Auckland Uni "Jihadis"

Someone just sent me this email.

I have deleted the name and some identifying text.

This could be a hoax, but knowing what I know about Students for Justice in Palestine and the "Urewera 17", I believe it is genuine.

You need to look closer at XXXXX XXXXXXXX and others in Students for Justice in Palestine who advocate violence against "Zionist" targets, including synagogues and the Israeli consulate. They are very closely linked to the Tuhoe separatists and other anarchist and militant groups. Hamed is a member of SJP and purportedly was training in guerrilla techniques in the Ureweras prior to departing for Palestine. Hameet Sooden, the guy who was held hostage in Iraq, is a SJP member who was just forcibly deported from Israel as a "security threat" while supposedly in transit to Gaza as a "witness" for peace.

XXXXX (an Afghan refugee and graduate student in Politics at Auckland) was supposedly scheduled to begin training in the Ureweras when the raids happened. XXX has repeatedly called for the targeting of Jews and jewish interests in NZ as part of the global jihad campaign, but for some reason is protected by people in AUSA and Politics at Auckland. There are several others in SJP, mostly of Arab extraction, who wish to bring the jihadist struggle closer to home. All of this is well known in student political circles at Auckland, but neither they or the administration dare say anything against SJP or these individuals.

I'd like to thank the person who sent this as it certainly fills in some gaps. Auckland uni has been "jihad" capital NZ for several years now. I don't know a lot about the scene there these days, so I welcome any information.

You know I will use it.

Key SJP activists at Auckland in recent years have been Omar Hamed (Urewera 17), Joseph Smith, Miriam Pierard, Mustafa Al ZaqZoouq, Sahar Ghumkhor, Zaeem Baksh (also Waikato)and Harmeet Singh Sooden.

I am interested in all these people, plus the activities of other SJP activists in Hamilton and Wellington.

Any connection to the anarchist community, the "Urewera 17", socialist or Green groups would also be very welcome.

Probably best to email me privately.

Thanks again.

Spoooky!

This is Twilight Zone stuff.

Who is this man!

He is the leader of a political party. He is about to fight the election of his life, one that will decide the direction of his country for generations to come. He is the underdog.

He is regarded as a political maverick, who in the past has challenged his own party's leadership.

He hales from the southern part of his country, an area known for its hot dry winds and often arid parched soils. Its people are tough but very laid back.

He has been embroiled in a do or die battle with another politician that has held the country's interest like no other political event in decades.

His opponent is a lawyer turned politician, a "man of color" as the Americans say. His opponent is telegenic, charming, charismatic and known for his oratory.

His opponent promises to represent the small man, but is backed by big business. He is surrounded by scandals and the stench of corruption, but his supporters still regard him as a hero. The more he is attacked the more his supporters defend him against the "conspirators". To many of his supporters he is the "second coming". To some of his detractors he is the anti Christ incarnate. Many regard his organisation as more of a personality cult than a political movement.

Our man is out to expose his his slick, snake oil selling opponent for the charlatan he is. The reputation of his country depends on it.

Our man is a fan of New Zealand and its people. He is believed to be in favour of a New Zealand/US Free Trade Deal.

He has holidayed in Vietnam.

Recently he confirmed his electoral 2IC.

She is a 44 year old, gun-toting super mother of 5. She is attractive, dedicated, intelligent and youthful. She is known as a strong campaigner against government waste and is a committed supporter of her country's Armed Forces.

She is heavily involved in her community.

She comes from humble roots and was raised in a tiny town on the edge of a region far distant from her country's capital. It is a land opened up by 19th century goldminers and barely civilised by the merchants, farmers and schoolteachers who followed them.

It is a land known for its salmon and trout filled rivers, icy mountain lakes, stunning mountain scenery and icy polar storms and blizzards.

She is a woman who has worked her way up on merit and has a great future ahead of her in her country's government.

Who is our man? Who is his deputy?

Find out here

Anarchists, Socialists and Greens Rally to Defend Urewera "Terrorists"

From Indymedia

On a cold and miserable day, the cries of "No More Police State!" echoed through Central Auckland's Queen Street as over 200 Maori, trade unionists and left wingers joined a rally to defend the Urewewa 20, and remember the State Terror Raids of October 15th last year.


The movement has previously been successful in forcing the State to drop the charges under the Terrorism Suppression Act, and now begins the campaign to drop all charges against the accused. The vocal launch of the campaign today brought many cheers and claps of support from Saturday shoppers on CBD streets, and signals the fact that the upcoming trials will be fought with a strident political campaign on the streets, and will unite people from many of Aotearoa's causes and communities.


There were banners and contingents from Tuhoe, Unite, Socialist Aotearoa, the Workers Party, and Auckland's Anarcha-Feminist collective, with individuals from the NDU, Green Party and Maoridom. Keith Locke spoke about how angry he was that Tame Iti was being treated by the Labour Party as a terrorist and not as a leader of the Tuhoe people. Roger Fowler from RAM sang a song about Pastor Neimoller, and how all our civil rights are under attack when a State begins picking us off minority by minority. Omar Hamed, an arrestee well known and loved by the Auckland Left, told people of the events planned to build the campaign over the next week, including the forum this Tuesday Sept 2nd addressed by Tino activist Sina Brown-Davis, co-hosted by Socialist Aotearoa and the Auckland Anarchist Network.

People left in high spirits, with the movement that began last October 15th re-ignited and ready to fight. Kia kaha!

Obama-file 25 CCDS Marxist-Leninists Come Out for Obama

Obama-file 24 here


The Committees for Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism (CCDS)is, after Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and Communist Party USA (CPUSA), the third largest most influential marxist group in the USA. Formed in 1992 from a large split in the CPUSA, CCDS is influential in Chicago, New York, California and some other centres in the union movement and in black communities.

All three organisations are backing Barack Obama in the coming US election. The CPUSA is largely using its own resources in the unions and the social movements while DSA and CCDS (which have a large cross membership) are working closely together, particularly through Progressives for Obama.

Chicago CCDS has long supported Barack Obama.


CCDS National Committee member Carl Davidson worked with Obama in the New Party in the mid/late '90s and helped organise the famous 2002 peace rally where Obama first came out strongly against the Iraq war.





CCDS Advisory Board member Timuel Black is a long term friend and supporter of the Senator from Illinois.Timuel Black's wife Zenobia Johnson-Black is one several CCDS linked endorsers of the Progressives for Obama website.



Other long term Obama supporters such as Barbara Lee and Danny K Davis also have CCDS connections.

CCDS revealed just how committed they are to an Obama presidency in this recent statement.

A Critical Moment
A Message to CCDS Membership
August 10, 2008

With less than three months remaining before the November 4th general election, CCDS members together with all left and progressive forces are urged to work wholeheartedly to ensure a massive defeat at the polls for John McCain and his war-mongering, neo-conservative, right-wing sponsors.

Only a massive turnout of new, young, African American, Latino, Asian American, trade union, and progressive voters casting a ballot for Barack Obama can insure this defeat. We must find ways to argue the stakes inherent in a McCain win on key issues: ending the war, the faltering economy, creating “green” jobs, a sustainable environment, universal health care, and restoring the right to organize unions.

The various smears, racism and fear mongering surrounding the first viable African American presidential candidacy are making inroads among large segments of the public. CCDS members have a role to play in challenging the racism, joining with broad efforts like that of the petition campaign against Fox TV’s racist characterizations of the Obamas organized by the Color of Change. Hip hop artist, Das and 150 others delivered 620,000 signatures to Fox TV’s studios in Manhattan in July.

It is important to find ways to pressure the Obama campaign from an independent platform, and resist efforts to demoralize, sidetrack, and divide the movement to elect Obama. Progressives For Obama (P4O) is one such vehicle. It emerged in March 2008 during the primary campaign and has become a viable voice of critical support from the left, aiming to countervail the growing right-wing pressures on the Obama campaign.

We urgently ask CCDS members to link up with local campaigns and organizations like Progressives for Obama (P4O) to infuse the election campaign with the issues that matter most – and making the campaign at the base a deeply progressive project.

The NEC, at its most recent meeting, discussed issuing a message urging members in local areas to help build Progressives for Obama. At the launch of P4O, a draft call was issued by Tom Hayden, Bill Fletcher, Barbara Ehrenreich, and Danny Glover. Carl Davidson, a member of the NCC of CCDS, is a key organizer and moderator of the P4O web blog. The list of endorsers has grown impressively to include leaders of labor, peace and justice organizations, and leading progressive individuals.

In a message from Carl Davidson about what you can do with P4O, he writes:

In addition to signing up and giving us some financial support:

Work locally to expand the electorate in a younger, more progressive direction. Register new voters, and work with other groups, including the young people around the Obama campaign. If it's a normal election, McCain can win. If it's not, and turnout is new and different, we have a good shot. It really boils down to that.
Get out the vote. Registering doesn't help if they don't go to the polls. Again, work with others and the Obama youth, to do this. Be resolute, don't get sidetracked by the bumpy ride, stick to the slogan, “Stop McCain, Stop the War, Vote Obama 2008!”

Get outside the usual comfort zones and make new allies. We're going to need them to wage struggle with the Obama White House in 2009.

Hook all this up with a local progressive blog or two or three, or start one yourself. For example see: www.beavercountyblue.org. Be a public face, then link to others across the country and with us nationally. This is the scaffolding of a national network.

If you're up for adventure, come to Denver for the Democratic National Convention. Hook up with Tent State, P4O, PDA (Progressive Democrats of America), UFPJ and the Nation Magazine. We’ll put you to work!

CCDS members have a lot to contribute as an independent force committed to advance the fight for peace and for a massive jobs program in this year’s crucial elections. From this perspective we urge members to consider joining and or supporting Progressives for Obama with our ideas, activism and financial support. For more information, go to: http://progressivesforobama.blogspot.com

For those members and friends who are supporting other independent candidates, we urge that we go forward together to register new voters, fight hard on the issues and lay the groundwork for expanding and consolidating the progressive majority.

Let us know what you are doing and share your stories. Write a note on the CCDS membership list serve or send to the national office for the next issue of the Mobilizer (deadline: end of August). Address: CCDS, 545 Eighth Ave, Rm 1420, NY, NY 10018.

National Executive Committee
CCDS

Obama-file 26 here

International Day of Solidarity for Urewera 17

Anarchists in several New Zealand centres, Melbourne and further afield, are to hold an international day of action tomorrow. The events are in solidarity with their comrades arrested for playing soldiers in the Ureweras last October 15th.

Biden-The Best The Left Could Hope For

The Marxists of Democratic Socialists of America endorsed Barack Obama in 1996-and have backed him ever since.

It appears they don't find his vice presidential running mate Joe Biden too foul either.

from the Young Democratic Socialists website


He’s no Bernie Sanders or Dennis Kucinich, but Joe Biden is probably the best the left could have hoped for Barack Obama to pick as his running mate. A Biden pick means that the next Democratic White House will be relatively free from significant influence by the center-right Democratic Leadership Council (DLC).

This would not have been true if Obama had chosen Hillary Clinton, Evan Bayh,Tim Kaine, Tom Daschle, Bill Richardson, Kathleen Sebelius, Mark Warner, Jim Webb, or Brian Schweitzer, all of whom are DLC members; or Wesley Clark or Chet Edwards, both of whom might as well be DLC members.

Biden is by no means a socialist or even a social democrat, but his political perspective is informed by the traditional, center-left ideology of the Democratic Party. He understands the concerns of working class voters and has a strongly pro labor record in the Senate; he offers a sensible and realistic foreign policy perspective; and he has been thoroughly progressive on many social issues.

His nomination for vice president should be hailed as true progress by the American left.

West's Main Enemies Meet

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is the new Warsaw Pact-with money and oil. Grouping Russia, China and much of Central Asia into an economic and security alliance, SCO will become the West's greatest threat in years to come. Especially if they succeed in drawing India, Pakistan and Iran further into their orbit.

From the Communist Party of China website


Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) meets with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan, Aug. 27, 2008. The Chinese and Russian presidents are in Dushanbe for Thursday's Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev met in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe Wednesday to discuss furthering bilateral relations.

"I'm very glad to meet you again in just over a month," President Hu told Medvedev, whom he met on the sidelines of the outreach sessions of the Group of Eight Summit in Japan on July 9.

Medvedev briefed Hu the issue of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, as well as Russia's stance.

China has noticed the latest development in the region, expecting all sides concerned to properly settle the issue through dialogue and coordination, Hu said.

On the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Hu stressed that the SCO is embracing new opportunities and also confronted with challenges.

He suggested that China and Russia work along with other SCO members to enhance coordination and push forward the cooperation in politics, trade, economy and security within the SCO.

Russian-Chinese cooperation plays an important role in the development of Central Asia, Medevedev said, noting Russia will strengthen coordination and cooperation within the SCO in a bid tojointly preserve peace and stability in the region.

On bilateral relations, Hu said the China-Russia partnership of strategic cooperation has maintained a sound momentum of development.

Medvedev hailed the development of bilateral relations, saying to carry out substantial cooperation with China is an important direction in Russia's external cooperation.

Hu and Medvedev are in Dushanbe for Thursday's Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, which will focus on economic, security and cultural cooperation in the region.

Founded in Shanghai on June 15, 2001, the SCO groups China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Mongolia, Pakistan, Iran and India are observers of the SCO.

Obama's Communist Mentor Frank Marshall Davis More Famous by the Day

After hitting the Telegraph recently, the boyhood relationship between Barack Obama and long time Communist Party activist Frank Marshall Davis has hit the mainstream American media.

Both Newsweek and Time have commented on the relationship, though as expected both, particularly Newsweek have tried to downplay it.

My colleague Cliff Kincaid of Accuracy in Media points out the omissions and inaccuracies here.

The genie is well out of the bottle.

Obama-file 24 Obama's Major Socialist Supporter

Obama file 23 here

Barack Obama is the Democratic Party candidate for the US presidency largely because of the support of two Marxist organisations-Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)and the Communist Party USA (CPUSA).

Together these two groups have strong ties to the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), at 70 strong, the largest power bloc inside the US Congress.

Many CPC members are supporters of Obama including rep. John Conyers and caucus co-chair rep. Barbara Lee. Both Conyers and Lee have longstanding ties to DSA and CPUSA.

Another strong Obama supporter, Major Owens was also until his retirement in 2007 a leading member of the CPC.





While the Brooklyn Democratic Party backed Hillary Clinton in the primary race, Major Owens came out early and strong for Barack Obama.

In October 2007, one day after Hillary Clinton received the endorsement of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, former congressman Owens released this statement

"Obama stands for the concerns of the masses in the black community who have been let down by the broken promises of past leadership. Our leadership on both sides of the aisle has continued to fail us by supporting the war in Iraq and by standing by while poverty, disparities in our healthcare system and lack of affordable education opportunities for young people weaken our communities. It is time to shake loose from the past and Senator Obama’s record shows that he will deliver on his promise to stand up for us in the White House.”


Major Owens was destined to be an Obama supporter. In 1983 Owens inherited his seat in the 11th District of New York, Brooklyn, from another African American, the late Shirley Chisholm. From a Communist Party background, Chisholm was the first black woman to enter Congress. in 1972 she made an unsuccessful run for the Democratic Party presidential nomination against George McGovern. One of her campaign workers was Barbara Lee who was inspired by the experience to seek out her own political career.

Owens was regarded as one of the most far left Democrats in the House. The DSA infiltrated Americans for Democratic Action rated his latter voting record at 90-95 percent on the left side of legislation. Owens also helped found the Congressional Black Caucus, which he chaired 1995-96.

Like fellow congressmen (and Obama supporters) Danny K Davis and John Conyers, Major Owens has long been card-carrying member of DSA. In 1997 he participated in the annual DSA-sponsored Socialists Scholars Conference at the City University of New York-the same conferences Obama attended when studying in New York in the early '80s

Like Davis, Conyers and Barbara Lee, Owens has a history of supporting Communist Party linked organisations.

In March 1985 Owens endorsed the National Preparatory Committee for the 12th World Festival of Youth and Students in New York-established to send delegates to an international gathering organised by the Soviet front World Federation of Democratic Youth.

In 2006, while still a congressman, Owens showed his true colors at the national convention of the CPUSA's youth wing, the Young Communist League.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Determined to fight for a better future and to beat back the ultra-right, over 250 members, friends and allies of the Young Communist League USA gathered at the Marriott Hotel here May 27-29 for the YCL’s 8th National Convention.


Rep. Major Owens (D-N.Y.) welcomed participants “on behalf of all the progressive forces of the nation and the world.” “To hell with employers who exploit and cause poverty,” he told the crowd. “There are people who care about humanity, to stop exploiting workers, who want health care instead of a war in Iraq. I hope your youthful energy can provide the spirit to confront the tough politics ahead.”

The same year Owens was honoured at a Communist Party function in New York.

Rep. Major Owens will be honored at the annual “Better World Awards” for his years of progressive struggle in Congress. Also being honored is Betty Smith, president of International Publishers and longtime fighter for peace and democracy. Elena Mora, chair of the N.Y. State Communist Party, will discuss the recent election results.

If only Major Owens were 30 years younger, perhaps Barack Obama wouldn't have had to search so long for a vice presidential running mate.

Obama file 25 here

Green Party file 3 Jeanette Fitzsimons, Covert Socialist?

Green Party file 2 here

If anybody epitomises the Green Party's deceptive public persona it is long time party leader Jeanette Fitzsimons.


Outwardly gentle, moderate and oh so green, Jeanette Fitzsimons is, for many people, the reassuring face of the Green Party. No Sue Bradford fanaticism, or Keith Locke loony leftism with Jeanette-what you see is what you get. Or is it?

Like all decievers, even Jeanette Fitzsimons lets her guard down occasionally.

At Easter 1994 a large Green Left conference was held in Sydney, organised by the Australian Democratic Socialist Party (DSP). As deceptive as their New Zealand Green Party friends, the DSP, despite their name, is an hard core communist party.


A Democratic Socialist Party march, mid 90s.

Said DSP leader Susan Price in the party's Green Left Weekly magazine of 26th April 1995 “The DSP is a Marxist-Leninist party, and we don't think that is a bad thing."

The Green Left conference attracted left wing activists from Australasia, Asia, Africa and North and South America. Attendees were virtually all Marxist-Leninists or Greens and included several New Zealanders including Keith Locke and Jeanette Fitzsimons representing the New Zealand Alliance Party and the Greens respectively.

From Green Left Weekly 13th April 1994 The International Green Left Conference, held over the Easter long weekend at the University of New South Wales, brought together a wide range of activists and concerned individuals to discuss and debate the ecological and social problems currently facing the world.

The highly successful conference grew out of an initiative of the Democratic Socialist Party. It involved some 900 participants in conference sessions and/or public meetings. They came from all over Australia and around the world.

The conference discussed how to further build and strengthen the movements for social change through panels, workshops and plenary sessions which explored new approaches to increasingly complex challenges. Major themes included socialism, feminism, environmental politics, labour struggles and international solidarity.

International guests spoke of political developments in their countries and how they are organising in new parties and formations. Jeanette Fitzsimons, Green Party member and deputy co-leader of the New Zealand Alliance, described the Alliance's improved electoral chances under the new, more democratic, proportional representation system in that country...

The panel... “How can we build a sustainable society”, was one of the best attended and included Jeanette Fitzsimons, Graham Mathews from the Democratic Socialist Party, and Dr Nguyen Khac Kinh, deputy director of Vietnam's National Environment Agency. The broad and open views discussed highlighted the importance of linking green and left perspectives in reaching common strategies and goals.

Other references claim that Peter Camejo from the US also spoke at this forum. Camejo, was once described by Ronald Reagan as one the 10 most dangerous men in California. He was in 1976, a presidential candidate for the Trotskyiste, Socialist Workers Party, in the early '90s a leader of the Communist Party USA off-shoot Committees of Correspondence and in 2002, stood for the Green Party against Arnold Schwarzeneggerer for the governorship of California. Camejo openly describes himself as a "watermelon", "green on the outside, red on the inside".

Perhaps Peter Camejo is more honest than our own Green Party leader.

Another highlight of the event was the launching at the conference dinner of Links magazine, a "new international journal of socialist renewal and discussion".

This project involves a range of activists from left parties and organisations including the Democratic Socialist Party, the US Committees of Correspondence, Brazilian Workers Party, South African Communist Party, the New Zealand Alliance and the Leninist opposition in the Communist Party of the Philippines. "It is aimed at promoting discussion and greater understanding between the forces for socialism that are actively involved in building parties and organisations."

According to another participant, US Trotskyist, Committees of Correspondence and Green Party member Malik Miah Links aimed at "promoting discussion and greater understanding between the forces for socialism that are actively involved in building parties and organizations. An exclusive interview with Sandinista leader and former Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega is the lead article in the first issue....two articles on socialist renewal in the Communist Party of the Philippines; a report on left unity in South Africa; an article on left regroupment in the U.S...

The editorial board includes Jeremy Cronin, a leader of the South African Communist Party (SACP)and editor of The African Communist; Langa Zita from the SACP and the South African metalworkers union; Dr. Francisco Nemenzo from the Philippines; Baddegama Samitha from the New Socialist Party of Sri Lanka; and leading members from the New Zealand Alliance, the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), the Farabundo Mart¡ National Liberation Front(FMLN) and the Fourth International."


According to Links editor Peter Boyle "This is a project involving the left from the Communist Party, the Trotskyist, Maoist, ex-Social Democratic, independent left and liberation theology traditions. We all have in common a desire for socialist renewal based on support for democracy, feminism, ecological sustainability and internationalism."

Unfortunately I don't know whether or not Jeanette Fitzsimons took out a subscription. However her colleague Keith Locke did have an article in the second edition and Alliance colleague Matt McCarten did score a spot on the editorial board.

Jeanette Fitzsimons also spoke at another conference forum on women in politics

According to Green Left Weekly 29th June 1994.Four women from different countries and different political backgrounds discussed their experiences at the International Green Left Conference held in Sydney over Easter. The panel involved Greens (WA) Senator Christabel Chamarette; Luciana Castellina, a member of the Directorate of the Party of Communist Refoundation in Italy and of the European Parliament; Dulce Maria Pereira, a Workers Party (PT) alternate senator in the Sao Paulo State Assembly in Brazil, and Jeanette Fitzsimons, spokesperson for the New Zealand Green Party and co-deputy leader and of the New Zealand Alliance.

The Party of Communist Refoundation is a left split from the old Italian Communist Party which was regarded as too moderate. The Brazillian Workers Party is an alliance of communists, Trotskyists, liberation theologians, black activists and greens-a model in fact for the New Zealand Alliance Party of the '90s.

While Jeanette Fitzsimons never mentions the "S" word when speaking to the media in this country, she was less guarded when among friends. Fitzsimons told the DSP's Green Left Weekly number 147, June 1994 "If socialism is to survive as a relevant political movement in the 21st century, it must develop a response to the ecological crisis and a socialist strategy to build a sustainable future. Green Left Weekly provides the tools of information and analysis to make that possible."

Would New Zealand voters support Jeanette Fitzsimons if they saw her rubbing shoulders with 900 of the most hard core communists on the planet and spouting off about socialism?

What do you think?

Green Party file 4 here

Our Passion to Destroy Capitalism ... Remains Unwavering'

From Links-journal of the Australian Democratic Socialist Perspective

Our passion to destroy capitalism ... remains unwavering': Declaration of the African Conference on Participatory Democracy

Johannesburg Declaration of the African Conference on Participatory Democracy

August 16, 2008


South African Communist Party leader Blade Nzimande addresses the conference.

As comrades and compatriots, gathered in Johannesburg, South Africa, August 14-16, 2008, from all parts of the world, at the African Conference on Participatory Democracy, hosted by the South African Communist Party and the Swedish Left Party under the auspices of the International Left Forum declare the following:.

1. The African continent has been, and continues to be, ravaged by effects of neo-colonialism, the comprador bourgeoisie and imperialism, devastated by curable diseases -- amongst them TB, Malaria, underdevelopment, abject poverty and squalor living conditions affecting the majority of its inhabitants amidst its riches. That, the African continent is a repository of rich minerals -- gold, diamond, coal, platinum, plants, water and oxygen resources and others.

2. The capitalist system and imperialist forces continue to plunder these riches at the expense of the majority whilst enriching a small capitalist class and some corrupt African leaders chosen to defeat substantive democracy and perpetuate a neo-liberal democratic outlook that promises rights without substance.

3. Our revolutionary support and commitment to the total liberation of the people of Africa, humanity as a whole, the working class, rural communities and peasants, free from exploitation, capitalist slavery and the commodification of human life remains unwavering.

4. Conference called on progressive forces throughout the continent and world to remain combat ready and immersed as the vanguard of everyday battles of the working class, to free the world from imperialism, neo-colonialism with all its remnants and vestiges.

5. Our passion to destroy capitalism wherever it may be, to free society from crass materialism and consumerism and to advance to a society that is democratic, co-operative and communal remains unwavering.

6. Conference committed to struggle and fight for Socialism, which is the only viable solution to the neo-colonial and capitalist crisis, putting human needs before greed.

7. Conference agreed that Socialism is the future and we must build it NOW!

8. Our unwavering solidarity among the progressive forces of the left, to join hands and strengthen organisational capacity to build a world solidarity movement, more organised and structured, assertive and militant.

9. We pledge our progressive solidarity with the left formations that continue to operate under dangerous conditions of illegality for example in Egypt and Cameroon.

10. We pledge our solidarity and continued focus on hotspots around the world that are currently under extreme violent capitalist oppression and in urgent need of relief and basic democratic rights in particular the people of Western Sahara, Darfur, Palestine, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Somali, Burma and so on.

11. We pledge our commitment to the struggle for the total emancipation of women from patriarchy, religious bigotry, capitalism, racial and tribal oppression. Conference condemns the raping of women and girls and all other forms of violence.

12. We condemn in the strongest terms, the practice of child labour and child soldiers; this practice is an abominable true face of capitalism.

13. We resolve to contribute to speeding up the resolution of the land question, especially in Africa, where our people remain landless, homeless and enslaved.

14. We declare that, trade unions are potentially an important component in the struggle for socialism. We pledged to work to build progressive trade unions.

15. We commit to work with progressive forces amongst the working class, women's organisations, religious, youth, children, the elderly and so on to end this crisis of capitalism.

16. We commit ourselves to build organisational capacity and leadership to promote popular participatory democracy.

17. We pledge our solidarity with the people of Latin America who are struggling to build an alternative society to the barbarism of capitalism based on human solidarity.

18. We pledge our solidarity and support to the Cuban revolution and call for the end of evil USA economic blockade and demand the unconditional release of the five Cuban heroes detained in the USA.

19. That in all the above struggles, intentions and plans of action, participatory democracy must not, cannot and will not be sacrificed for undemocratic, dogmatic and authoritarian practices, so often destroying our best intentions.

20. We call upon all communists and socialists on the African continent to work to exploit all the available democratic space to advance the cause for socialism and to promote networking among African socialists and progressive forces. The SACP was called upon to promote this regular contacts among African progressives.

We, the participants of the African Conference on Participatory Democracy declare unashamedly, proudly and with the greatest passion, that history is not complete, until capitalism and all its vestiges come to a shameful end, and the road of the human race is lit with love for one another and with lit with Socialism.

As socialists we pledge to defend democracy, human rights and political pluralism.

Conference expressed its gratitude to the South African Communist Party and the Swedish Left Party for facilitating and hosting this historic conference on the African continent.

Conference also received and acknowledged messages of support from the communists, workers and radical left forces all over the world for which it was very grateful for.

SOCIALISM IS THE FUTURE. BUILD IT NOW!

Names of organisations present:

1. Communist Party of Egypt.
2. South African Communist Party
3. Young Communist League of South Africa
4. COSATU
5. ANC
6. Young Left of Sweden
7. Press Freedom Committee of the Post - Zambia
8. Left International Forum
9. Peace and Democracy Project
10. Development Work
11. South African Political Economy Series
12. Communist Party of Sudan
13. Communist Party of Greece
14. United Democratic Forces - Inkingi (Rwanda)
15. Kabale Socialist Club - Uganda
16. Communist Party of Brazil
17. Centre for Multi Party Democracy - Kenya
18. Left Party of Sweden
19. South African Commercial Catering and Allied Workers Union
20. Public Entity
21. People's United Democratic Movement - Swaziland
22. Centre for Policy Dialogue
23. Polisario Frente
24. Democratic Progressive Party - Malawi
25. Social Demlocratic Party - Kenya
26. Botswana National Front
27. National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa
28. National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union
29. Communist Party of Lesotho
30. Centre for Civil Society - SA
31. Centre for Policy Dialogue - Zambia
32. Khulumani Support Group - SA
33. MSP (Brazil Landless Workers Movement) - Brazil
34. National Union of Mineworkers
35. National Peasant Union - Mozambique
36. SACCOL
37. Sikhulasonke Women on Farms
38. Swaziland Youth Congress
39. Communist Party of Cuba
40. Western Sahara Solidarity Forum
41. New Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV)

Statement issued August 17, 2008.

Party Vote ACT!

South Africa Builds Relations With Cuba

South Africa rapidly heading down the gurgler. Time for NZ to cut sporting links with the Republic I think.

From Cuba's Prensa Latina

Havana, Aug 25 Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque met Monday in Havana with his South African counterpart, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, to discuss bilateral relations.


Perez Roque welcomed Zuma at the Cuban Foreign Ministry headquearters.

During the meeting, the Cuban official thanked the South African government and people for their solidarity towards the island state.

He also praised the active role the African country is playing within the Non Aligned Movement and the United Nations.

Current international issues as well bilateral cooperation were also addressed by the two ministers.

Cuba and South Africa have similar approaches to various issues collectively embodied in the South agenda, with both countries advocating for increased cooperation amongst countries of the region and a redefinition of relationship between the North and South.

Bilateral relations are strong, dating back to the prominent and decisive role played by Cuba in the struggle and victory against Apartheid and colonialism in South Africa.

Zuma began her official visit after presiding over the regional conference of South Africa"s ambassadors and high commissioners based in the Americas and the Caribbean, held in Varadero, Cuba.

She is also scheduled to meet Cuban Minister of Foreign Investments and Economic Cooperation Marta Lomas Morales.

UK Telegragh "Outs" Obama's Bent Mentor

Look what an humble Kiwi blogger started.


New Zeal was the first to expose Barack Obama's boyhood relationship with Communist Party USA member Frank Marshall Davis in this post in March 2007.

After Cliff Kincaid of Accuracy in Media picked up the story in February 2008, the news went viral.

The Obama/Frank Marshall Davis story has been featured on thousands of blogs and websites and has turned an obscure black poet into hot study topic for hundreds of researchers.

Now the British Daily Telegraph has taken things to a new level.

In a major article the Telegraph's US correspondent Toby Harnden has revealed several new facts about the relationship.

Harnden reveals that Obama's grandfather introduced the boy to Davis in 1970, at the age of 10. This means that Davis was influencing Obama for eight or nine years until he left Hawaii for university at the age of 18. While Obama has tried to portray his Kansas born grandfather as a source of traditional mid Western values, Harnden describes Grandpa Dunham sharing whiskey and marijuana with Davis.

Most shockingly Harnden reveals that Davis was the author (under the pseudonym Bob Greene) of a 1968 memoir entitled "Sex Rebel". Davis later admitted that the book is autobiographical. "Sex Rebel" boasts of cruising an Honolulu park for sex with couples and single women, bondage, bisexuality and episodes of group sex with his first wife and a thirteen year old girl entrusted to Davis by her aunt.

This has now gone ballistic on the US blogosphere and has even inspired this cartoon from Day by Day


Harnden slips a little in calling Davis an "alleged" communist.

Frank Marshall Davis was participating in well documented communist fronts in the late 1930s. During World War 2 he formally, though secretly, joined the Communist Party in Chicago. After the war Davis was active in communist cells in Hawaii and was still listed as supporting a well documented communist front, The Committee for the Protection of the Foreign Born as late as 1973-three years after meeting young Barry Obama.

Cliff Kincaid tells the story much better here.

Libz "Out" Red Greens

Great anti Green Party vid from the Libz. Using a bit of my info I might add. Happy to see it used to such good purpose.

Pass it on.



Hat Tip Not PC

"Outing" Obama

Hat Tip The Autonomist

Ayers in Hugo Chavez's Venezuela

Biden on Obama

What does Obama's VP choice Joe Biden think of his new boss?



Hat Tip The Autonomist

Obama file 23 Alice Palmer-Obama's Soviet Sympathising Patroness

Obama file 22 here

At every point in Barack Obama's spectacular career, there has been a socialist ready to help.

Few people have done as much to help Barack Obama as did Alice Palmer. Few have been so quickly abandoned.


The story of how Illinois State Senator Alice Palmer anointed the up and coming Barack Obama as her chosen successor is well known. In 1995 Palmer introduced Obama to many of Chicago's radical elite in the home of former Weather Underground terrorists Bill Ayres and Bernadine Dohrn. Also present was Obama's long time friend, neighbour and supporter Quentin Young, a member since 1983 of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Young was once accused by the House Committee on UnAmerican Activities of being a member of the Communist Party USA-specifically the North Chicago based communist doctors branch, the Bethune Club.

Alice Palmer promoted Obama to a much wider audience than the Ayers/Dorhn circle.

According to the New Yorker July 21 2008

On on September 19th, Obama invited some two hundred supporters to a lakefront Ramada Inn to announce his candidacy for the State Senate...Alice Palmer introduced Obama, and an account in the Hyde Park Herald quoted more from her speech than from his; it was, after all, chiefly her endorsement that certified him as a plausible candidate. “In this room, Harold Washington announced for mayor,” Palmer said. “Barack Obama carries on the tradition of independence in this district. . . . His candidacy is a passing of the torch.”

A passing of the torch it was. Harold Washington, Chicago's first black mayor,who had died in office in 1987, was elected by a coalition led by the Communist Party and a group of Marxists who went on to form Democratic Socialists of America.

It was Harold Washington's success that had inspired Barack Obama to come to Chicago in the first place.


Obama during his 1995 campaign

Why did Alice Palmer choose Obama as her successor? What impressed her enough to support the young left wing lawyer?

Did she see in Obama, a kindred soul?

Palmer began working at Malcolm X College in Chicago in the late '60s. She received her Masters degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle Campus and her Ph.D. from Northwestern University where she later became Director of African American Student Affairs.

Palmer, with her husband was also inviolved in the Chicago based Black Press Institute. It was as a representative of this organisation that Palmer served on the executive board of the US Peace Council from 1983 to 1985.

The US Peace Council, was according Rob Prince of the Colorado Federation of Teachers, created by the Communist Party USA.

In Lawrence S Wittner's 2003 book, The Struggle Against the Bomb, Prince, a 15 year veteran of the CPUSA National Council describes how he was "part of a nucleus of Communist party activists" that set up the US Peace Council in 1978/79.

There were several known communists serving alongside Palmer on the Peace Council executive.

Known Party members included Rob Prince, Sara Staggs of the Chicago Peace Council, Frank Chapman of the National Alliance Against Racial and Political Repression, Pauline Rosen of Women's Strike for Peace and Council executive director Mike Myerson.

Several other executive members later joined the CPUSA offshoot Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism including then Mayor of Berkely Gus Newport, Boston academic Mark Solomon, Otis Cunningham of the Chicago Peace Council and current US Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Lee.

The US Peace Council was affiliated to the Soviet controlled and funded World Peace Council.

In 1983 Palmer travelled to Czechoslovakia to the WPC's Prague Assembly, just in time for the launch of the Soviet Union's “nuclear freeze” movement-designed to cement Eastern bloc military superiority over the West.

There is no doubt that Alice Palmer was a Soviet sympathiser. According to Discover the Networks

In June 1986, the Black Press Institute contributed an article, “An Afro-American Journalist on the USSR,” to the Communist Party USA’s newspaper People’s Daily World. The article detailed how Alice Palmer had recently attended the 27th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and had been greatly impressed by the Soviet system.

Judging from statements in the article Palmer was completely seduced by what she saw;

“We Americans can be misled by the major media. We’re being told the Soviets are striving to achieve a comparatively low standard of living compared with ours, but actually they have reached a basic stability in meeting their needs and are now planning to double their production.”

Palmer said that America’s white-owned press “has tended to ignore or distort the gains that have been made [by the Soviets] since [the Russian Revolution of 1917]. But in fact the Soviets are carrying out a policy to resolve the inequalities between nationalities, inequalities that they say were inherited from capitalist and czarist rule. They have a comprehensive affirmative action program, which they have stuck to religiously -- if I can use that word -- since 1917.”

“There is no second-class ‘track’ system in the minority-nationality schools as there is in the inferior inner city schools in my hometown, Chicago, and elsewhere in the United States.”

“The Soviet government and people have always sides with the Africans in South Africa and Namibia against apartheid…. I saw this, too, at the Patrice Lumumba Friendship University in Moscow, where students from underdeveloped countries are trained to become engineers, doctors, nurses, teachers, agricultural specialists and skilled workers. There is no brain drain going on; the students receive a free education and then return to use their talents to build up their own countries.”

By the mid '90s Palmer was involved in another leftist organisation the Illinois Public Action (IPA). Ostensibly a consumer group IPA was one of Illinos' leading leftist pressure groups. Communist Party members Bea and Frank Lumpkin were prominent as were several DSA members including board meber Quentin Young. Other key activists included Bill McNary and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, both later key obama allies.

In 1995 Alice Palmer decided to relinquish her Illinois State Senate Senate seat to run for Congress. Barack Obama served as Palmer's chief of staff during the campaign, but Palmer failed badly, losing the three way race to Jesse Jackson jnr.

According to Wikipedia

Jackson Sr. approached Alice J. Palmer with a deal where they supported her for Congress and she support Junior for her seat in the Illinois State Senate, but Jackson Jr. did not agree with that plan...he decided to run for the seat. Palmer ran and endorsed Barack Obama for her old seat.

Jackson has a lengthy relationship with Barack Obama. The two have collaborated on issues, stood together against the party slate on certain reform-minded candidates and sought each other’s advice. Additionally, Jackson's sister Santita was a close friend of Michelle Obama and served as a bridesmaid at the Obama wedding.

Jesse Jackson jnr now co-chairs Obama's national campaign.

In 2007 Jesse Jackson's wife Sandi, stood successfully for the Chicago City Council-backed by the Communist Party.

After losing to Jackson, Palmer decided to restand for her State Senate seat and asked Obama to stand aside-he refused.

This caused a huge rift and Palmer's friend Timuel Black was called in to mediate. He was unsuccessful, but ended up becoming a friend and supporter of Obama's. Unsurprisingly Black himself was accused of Communist Party membership when he joined the Army during World war Two. today he serves on the advisory board of the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism with Gus Newport.

According to Discover the Networks

Palmer resolved to run against him (and two other opponents who also had declared their candidacy) in the 1996 Democratic primary. To get her name placed on the ballot, Palmer hastily gathered the minimum number of signatures required. Obama promptly challenged the legitimacy of those signatures and charged Palmer with fraud. A subsequent investigation found that a number of the names on Palmer's petition were invalid, thus she was knocked off the ballot.

Obama knocked out the other two candidates by the same method, eventually winning the Democratic primary by default.

Alice Palmer is now a Hillary Clinton supporter.

Obama file 24 here

Anti Smacking Law to Face Referendum

Congratulations to Family First and all the others who gathered enough signatures to force a referendum on the anti smacking legislation.

Family First Media Release 22 August 2008

Family First NZ is welcoming the success of the petition demanding a Referendum on the flawed anti-smacking law.

“To reach the required 285,000 signatures is difficult enough, but the final result shows that an extra 25,000 signatures have been attained. This is evidence of just how strong the opposition to this law is,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“The evidence is pouring in that good families are being both persecuted and also prosecuted with eight prosecutions for minor acts of physical discipline in a recent six month period.”

“The rate of CYF notifications has sky-rocketed yet actual cases of child abuse found are remaining the same, and in some areas like the Waikato, actually falling.”

“The anti-smacking law has failed miserably. You know a law is flawed when it fails to address the problem it was supposed to, and implicates good families in the process. Supporters of the law are trying to herald its success because they incorrectly claim nobody has been prosecuted. But we actually want a law that works and catches actual child abuse!”

A "blow" for freedom.

Green Party File 2 "Radical" Rayna Fahey

Green Party file No 1 here

At No 28 on the Green Party list, Rayna Fahey isn't going to Parliament any time soon. Based in Melbourne, Fahey's job is to muster party votes for the Greens from Victoria's large Kiwi expat community. This is an important role, assigned to a trusted party activist.


Rayna Fahey comes from the anarchist wing of the Green Party and is one of its most militant activists.

Fahey became involved in anarchist politics at Waikato University in the early '00s. She stood for the students association executive in 2001 (Women's Rights officer) and unsuccessfully on the Green ticket for Hamilton City Coucil the same year.

From 2002 to 2005 Fahey worked in Parliament as executive assistant to Green MPs mike Ward and Nandor Tanczos. Like Fahey, Tanczos was a former Waikato University anarchist anarchist and both were well connected to the Wellington radical community.

According to the Green Party website;

Ms Fahey, a Young Greens coordinator...will take over as Nandor’s Executive Assistant this week. Among other portfolios, Nandor is the Green Party spokesperson for Tertiary Education and Youth Affairs.

“Given her experience and energy, Rayna will provide a vital link between students, young people and the Greens,” said Nandor, former editor of Waikato student paper Nexus.

During her time in Wellington was involved in anarchist activities including work with Indymedia, Anti Bypass Action, the anti GE campaign and anti racism/Treaty of Waitangi activism.

In October 2003, while still working for Tanczos, Fahey, joined several other activists in stripping naked and lying down to spell out `No GE' on Parliament's lawn.


This protest was led by well known activist Val Morse. Many of Rayna Fahey's Wellington anarchist friends (including Val Morse and the Bailey siblings) became famous in October 2007 when they were arrested for allegedly participating in terrorist training camps in the Urewera Mountains.

Fahey moved to Australia in 2006 and was soon vey active in the Melbourne anarchist scene and the Victorian Green Party. Other involvements included MadGE Australia (anti GE), Earthsharing Australia and the ultra radical Aboriginal sovereignty group Black GST(Genocide to end, Sovereignty acknowledged, Treaty to be made) campaign.

Rayna fahey worked closely with another melbourne based expat anarchist and revolutionary Sina Ana Brown-Davis.

Together with Brown-Davis, Rayna Fahey has led much of the protest action in Australia over the anti terrorist arrests.



Footage from the rally held at Federation Square Melbourne, 27 October 2007, as part of a global day of action against NZ anti terror arrests.

According to a Green Party blurb on Rayna Fahey;

Her strong connections to many activist communities within Aotearoa, Australia and the rest of the world, focus mostly on environmental, economic and indigenous justice issues.

Somehow the Greens forgot to mention Rayna Fahey's commitment to anarchism and support for gun toting, camo wearing Urewera radicals.

Green Party file No 3 here

Change

>

Hat Tip Babalu Blog

Fiji Cuddles Closer to China

Last year I predicted that Fiji's military leadership would cuddle up to Beijing.

From Radio Australia

Fiji's interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama is pushing for closer agricultural ties with China's Guangxi province.

After watching the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, the military commander began a two-day visit to southwest China.

Commodore Bainimarama says Fiji's climate is similar to that of Guangxi province.

He's holding talks on joint cooperation in the area of cassava, sugar and sea product processing and port trade.

Anarchist Ana Addresses Auckland Anti-Capitalists

Melbourne based anarchist, revolutionary networker and "Urewera 17" supporter Sina Ana Brown-Davis is returning to Auckland to lecture on revolution in the Pacific. She is being hosted by the Auckland Anarchist network and Socialist Aotearoa, a recent split from Socialist Worker.


From Whenua, Fenua, Enua, Vanua

anti-capitalism and anti-colonial struggles in australia and the pacific

a public talk by Maori and Pacific anti-globalisation and solidarity activist Sina Brown-Davis

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

6:00pm - 8:00pm @ Clubspace, above the Auckland University Quad.
Corner Princes and Alfred Streets (By Maidment Theatre), Auckland, New Zealand

Sina Brown-Davis, Melbourne-based Maori, Tongan & Samoan anti-globalisation and solidarity activist will be giving a public talk on revolutionary struggle and activism in Australia and the Pacific.

Sina works closely with Aboriginal Australians in a number of anti-racist and anti-colonial projects and campaigns. She runs uriohau.blogspot.com a news service for activists and revolutionaries throughout the Pacific.

Sina was one of two-dozen activists arrested in the wake of riots at the G20 neo-liberal economic summit held in Melbourne in 2006. Sina will be discussing her experiences in and perspectives on anti-capitalist and anti-colonial struggles in Australia and the Pacific.

Sina is visiting Aotearoa to build solidarity and support between indigenous and radical activists who on both sides of the Tasman are being targeted by state repression.

Green Party File 1 Exposing The Watermelons

The New Zealand Green Party is a fraud.

Most grass roots Greens are decent people concerned primarily about environmental and social issues. However, the Green leadership is heavily dominated to extremists from the Maoist, Trotskyist and anarchist traditions.

To these people, the Green Party is merely a vehicle for agendas so extreme they must be camouflaged from the voting public..

The Greens are a "watermelon party"-green on the outside, deepest, darkest red in the middle.

Up until the election, I will be profiling leading Greens and examining the party's connections in a series of linked posts.

These will be released in no particular order. Each will be a stand alone look at some aspect of Green Party radicalism.

Some will be old information-for background, but much will be new.

I hope to expose the Green Party for the extremists that they are. I also hope that readers will circulate my material widely, to alert as many people as possible to the true red nature of the Greens.

The Greens are in a very precarious position. If they slip below 5%, they have no electorate seat to keep them in Parliament.

While they are expected to gain support as the election nears, that is not a given.

Most people vote for the Greens out of idealism, not a commitment to socialist ideals.

If the Green leadership can be comprehensively exposed, the party may slip below the 5% threshold. That would either destry the party, or shake up the moderates enough to turf out their extremist leadership.

Either option would be a vast improvement.

Green Party File 2 here

Alliance Party Builds NZ/Venezuela Ties

Some humor (and a little eye candy)from the Alliance Party website.


During a recent visit to Venezuela, Alliance Party General Secretary Tom Dowie held discussions with officials from the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He presented pounamu and a book on Maori taonga to officials including the Asia, Middle East and Pacific Vice Minister Victor Manzaneras and Pacific analyst Lucibel Contreras Ochoa on behalf of the Alliance Party.

Mr Dowie says the efforts of the Venezuelan people to create a new democratic and socially just society were held in great admiration internationally, and showed the way forward as the unsustainable global system of free market capitalism enters in a period of instability and recession.

Discussions with the officials included the social programmes of President Hugo Chavez and his Government, law and order, the recent spikes in oil prices and how Venezuela is able to supply its own people with petrol at just under US 5 cents a litre.

The possibility of Venezuela opening a consulate in New Zealand was also discussed, along with the chances of President Chavez visiting New Zealand.

Amazing that the remnants of the Alliance Party (which doesn't even register on opinion polls) thinks its up to conducting diplomacy on New Zealand's behalf.

Interestingly though, the recently announced Alliance Party election list includes Warren Brewer (28) and Thomas O'Neill (14).

Warren Brewer is secretary of Socialist Party of Aotearoa (SPA), New Zealand's mainstream Marxist-Leninist party. Thomas O'Neill is an admitted socialist and suspected member of SPA.

The Residents Action Movement, which plans to field candidates in every electorate in the upcoming election, also has close ties to SPA.

Will SPA guide RAM and the Alliance into some sort of electoral accomodation in order to maximise the left vote?

ACT Top 12

ACT released its party list today. I was pretty impressed, though surprised by a couple of ommissions.

Here's my view of the top 12.

Rodney Hide
Heather Roy
Sir Roger Douglas
John Boscawen

All logical, all well deserved, all effective campaigners, hard workers and good communicators. That is a great top four. I wasn't sure if John would stand, but I'm mighty glad he has.

To Be Announced

I have a few suspicions here, all of them good potential vote pullers.

Hilary Calvert
Peter Tashkoff
John Ormond

Hillary is a very good choice. A Dunedin lawyer, Hillary has been around since the early days and has stood for ACT several times before. She's smart, down to earth and very, very principled.

Peter Tashkoff, I have never met.

Great to see Johnny Ormond back in the battle. A Hawke's Bay farmer, Johnny was the ACT VP before me and is excellent to work with. Johnny's in it for the principles and is a real "democrat" in the true sense of the word. Chuffed to see him up there.

Colin du Plessis
Shawn Tan

Colin and Shawn, I don't know at all. Both part of a comparitively recent influx to ACT. Colin from National and Shawn, I believe, from the Greens.

Ron Scott
Aaron Keown

Ron I know a little and have every confidence in. He's been active in Tauranga local body politics and has been a big asset on the ACT board.

Aaron is bloody great. he is new to ACT, but has been very active in Christchurch local body politics. I've worked with Aaron for the last few months and have been greatly impressed. He's an entertainer by trade and is a great speaker. He's a guy who wears his heart on his sleeve and is soooo passionate about his beliefs. I think he will prove himself in this campaign and easily pull a top eight spot next time.

I was very surprised that Lindsay Mitchell wasn't in the top 10 and disappointed that Muriel Newman is nowhere to be seen.

Overall though, I think this list will serve ACT and the country very well.

Obama file 22 Barack Obama, Danny K Davis and the Marxist New Party

Obama file 21 here

When Barack Obama successfully ran for the Illinois State Senate in 1996 on the Democratic Party ticket, he was endorsed by two interrelated organisations, Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the Chicago branch of the New Party.

Two groups formed the backbone of the New Party-DSA and the closely related radical grassroots organisation the Association of Community Organisations for Reform Now (ACORN). In some areas, there was also some Communist Party involvement and Chicago, considerable input from the Communist breakaway group Committees of Correspondence. Together the New Party Marxists worked through the Democratic Party in order to move it far leftward.

A 1996 New Party document entitled ”Who’s Building the New Party” lists several prominent CoC and DSA activists among the national New Party leadership.

They included two of CoC’s five co-chairs, Rafael Pizzaro (also a DSA member and a former communist) and Manning Marable, a former DSA official.

Other DSA members listed include linguist and activist Noam Chomsky (who now serves on the CoC advisory board), labour academic Elaine Bernard, Gloria Steinen and five contemporary Obama supporters- black activist and academic Cornel West, sociologist Frances Fox Piven (credited as the theoretician behind ACORN), former Maoist Bill Fletcher, feminist Barbara Ehrenreich and Chicago physician and “single payer” health activist Quentin Young.

The New Party exploited the concept of electoral “fusion,” which enabled candidates to run on two tickets simultaneously. If a candidate ran as a Democrat and for the New Party, he or she would be on the ballot twice and could attract the votes of both centrist Democrats and leftist New Party supporters. Both votes would be totalled giving the candidate a much greater chance of winning the election. Using this tactic, the New Party succeeded in electing hundreds candidates to local office in several states.

“Fusion” was rendered ineffective by a Supreme Court decision on 28 April 1997 written by Justice William H Rehnquist, leading to the collapse of the New Party and similar efforts nationwide.

Barack Obama had worked with ACORN Affiliates For many years in New York and Chicago. He also and had close ties to DSA, so was a natural fit for the New Party.

Obama’s links to the New Party went well beyond accepting their nominal support. Obama actively sought the New Party’s endorsement and urged members to join his campaigns.

The New Party went so far as to claim Obama as an official member of their organisation.

Former Chicago City Councillor Danny K Davis joined the New Party during his successful Congressional 1996 campaign on the Democratic Party ticket.

New Party News article Spring 1996 page 1, celebrated the Davis’ congressional victory and went on to say;

"New Party members won three other primaries this Spring in Chicago: Barack Obama (State Senate), Michael Chandler (Democratic Party Committee) and Patricia Martin (Cook County Judiciary)..."these victories prove that small 'd' democracy can work' said Obama".


New Party candidates Patricia Martin left, Danny K Davis centre, Barack Obama right. New Party News Spring 1996 page 2.

Barack Obama clearly saw the potential of the New Party, because he sought their support well before the scheduled election.

From Chicago DSA’s New Ground September/October 1995

“About 50 activists attended the Chicago New Party membership meeting in July. The purpose of the meeting was to update members on local activities and to hear appeals for NP support from four potential political candidates…

The political entourage included Alderman Michael Chandler, William Delgado, chief of staff for State Rep Miguel del Valle, and spokespersons for State Sen. Alice Palmer, Sonya Sanchez, chief of staff for State Sen. Jesse Garcia, who is running for State Rep in Garcia's District; and Barack Obama, chief of staff for State Sen. Alice Palmer. Obama is running for Palmer's vacant seat...Although ACORN and SEIU Local 880 were the harbingers of the NP there was a strong presence of CoC and DSA (15% DSA)... Four political candidates were "there" seeking NP support."

The next year, the New Party socialists were celebrating their campaign successes.

From New Ground July/August 1996

“The NP's '96 Political Program has been enormously successful with 3 of 4 endorsed candidates winning electoral primaries. All four candidates attended the NP membership meeting on April 11th to express their gratitude.

Danny Davis, winner in the 7th Congressional District, invited NPers to join his Campaign Steering Committee.

Patricia Martin, who won the race for Judge in 7th Subcircuit Court, explained that due to the NP she was able to network and get experienced advice from progressives like Davis.

Barack Obama, victor in the 13th State Senate District, encouraged NPers to join in his task forces on Voter Education and Voter Registration..."

In the end, Obama didn’t need the New Party to win the election. Though initially serving under Alice Palmer, Obama stood against her for the State Senate seat-after Palmer lost a bid for the US Congress and decided she wanted her old job back. Obama won by using legal technicalities to get all his opponents, including Alice Palmer, disqualified.

Obama and his New Party associate Danny K Davis, formed a strong relationship that has endured to this day. The pair have worked on several projects in Illinois and congressman Davis has played a significant role in Obama’s Senate and Presidential campaigns. He is now a Democratic Party “super delegate” pledged to Obama.

In this 2004 speech to the Chicago Teamsters Union, Obama describes Davis as "one of our best congressmen" because "he shares our values".



But what are Danny K Davis' values?

Around the time the New Party was alive, Davis was linked to no fewer than three Marxist organisations.

According to a December 29 1998 email from DSA membership officer Solveig Wilder;

"Ron Dellums (who recently retired from Congress) is a Vice Chair of DSA, and Danny Davis, John Conyers, and Major Owens are all DSA Members."

Danny K Davis has Mced several DSA run Debs Dinner functions in Chicago in recent years and was named as a DSA member in the organisation’s newsletter Democratic Left, Summer 2006 edition.

Davis also had ties to CoC. According to Chicago DSA’s New Ground of September 1994;

"Over 500 delegates and observers (including 140 from Chicago) attended the founding convention of the Committees of Correspondence (CoC) held here in Chicago in July.

Speakers…included Charles Nqukula, General Secretary of the South African Communist Party; Dulce Maria Pereira, a senatorial candidate of the Workers Party of Brazil; Angela Davis of CoC; and Andre Brie of the Party of Democratic Socialism of Germany (a revamp of the old East German Communist Party)Other guests during the Convention included Cook County Commissioner Danny Davis, Alderman Helen Schiller and Rick Munoz, a representative of the Green Left Weekly of Australia, and a representative of the Cuban Interest Section."

Incidentally Rick Munoz, is also now an Illinois Democratic Party delegate for Obama.

Davis was also friendly with the Communist Party USA. In Chicago, the Communist Party has for many years held an annual a fund raising banquet for its paper, the Peoples Weekly World (formerly the Peoples "Daily" World).

According to the PDW of July 28th 1990, Chicago alderman Danny K Davis attended that years banquet on July 15th.

Davis applauded those at the banquet, who, he said, are always in the midst of struggle. PDW readers, he said, are "steadfast in the fight fòr justice."

The affair netted $2,500 for the PDW. fund.

According to the Peoples Weekly World of October 3rd 1998, congressman Danny K Davis interrupted his campaign work for Senate candidate Carol Mosely Braun to present an award at the Chicago annual Peoples Weekly World banquet.

This event raised a more respectable $10,000 towards keeping the Communist Party paper afloat.

Danny Davis' values are clearly socialist. What are Barack Obama's values?

Obama file 23 here