Stephan's back in town

Dear Comrades in the Struggle:

Our dear Comrade Stephan will be back in town, and he is able to join us Monday evening, at Old Chicago. I will make reservations on Monday (they will not accept them before then) for 7 PM. I hope you can all join us!

Thanks to Kate for setting this up!

In solidarity,

Comrade Basil (Lance)

Minnesota DSA-ers Protest Arizona Immigration Law

Thursday July 29th, members of our local Twin Cities DSA joined in a local protest in St. Paul against the Arizona Immigration Law. La Lucha Continua!

SATURDAY, JUNE 12

6:30 pm Mayday Books FREE!

301 Cedar Ave. South on the West Bank in Minneapolis

Sponsored by:

Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Socialist Alternative (SA), and Mayday Books

The Red Tail, 2009, 87 minutes, directed by Melissa Koch and Dawn Mikkelson

The story…“For all those families struggling with the disastrous effects of economic globalism, with a global system that does not speak to their concerns or address their fears, The Red Tail is your film. For those not victims of globalism, at least not yet, The Red Tail is your ticket to understand how your country is being shaped by forces beyond our political control. [The Red Tail] will make you not only smarter, but also more sensitive and compassionate.”-Huffington Post, Feb 25, 2010.

On August 19, 2005 Roy Koch, along with 4,400 airline mechanics, custodians, and cleaners of AMFA went on strike against Northwest Airlines, the fourth largest airline in the world. Northwest, otherwise known as “The Red Tail” by its employees, wanted to lay off 53% of their union and outsource their jobs. What followed was a 444-day strike that would end with 4,000 union members out of work, including Roy.

May Day Books is a non-profit, volunteer-run, progressive bookstore. “Not making a profit since 1975!”

In the basement of THE HUB; enter on side of building. There is a large public parking ramp behind the building. For info, call 612-333-4719.

Twin Cities DSA June Meeting-Monthly Meeting for brief business, discussion, and fellowship

Twin Cities DSA June Meeting-Monthly Meeting for brief business, discussion, and fellowship.

Date: Sunday, June 27, 2010
Time: 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Location: Davanni's Pizza & Subs Riverside
Address: Riverside 2500 Riverside Ave, Minneapolis, MN

May Day Event @ The Black Dog Café

Workers of the World Unite —

On May Day at the Black Dog!

Join us May 1st at 6:30 p.m. at the Black Dog Café for a spirited and

informative celebration of the 120th anniversary adoption of May Day

as the official holiday of the International Labor Movement. Stories,

poems, songs, video, art work, and presentations about the ongoing

struggle for economic and social justice featuring: Spoken word by

Anya Achtenberg, Ed Bok Lee, Kyle Chase, Diane Jarvi, and

Rich Broderick. Music by The Fantastic Merlins and Diane Jarvi.

Presentations by Dr. Stephan Peter, faculty member in political sci-

ence at Anoka-Ramsey Community College and long-time May Day

participant, and Members of the Minnesota chapter of the

I.W.W. on the attempted suppression of the Wobblies in the early

20th century and the movement’s current progress. Plus continuous

video feeds of May Day celebrations in Paris, Berlin and elsewhere.

The Red & The Black, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., the Black Dog Café,

308 Prince St., (across from the St. Paul Farmer’s Market), St.

Paul. Free Admission. On-street parking available, and off-

street parking behind the café, $1 for the evening.

Call 651.228.9274 for further information.

Lance's Thoughts on Health Care for All - from the View Point of Values and Practicality: A Religious Socialist's View

I believe that health care is a human right, and that as a society we should provide health care for all, regardless of ability to pay. Health care should be totally de-commodified. I believe this fundamentally because of my Orthodox Christian values, based on the life of Jesus, the teaching of the Bible, and of the Holy Fathers.

But I also believe that it is much more practical and efficient economically to have a single payer system. For those who still cling to Capitalism, which in my view, is now a body riddled with cancer, you should embrace universal health care coverage administered by the government. It will relieve the burden on business and from your capitalistic view point, let the capitalistic tiger out of the cage.

A fair and equitable plan for health care or at least health insurance, would be to have a single payer. At very least health insurance should not be a for profit enterprise with shareholders. Switzerland provides universal coverage with private insurers who are non-profit. But single payer is best, in my view. Eliminate the middle man, have one system with low overhead that is efficient.

Right wingers often traffic in anectdotes of individual horror stories of other health care systems (usually Canada or England); but the empirical evidence is that most other industrial countries do a much better job over all in delivering health care, and certainly in providing health insurance, than we do. And we have some pretty damn gruesome horror stories here in America, too.

Though no system is perfect, many other societies have better health care, lower costs, spend a much lower percentage of their GDP on health carer than we do and they cover everyone. Plus we are getting our asses kicked economically because our companies have the burden of health insurance that companies in other advanced countries do not have. Health care costs are going up all over the world, and every system is challenged- but we are doing nothing.

There are other problems with health care besides insurance- reimbursement rates, costs of medicines, tort reform, administrative processes and costs, healthy life styles, all have to be addressed. But it is the nature of the health insurance industry that is ruining people financially, making people file bankruptcy, and killing people, about 40,000 per year.

Although I believe it makes practical economic sense to provide universal health with a single payer, it is my values that most strongly influence my views.

Health care is a human right- that is not only a universal humanistic value but it reflects the praxis of Holy Orthodox Christian empires of the past, and is the teaching of the Catholic Church as well.

As Patriarch Bartholomew stated recently, the Byzantines invented hospitals and their mission was to provide health care for all. Holy Orthodox Kings and Queens subsidized social services in the Byzantine Empire and in Holy Rus' in part with tax derived money.

Perhaps come Christians should ask themselves if their values are influence by the gospel or Ayn Rand.

"When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and HEALED ALL THE SICK." - Matthew 8:16 NIV.

Jesus did not ask to see anyone's insurance card.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“It is clear that we owe the Byzantines the development of the modern institutions we call hospitals...But what may be more important, we owe to them the view that every member of society from the greatest to the least deserve the best quality health care at that time. This is obviously relevant today, and as the United States debates the best way to provide health care for its citizens we hope and pray that the Byzantine Orthodox approach provides a model…”

- Patriarch Bartholomew I, November 3, 2009 at Georgetown University

February Twin Cities Democratic Socialists Meeting Sunday, February 28th, 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM

WHERE: Davanni's Pizza & Hoagies, Riverside, at 2500 Riverside Ave, Minneapolis, MN, in the upstairs meeting room.


WHEN: 7:30 Pm - 9:00 PM, February 28th, 2010
PHONE: 612-332-5551


For more information call Dan Frankot at 651-224-8262 or send an email to: tcdemsoc@gmail.com


Besides having our usual business meeting, we will discuss chapter six of Michael Harrington's book, the Twilight of Capitalism.