trying to prevent a bank run OR maybe it isn’t what it says it is...
http://www.archive.org/stream/communisminunite00browrich/communisminunite00browrich_djvu.txt
COMMUNISM
IN THE UNITED STATES
Communism
in the United States
BY EARL BROWDER
General Secretary, Communist Party of the United States
International Publishers New York
Copyright, 1935, by
INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHERS CO., INC.
Second Printing, October, 1935
PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.
This book is composed and printed by union labor.
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION vii
I. MANIFESTO OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY
OF THE UNITED STATES 13
II. THE REVOLUTIONARY WAY OUT 21
III. THE FIGHT FOR BREAD 94
IV. IS PLANNING POSSIBLE UNDER CAPITALISM? 102
V. WHY AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PARTY
MEMBERSHIP? m
VI. WHAT EVERY WORKER SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT N.R.A. 161
VII. THE SITUATION IN THE UNITED STATES 177
VIII. NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND NEW TASKS 188
IX. THREE MAIN POLICIES OF THE COMMUNIST
PARTY 205
TRADE UNIONS, LABOR PARTY, UNITED FRONT
X. THE COMMUNIST PROGRAM: ONLY WAY
OUT FOR LABOR NOW 215
THE SAN FRANCISCO GENERAL STRIKE
XI. MAKE BETRAYALS OF THE WORKERS IMPOS-
SIBLE! 218
THE GENERAL TEXTILE STRIKE
XII. UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE THE BURNING
ISSUE OF THE DAY 222
XIII. UNITED FRONT AGAINST FASCISM AND WAR 237
XIV. THE STRUGGLE FOR THE UNITED FRONT 240
vi CONTENTS
XV. THE SITUATION IN THE SOCIALIST PARTY 273
XVI. THE COMMUNIST POSITION ON THE LABOR
PARTY QUESTION 284
XVII. FOR THE NATIONAL LIBERATION OF THE
NEGROES! WAR AGAINST WHITE
CHAUVINISM! 290
XVIII. WIPE OUT THE STENCH OF THE SLAVE
MARKET! 304
XIX. “THEORY IS OUR GUIDE TO ACTION!” 308
XX. COMMUNISM AND LITERATURE 311
XXI. THE REVISIONISM OF SIDNEY HOOK 316
XXII. RELIGION AND COMMUNISM 334
INDEX 350
Introduction
EARL BROWDER’S book offers the key to an understanding of Com-
munism in the United States. This work was hammered out in the
very heat of the struggle of the American masses for a better life in a
most momentous period of their history. It was produced in the fight
for the great historic liberation struggle of the American workers, toil-
ing farmers, Negroes, middle classes, and all oppressed and exploited.
It was produced by one who is guided by the scientific theory of
Marxism-Leninism and by its great masters Marx, Engels, Lenin,
Stalin.
Very appropriately, Browder’s book opens with the famous Mani-
festo of the Communist Party of the United States adopted at its 8th
National Convention, held in April, 1934. In a concrete and con-
vincing way, this historic document shows that there is only one way
out of the present state of insecurity, unemployment, mass misery and
untold suffering, oppression, capitalist reaction, fascism and war. It is
the revolutionary way, the Bolshevik way, the way of the Socialist
Revolution and Soviet Power in the United States.
Millions of American toilers workers, farmers, Negroes, intellectuals
and other middle class groups are still wondering in daze and con-
fusion at the “sudden” change to the worse that has taken place in
their lives. They ask: Where has this disaster come from? What
was it that has knocked the bottom out from under our feet? What
shall we do to help ourselves? What can we do to ward off the coming
of even greater disasters fascism and a new war?
Earl Browder’s book helps us to find an answer to these questions.
In chapters 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9, we are led to an examination of the
nature of the economic crisis and its passage into a “depression of a
special kind,” the capitalist way out and the revolutionary way out,
the role of reformism and how it perpetuates capitalism and paves
the way for fascism, the impossibility of planning under capitalism,
etc. Having gained a correct understanding of these fundamental
questions, we are then in a position to see clearly the class content
of the policies of the American bourgeoisie.
But the book does much more than that. Its pivot is the struggle
of the Communist Party of the United States to win and lead the
toiling masses of this country in the first instance, the industrial
proletariat to the fight for the revolutionary way out of the crisis.
[Contains a history and shows the steps to the very things we are so unhappy with today....granny]
Of Course, some minion hit the abuse I guess,
anyway good to see you back and thanks for posting this and the ping. I took a lightning hit and been having havoc on the phone.. replace the wall jack and cable which is a little better, have a ton of replies to catch up on..
Some day when you have a herd of goats, think of me.
They are so sweet and loving.
Thanks for posting the Jackie letter, it is a good one to read.
Further, todays Wall Street Journal (April 20, 2009) is confirming at this link that lending by the largest banks has DECREASED 23% since the government began the T.A.R.P. program, causing many in Congress to ask where the money has actually been going. Apparently, it has been going into propping-up the failing banks instead of out in loans to the public.<<<
The stuff nightmares are made of.
I am beginning to wonder if there is one person who understands all of what is going on?
Government put an untenable burden on banks by forcing them to loan to uncreditworthy borrowers through the CRA regulation passed in the 1970s and supercharged by Clinton in the early 1990s, as a result of over-dramatized “redlining” stories in the press.
As these loans built up on the banks’ portfolios, the banks themselves became more unstable and liable to large losses as the loans failed. See this article:
The Trillion-Dollar Bank Shakedown That Bodes Ill for Cities
http://www.city-journal.org/html/10_1_the_trillion_dollar.html
After Enron the inscrutable Sarbanes Oxley regulations included the Mark to Market rule and other accounting changes. These regs were poorly understood and inhibited stock market investments and IPOs in the early 2000s. Money does not like uncertainty, and diverted into the real estate market instead, until Sarbox could be sorted out. The attacks on 9/11 did not make the market any more attractive and again, money sought security.
To relieve the burden of uncreditworthy CRA loans, Congress had Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lower their standards to buy these loans. This opened the door for thousands of similar loans and other financing vehicles, that were sold even to borrowers who were able to qualify for standard 30 year mortgages. The GSEs bought them because they looked profitable on their books. Fannie and Freddie spread a lot of money to congressmen and their CEOs took home huge bonuses, and everyone seemed happy about the newly discovered prosperity that had arrived. Money flowed into the real estate bubble and financial companies’ stock also soared, raising the Dow to unheard of levels.
Banks also kept subprime loans on their books because they were rated AAA and made them look profitable. But banks were still not sure their investments would remain viable, so they bought Credit Default Swaps from AIG and other insurers to hedge their investments. Hank Greenberg was opposed to selling these instruments in any number because of their inherent complexity, but was forced out by Eliot Spitzer. Shortly after that, AIG-FP in London went all-out selling these CDS instruments:
Behind Insurers Crisis, Blind Eye to a Web of Risk
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/28/business/28melt.html?_r=3&ref=business&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
The problem with the CDS “policies” is that they were unregulated insurance products with no reserve requirements. So when the housing bubble burst, the insurance companies were expected to pay the claims for these instruments, but they had no reserves to do so. This was what accelerated the implosion of the credit market. After some sporadic runs on banks in late 2008, the crisis reached epic proportions.
The bonanza in housing led to strawman purchases by rings of frausters. Again, the low loan standards (to accommodate CRA loans), allowed strawman loans to meet the new lower guidelines at Fannie and Freddie. In more prudent times, those loans would never have passed muster at the bank because they could not be sold into the secondary market. There was therefore an artificial market for extremely shaky loans - the GSEs were supposed to purchase them!
Banks are restricted as to what they can invest in, and after the collapse of Fannie and Freddie, other financial companies, and similar banks, their assets have been reduced to dangerously low values. Many large banks, if not all, are leveraged to the point where they are technically insolvent. They can’t loan money because they have no reserves to do so.
Sadly it is better for the banks’ books to foreclose than to negotiate a lower principle on toxic properties. If they lower the principle, the value of the property is reduced and the banks have less asset value. If they foreclose, the property technically retains its original value and the banks can continue for a while with the inflated value on their books. That’s why they are foreclosing rather than allowing short sales or principle forgiveness.
Now that Credit Default Swaps are worth only ten cents on the dollar, the banks have that much less in reserves or asset valuation, and their loan assets have an unassessed value. They are quite likely insolvent; we just don’t know how insolvent they really are. It’s probably in the trillions of dollars, a terrifying number.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Barack Obama at Office Depot
The current estimated future obligations for the United States in regards to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security are $1.25 quadrillion.
The Obama presidency, in less than 100 days, has already spent or proposed in the neighborhood of $10 trillion. Yes, that is $10 thousand billion.
The federal deficit amassed in over 200 years from the American War for Independence in 1776 to the administration of George W. Bush in 2008 was roughly $11 trillion.
The total interest on the U.S. debt is $1.2 billion per day.
Today, Barack Hussein Muhammad bin Obama demanded that his cabinet find a way to save $100 million.
Department of Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano today indicated that her executive department can save millions of dollars each year by purchasing office supplies in bulk.
“According to [Napolitano], millions of dollars can be saved by making changes in such things as how the department orders office supplies, gets computer software and uses energy.”
So the answer for Barack Hussein Muhammad bin Obama’s DOUBLING of the federal debt in less than 100 days is to, in the future, purchase paper clips from Sam’s Club and Office Depot?
The AP (apparently now fully recovered from campaign-season orgasms) even reports the cuts as making hardly a “dime’s worth of difference.”
“Cut a latte or two out of your annual budget and you’ve just done as much belt-tightening as President Barack Obama asked of his Cabinet on Monday.
The thrifty measures Obama ordered for federal agencies are the equivalent of asking a family that spends $60,000 in a year to save $6.”
The ship is sinking. Find a lifeboat and stand by it. You won’t be waiting long....
full link here:
http://baracksafool.blogspot.com/
I wonder why. Hope it’s not a bad omen of what’s going on around here. (I’m a teeny bit untrusting of almost anything these days! Except my cats, of course.)
I think the admins have had bad experiences with certain websites. Oh well. No one’s perfect. It’s their site... whatever.
http://www.heart4home.net/recipes/oatmealmix.htm
Instant Oatmeal Packets
Check the cereal isle for more flavor ideas. The possibilities are endless!
* 3 cups Quick-Cooking Oats
* Salt
* 8 Plastic Sandwich Bags
Put 1/2 cup oats in a blender and whirl at high speed until powdery; reserve in a small bowl and repeat procedure with an additional 1/2 cup oats. If you’re using a food processor, powder the 1 cup of oats in one motion. Into each sandwich bag put 1/4 cup un-powdered oats, 2 tablespoons powdered oats, and a scant 1/4 teaspoon salt. Store in a box or airtight container.
To serve: Empty packet into a bowl. Add 3/4 cup boiling water; stir and let stand for 2 minutes. For thicker oatmeal, use less water; for thinner, use more water. (I microwave for 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 minutes or until done on high)
* Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal: To each packet add 1 T. sugar, 1/4 t. cinnamon, and 2T. chopped dried apples.
* Cinnamon-Spice Oatmeal: To each packet add 1 T. sugar, 1/4 t. cinnamon, and a scant 1/8 t. nutmeg.
* Fruit and Cream: To each packet add 1T. dry milk and 2T dried fruit or fresh fruit after cooking or jam.
* Oatmeal with Raisins and Brown Sugar: To each packet add 1 T. packed brown sugar and 1 T. raisins.
* Sweetened Oatmeal: To each packet add 1 T. sugar
* Wheat Germ Oatmeal: To each packet add 2 T. any kind of wheat germ
******************
This recipe may be freely distributed with the following information:
Leslie Sausage lives with her husband in rural Texas. She is the mom of four grown children, a freelance writer, and has a degree in business administration. You are invited to visit her online for more creative, practical and fun ideas — http://heart4home.net.
http://www.heart4home.net/coffeecreamer.htm
Flavored Coffee Creamer
Any of these creamer recipes may be made into an instant flavored coffee mix by adding a 1/2 cup (more or less) instant coffee to the mix.
Mix up the flavored coffee creamers for your regular brewed coffee.
Mix them and store in an airtight container. I use canning jars or some other recycled jar for mine.Add a couple of spoonfuls to your mug of hot coffee. Yum!
Fireside Coffee Creamer
2 C hot cocoa mix
2 C dry non-dairy creamer
1/2 C powdered sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Amaretto Coffee Creamer
3/4 C powdered non-dairy creamer
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 C confectioners’ sugar
Toffee Coffee
1 C powdered non-dairy creamer
1/2 C brown sugar
Mocha Coffee Creamer
1/2 C sugar
1 C nonfat dry milk
2 Tb cocoa
Creamy Mocha Creamer
1 C dry non-dairy creamer
1 C chocolate mix for milk
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Cinnamon Coffee Creamer
2/3 C sugar
2/3 C nonfat dry milk
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Orange Coffee Creamer
3/4 C sugar
1 C nonfat dry milk
1/2 tsp dried orange peel
Cappuccino Coffee Creamer
1 C hot cocoa mix
3/4 C dry non-dairy creamer
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Mocha Coffee Creamer
1 C sugar
2 C nonfat dry milk
4 tsp cocoa
http://www.heart4home.net/giajcookie013.htm
Cranberry Hootycreeks
A beautifully festive cookie in a jar recipe.
1 C plus 2 T all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C rolled oats
1/3 C packed brown sugar
1/3 C sugar
1/2 C dried cranberries
1/2 C white chocolate chips
1/2 C chopped pecans
* Combine the flour, soda and salt together.
* Layer the ingredients in a 1 quart in the order listed.
Attach a tag with these instructions:
Cranberry Hootycreeks
* Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
* In a medium bowl, beat together 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla until fluffy. Add the entire jar of ingredients, and mix together until well blended. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.
* Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges start to brown. Cool on baking sheets, or remove to cool on wire racks.
* Makes 18 cookies (18 servings).
http://www.heart4home.net/recipes/ground_coffee_mixes.htm
Coffee Mixes Using Ground Coffee
Chocolate-Almond Coffee
Makes 6 to 8 servings
1/3 C ground coffee
1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. chocolate extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/4 cup almonds, toasted and chopped
Place coffee and nutmeg in a blender or food processor. With processor running, add extracts. Stop processor and scrape sides of container with a spatula. Process 10 seconds longer. Place mix in a bowl and stir in almonds. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container. To Serve: Place the entire amount of mix into filter of an automatic drip coffee maker; add 6 cups water and brew.
Chocolate-Mint Coffee
Makes 6 to 8 servings
1/3 C ground coffee
1 tsp. chocolate extract
1/2 tsp. mint extract
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
Place coffee in a blender or food processor. With processor running, add extracts. Stop processor and scrape sides of container with a spatula. Process 10 seconds longer. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container. To Serve: Place the entire amount of mix into filter of an automatic drip coffee maker; add 6 cups water and brew.
Orange-Cinnamon Coffee
Makes 6 to 8 servings
1/3 C ground coffee
1 T grated orange peel
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
About 5 to 6 inches of cinnamon sticks
Place coffee and orange peel in a blender or food processor. With processor running, add vanilla. Stop processor and scrape sides of container with a spatula. Process 10 seconds longer. Place mix in a bowl and stir in cinnamon sticks. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.
Buttered Rum Coffee
Makes 6 to 8 servings
1/3 C ground coffee (not instant)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1-1/4 tsp. rum extract
1/8 tsp. liquid butter flavoring
Place coffee and nutmeg in a blender or food processor. With processor running, add rum extract and butter flavoring. Stop processor and scrape sides of container with a spatula. Process 10 seconds longer. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container. To Serve: Place the entire amount of mix into filter of an automatic drip coffee maker; add 6 cups water and brew.
******************
This recipe may be freely distributed with the following information:
Leslie Sausage lives with her husband in rural Texas. She is the mom of four grown children, a freelance writer, and has a degree in business administration. You are invited to visit her online for more creative, practical and fun ideas — http://heart4home.net.
http://www.heart4home.net/giajhotcocoamix.htm
Hot Cocoa Mix
We love Hot Cocoa and have tried many recipes!
My daughter Laura has been “tweaking” this recipe. It’s our favorite homemade hot cocoa. It’s very easy to make for yourself or to share as a gift in a jar for a friend. Check out the variation ideas at the bottom. We hope you enjoy it! I’ve included several other variations for you to try!
cup
Laura’s Hot Cocoa Mix
2 C nonfat dry milk
1 C sugar
1/2 C cocoa, unsweetened
1/2 C non-dairy creamer
1 dash of salt
* Miniature marshmallows or cream, optional
* Combine all ingredients and store in a in tightly sealed container.
* Makes about 4 cups of hot cocoa mix.
Directions
* Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of mix to a mug and fill with hot water.
* Stir to blend. Add some marshmallows or cream.
Gifts In A Jar
* Sometimes we like to add some miniature marshmallows to the mix and then fill a quart jar with the cocoa mix and miniature marshmallows combination.
* Attach the directions and decorate for gift-giving.
* Last year, we used some clean one-quart mayonnaise jars for the cocoa mix.
* My son used some red paper from the office supply.
* He wrote the directions using a black marker and added a cute little poem, cut it out with pinking shears and glued it onto the jar.
* I used regular canning lids and rings for the jars rather than the mayonnaise lids.
* Add a circle of holiday fabric which has been trimmed with pinking shears and tie with some raffia or ribbon.
* You can also attach a peppermint stick or candy cane to top of the jar with the raffia or ribbon.
* I have made this for gifts for several years and it’s always been well received.
* Some of the people we gave this to used it as a decoration in the kitchen for a long time!
Flavored Cocoa Variations
* Use the flavored creamers such as Hazelnut, Irish Cream and French Vanilla and the others that are available.
* Add one package of Raspberry or Cherry unsweetened dry beverage mix (like Kool-Aid) to the cocoa mix. You may want to add a bit more sugar when adding a package of drink mix.
* Add one teaspoon of cinnamon to the cocoa mix
* For Mocha, fill your mug with coffee instead of water
Hmmm...how about if I use French Vanilla Creamer and Raspberry drink mix...I think that would be good!
******************
This article may be freely distributed with the following information:
Leslie Sausage lives with her husband in rural Texas. She is the mom of four grown children, a freelance writer, and has a degree in business administration. You are invited to visit her online for more creative, practical and fun ideas — http://heart4home.net.
More Cocoa Mixes
http://www.heart4home.net/giajbevmix003.htm
More Hot Cocoa Mixes
Instant Hot Chocolate
8 C powdered milk
2 1/2 C instant chocolate drink mix
3/4 C powdered non-dairy creamer
1 C sifted powdered sugar
To serve, add 1/4 cup of mixture to 1 cup boiling water; top with marshmallows.
Easy Cocoa Mix
8 oz box powdered milk
2 lb box of instant chocolate drink mix
16 oz jar powdered non-dairy creamer
1 lb box powdered sugar
Mix all ingredients together well. Store in airtight container. Use 3 to 4 heaping tablespoons of mix per cup of boiling water.
Hot Chocolate Mix
4 C powdered milk
1 C unsweetened cocoa powder
2 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp instant coffee (optional)
Combine ingredients and mix well. Store in airtight container. Use 1/4 cup per cup of boiling water.
******************
http://www.heart4home.net/recipes/stuffingmix.htm
Homemade Stuffing Mix
1 C water
2 Tb butter or margarine
3 Tb dried celery flakes
1 Tb dried parsley flakes
2 tsp dried minced onion
2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp sage
3 1/2 C unseasoned bread cubes (dried)
To prepare:
In a sauce pan over medium heat, bring water, butter and seasonings to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; add bread cubes and mix gently. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Toss with a fork before serving.
Serving suggestions: Add sautéed mushrooms, almonds and celery.
No dried celery, parsley or onion? Substitute about twice the amount of fresh ingredients
******************
This recipe may be freely distributed with the following information:
Leslie Sausage lives with her husband in rural Texas. She is the mom of four grown children, a freelance writer, and has a degree in business administration. You are invited to visit her online for more creative, practical and fun ideas — http://heart4home.net.
Now that Credit Default Swaps are worth only ten cents on the dollar, the banks have that much less in reserves or asset valuation, and their loan assets have an unassessed value. They are quite likely insolvent; we just dont know how insolvent they really are. Its probably in the trillions of dollars, a terrifying number.<<<
I never loose the feeling that all this was planned ...
ben Laden wanted to hit us in the financial department and soros uses that method to ruin countries.
It just feels so planned.........in my opinion.
The thrifty measures Obama ordered for federal agencies are the equivalent of asking a family that spends $60,000 in a year to save $6.
The ship is sinking. Find a lifeboat and stand by it. You wont be waiting long....<<<
I do think you are right, at the rate obama is going, we will all be in camps before the year is out and the effort to survive will push all memories of money in the bank and home ownership from our minds.
His saving a hundred million dollars today, was a joke, meant to lull us into thinking he was doing his job.
With all the crooks and crooked games, it is amazing that we are still called a country, for they are sure working hard to ruin it.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2234039/posts
Computer Spies Breach Fighter-Jet Project
foxnews.com ^ | April 21, 2009
Posted on Monday, April 20, 2009 10:16:52 PM by rdl6989
WASHINGTON Computer spies have broken into the Pentagon’s $300 billion Joint Strike Fighter project the Defense Department’s costliest weapons program ever according to current and former government officials familiar with the attacks.
Similar incidents have also breached the Air Force’s air-traffic-control system in recent months, these people say. In the case of the fighter-jet program, the intruders were able to copy and siphon off several terabytes of data related to design and electronics systems, officials say, potentially making it easier to defend against the craft.
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