Don't miss tomorrow night's Bill Moyers Journal. Sounds like very appropos topics for us to review, discuss, research and blog about next week at Glendale Central Library's Learning Center at 7:00 PM for our monthly meeting of local Moyers Talkers.
From Bill Moyers Journal NEWSLETTER - Friday, June 15, 2007
“We're not looking sufficiently at what is happening at the grassroots in the country. We have not emphasized sufficiently the cultural revolution that we have to make in order to force the government to do differently.”
- Grace Lee Boggs
- Grace Lee Boggs
This week on Bill Moyers Journal (KCET TV)
What do big Wall Street deals mean for America’s workers and for the economic gap between average families and the wealthiest Americans? Maverick labor leader Andy Stern, the president of Service Employees International Union — the fastest growing union in the nation — weighs in.
Grace Lee Boggs, who has taken part in some of the seminal civil rights struggles in U.S. history, on her belief that real change for democracy will come from the grassroots.
Grace Lee Boggs, who has taken part in some of the seminal civil rights struggles in U.S. history, on her belief that real change for democracy will come from the grassroots.
A Bill Moyers essay on truth, lies and Scooter Libby.
Grace Lee Boggs spoke to Bill Moyers about her lifetime of bringing change from the grassroots level, now she's looking to The Moyers Blog for your input into how to bring about revolution.
Strength in numbers? Answer Bill's question to Andy Stern about the power of organization and share your stories of democracy in action.
Respond to Bill Moyers' essay.
Each week, video, transcripts, and further resources and investigations from Bill Moyers Journal are available online at www.pbs.org/moyers. Tune in, log on and tell us what you think.
1 comment:
This is what I put on the Moyers Blog after watching the interviews with Grace Lee Boggs and Andy Stern:
Good for Business – Business for Good
I’m tired of hearing and trying to respond to a thousand calls for money and support from every candidate who puts profit ahead of the society they want to govern. Here’s a word from the HEART and SOUL of America :
Don’t just ask nice. Be nice.
Don’t just say good things. Do good things.
Or else.
The 1% who own more than the rest of us do not need me and others to vote to increase their feudal dominance over all of us in the name of freedom. They claim the right to have no one tell them what to do. They need to understand that all we want is to live a decent life without them making it impossible for anyone but them to live a decent life.
The word for living a decent life doesn’t exist.
We have to create it.
Then say it.
And live it.
Is that too much to ask?
Is living a decent life too much to do?
Today?
And tomorrow?
And tomorrow and tomorrow?
Or is the idea just completely gone now?
Not worth the time it takes to think of it,
Not worth the fatalist’s murmur,
Nor worth the cynic’s understanding,
Unworthy of even the optimist’s hope and the child’s dreams for a life that makes sense in every part of this world?
I don’t need to ask why I’m here. I already know what I am doing here and what I want to do.
I just want to ask what are you doing here?
I’m not asking “Why are you here?” But, what are you spending time doing that keeps the rest of us from doing what we want?
Are you doing it just for you or for you and the rest of us?
That’s all it would take, you know.
And we’d help you do it.
That’s right. If you wanted to make your fortune making and selling things that are useful and good in an ethical way for people pursuing decent lives we’re all for it and we’ll do what works to help you make your fortune that way.
But if you want to make your fortune by hurting others, starving others, in any way disturbing anyone else’s chances at a decent life, then we don’t want you to have that kind of fortune. In fact, we’ll work against any attempt to create such unethical, anti-humane fortunes from ever happening again.
It’s not socialism. It’s still very much capitalism. It’s just that the capitalism America and the world needs now is an enlightened capitalism.
All the millions of issues and talking points that keep swirling around are just parts of this one overriding idea. We can negotiate the small stuff, but this is the big stuff. And we all ought to agree on it.
No wars for commodities. No abuse of others for your profit. No unfairness in the way opportunity is available.
You want us to fight and die for your right to innovate and make profit? Fine. We will like we always have, but you have to remember one thing:
It’s only in fairness that we join you in this. You can have all the profit you can handle but only on things deemed worthwhile to the world and you are not allowed to take unfair advantage of anyone at any time.
We are the heart and soul of America and this is what we want for ourselves and everyone else:
Honor is the only way to conduct business, ours, yours, the town’s, state’s, and nation’s.
Equality means no one, even someone in power, has more rights than anyone else.
Affinity means, no matter our differences, we need to work together for community.
Representation is for all, from all, so all politics must start from the local to the top.
Truth is always going to come out, so we all may as well start with it to create real trust.
And
Security means social security and personal security to live calmer, better lives.
Opportunity for all gives people an even chance in life, for life.
Universality of health care and education will enable all to take that even chance.
Liberty is what this country means and every American has the right to deserve it.
Decent life.
For all of us.
We need a word for it. How can we make it fashionable in the world to do good rather than ill?
Bill T
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