Cyrena,
I wish that you were right when you said, “President Obama and his new administration are so far just doing all the stuff they promised to do.” I too hope that Obama will keep his promises except at least on Afghanistan. But the links below tell us otherwise on some issues.

Obama has stated many times that he can’t do it alone. He needs the people to make him do what needs to be done just as the abolitionists did for Lincoln, labor did for FDR, and civil rights activists did for LBJ. LBJ said to MLK, you have me convinced now go out and put the pressure on to make me do it (loose paraphrase).

The Left must all organize and mobilize. The power is supposed to be in the people, but there is no effective way to wield it, no mechanism. One may ask, what about voting. My answer, are you joking?

What does the Left mobilize around? What is the root of almost all our country’s problems? Answer: Money in politics. The only way to loose the grip of the moneyed interests is by having publicly funded elections. That will be the wedge in the door for further reform. Money is not speech, and a corporation, because of its potential immortality, etc., should not have the rights of an individual. Big business has run this county since its inception. If Big Money continues to call the shots we will commit the Earth’s inhabitants (mostly human) to a slow violent death due to wars over resources like water and territory.

http://www.propublica.org/article/first-obama-bill-falls-short-on-transparency-pledge

http://www.propublica.org/article/quick-picks-obamas-elastic-ethics-and-stimulus-package-pork-090129

http://www.propublica.org/article/obama-lobbyists-i-cant-quit-you-090129

Nothing Obama could do would be more important than expanding labor unions to increase the power of the working class and the American people.  which is why he is not going to do it.  His neoliberal backers who own the banks and corporations wouldn’t like it. 

Indeed, the working class itself has been defined out of existence in the mainstream truth, workers now being ‘middle class.’  Indeed, at the supermarket I noticed that there were no workers there any more, all the checkers, etc had become ‘associates.’

Cyrena really apporves of Obams saying that there is no conflict between the workers and oweners, deep bullshit even by Cyrena’s standards.  By cutting pay and increasing work hours corporations increase profits.  By increasing pay and decreasing work hours, putting in saftey equipement, etc, corporations increase profits

The work year of American workers has incrreased by a 164 hours the past thirty years, a full month a year.  And their pay has decreased despite the increase in productivity and gross output.  Guess where the money has gone.

Well, I continue to be impressed but not surprised. President Obama and his new administration are so far just doing all the stuff they promised to do. I don’t know how long it will take to undo ALL of the Dick Bush damage, but Obama isn’t wasting any time.
From the article:
•  “I do not view the labor movement as part of the problem,” Mr. Obama said. “To me, it’s part of the solution.”

  But the president said there need not be a conflict between “the interests of workers and the interests of shareholders,” and that American   business and industry could be “lean and mean” and thus competitive in the global marketplace.

  Mr. Biden said that, by lifting the middle class, the new administration   would improve life for the poor — “and by the way, the wealthy do better   as well. Everyone does better.”

~~~

“…there need –not- be a CONFLICT between ‘the interests of workers and the interests of shareholders..”

BINGO!! Indeed there doesn’t HAVE to be a ‘conflict’ if shareholders don’t expect unreasonable returns on their investments, (which can only be accomplished at the expense of workers) and if we strip the payout to all of the corporate execs. THAT’S where the ‘conflict’ occurs..when the execs are ‘earning’ between 600 and 800 percent more than the worker doing the production, and giving themselves jillion dollar bonuses on top of it.

What Biden is saying is of course far more than rhetoric. Everyone else, (INCLUDING the wealthy) fare far better with a healthy middle class. That’s another no-brainer, but so many don’t get that.

OH…thanks for the link to the website. It’s pretty cool. Same continuing theme of encouraging inclusiveness.