In a nutshell, what is your platform?
I believe in the democratic transformation of capitalism through the creation of a democratic socialist society. I believe in the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, the right to peacefully assemble, and protecting those freedoms. I believe that people have a right to a good job with a living wage, quality health care, quality education, and affordable housing. I oppose the US’s occupation of other countries and I call for an immediate end of all wars that we are currently engaged in. I oppose loopholes in the tax code that only benefits the large corporations and wealthy individuals. I believe in a comprehensive policy to protect our environment from fossil fuels and man-made pollutants that are damaging our planet. I believe in investing in our infrastructure and investing in sustainable and renewable energy. I believe in creating banks that do the job banks should do. A public bank operated as a highly regulated public utility with comprehensive regulations to protect the consumers is sorely needed. Why Socialism? Can you explain for those who aren't familiar with the platform you are running on?
Personally, I think that a democratic socialist society will provide the basic needs for everyone to have the opportunity to live a happy and fulfilling life, including basic health care and a job that pays a living wage are unattainable for millions of Americans. Healthcare should be a human right provided to every human being as a part of a socialized medical system. The national healthcare system should be publicly owned in the same manner as Fire Departments, Post Offices and Sanitation Departments currently are. Private health insurance companies would no longer be necessary. We need an increase to the federal minimum wage would provide workers with a living wage and a national program that guarantees safe affordable housing. A first step would be an immediate moratorium on all housing foreclosures. Community land trusts which move housing away from the market and towards the idea of housing as a human right should also be well financed and encouraged at the Federal level. These are just a few of the points in the SP-USA program. Overall, I believe that socialism is fair, equal, compassionate, and sustainable ... whereas capitalism is tailored to benefit the privileged few – the 1% in society; capitalism promotes deregulation to benefit the corporations; capitalism promotes worker exploitation by allowing profits to be the sole motivator; and capitalism breeds inequality between people, cultures, religions and races. Socialism would encourage compassion, solidarity and just among all the people of the world. What specifically makes your campaign unique?
I think timing makes this campaign unique. In recent history, and especially since the first George W. Bush presidency in 2000, we have seen policies implemented that only benefit the wealthy such as massive tax breaks, the doling out of sweetheart military contracts and the corporations, and little has been done to benefit working people. Unfortunately, our current president, Barack Obama, has continued to implement policies that are not designed for a society that is coming out of a recession. People have seen, day after day, that the current administration – and the government as a whole – is not looking out for us, but instead is concentrating on enriching the same financial sector that funded his campaign. Obama’s various jobs bills, including the most recent proposal, have amounted to little more than public relations stunts that will do little alleviate the lingering crisis of mass unemployment. The emergence of social movements such as Occupy Wall Street demonstrate that Americans are waking up to the reality that a capitalist system – especially the capitalist system here in America – is in a downward spiral. Americans are asking themselves, why has the average salary of a CEO increased between 200% and 300% since the 1980s and the average salary of a worker has only increased a few percentage points? What American voters will find in the Alexander/Mendoza campaign is candidates that seek to address the issues of unemployment, the lack of adequate housing and the lack of healthcare in a positive way that uses democracy as a means to end the corporate control of our everyday lives. We are presenting some “concrete utopias” to the usual two-party dead end.
What drew you to the Socialist Party?
What primarily drew me to the party was the SP-USA’s message of equality and compassion. I agreed with the basic stance that the party took on many issues – human rights, the economy, foreign policy, education – and the more involved I became and the more I educated myself, I found that I wholeheartedly believed and supported the platform of the Socialist Party USA. I recall being impressed by how welcoming everyone was and the party made me feel as if I wasn’t just another name on their member list, but that I was part of something tangible, that I was part of the struggle along with every other American. Why should people vote for your ticket instead of that of President Barack Obama or whomever wins the GOP nomination?
President Barack Obama and the GOP nominee will continue to represent the wealthy and the corporations. Even a quick glance at the 2008 campaign finance reports will tell us the names of these corporations – Goldman Sachs, Microsoft and J.P. Morgan. Their message may differ slightly from each other, but it is evident for whom they ultimately represent and fight. In 2008, Americans were fed up with the eight years of the Bush administration … our economy was in the gutter, we were still fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, people were losing their homes at an alarming rate, and jobs were very scarce. For many, then-candidate Barack Obama represented “hope” and “change.” Here we are almost four years later and not much has changed: President Obama has continued the failed policies of George W. Bush and we have seen him be influenced and manipulated by the special interest groups. What happened to the Employee Free Choice Act? Where is the Federal Jobs Program? Where is Immigration Reform? What happened to supposed pro-Environment initiatives? Not only didObama not deliver on his promises of change, but many people lost hope … lost hope in what seemed like an opportunity for change. Americans now see that true change does not come in the form of a rich businessman from Texas or a Harvard-educated, corporate-backed politician from Chicago. True change comes from poor and working class people standing up and demanding change from the ground up. One part of the larger struggle against the politics of the 1% is electing individuals who understand the struggle, who have lived the struggle, and who represent a party who is truly by the people, for the people. This is what we hope to offer in 2012. What would you say most influenced your personal politics?
It’s hard to say what influenced me the most in my personal politics. I think it was just growing up the way that I did, the struggles I’ve experienced, and trying to survive along the way is what got me to where I am today. I did not have a privileged upbringing. So many issues that I see many Americans facing today, I either saw my family struggle with and face those issues or I’ve experienced them myself. I was born in the US, but my family moved to Mexico when I was very young. I recall that we had a comfortable life in Mexico. We were definitely not rich (from a money standpoint), but we owned a home, had a car, we went to a private school, my parent owned and operated a small neighborhood store, we were involved in the community, and had lots of family friends that constantly saw in the neighborhood, church, or school … so life seemed enjoyable and fulfilling. I never felt that we were missing anything, never felt hungry, never felt sad, and never saw my parents fight or argue. Even though we would visit family in the US and would see the big houses, the nice toys, the big malls, I never felt that we were missing anything. It wasn’t until my family immigrated to California that I started to see my family struggle. We lived in a tiny apartment, did not know anyone, did not know the language, and both of my parents worked. My father worked the graveyard shift, so we hardly saw him except on weekends. And my mother, who didn’t work before, now worked a full-time job. Before, my parents were involved in our daily lives, and now they didn’t have time to take us to school, help us with homework, or even have a family dinner sometimes. It was very clear that we were struggling. Even at a young age, I felt like we were struggling. I always wondered, why did my parents leave their life of comfort in their own country and come to America where they were struggling from day one? The only answer I ever received from my parents was that they did it for us; they felt that we had more opportunities in America than anywhere else. Though I agree, I also know that those opportunities come at a very high cost if you don’t have your basic needs met. For example, I don’t recall ever having health insurance growing up; either it was never offered to my parents where they worked or it was too expensive to afford. I recall my father losing his job and my parents struggling to put food on the table. I recall going to a church on Wednesday nights to pick up food that they would give away. I recall both of my parents working full-time but still struggle to provide for the family, always living paycheck to paycheck. Today I wonder how our lives could have been different if my parents had universal health care for them and the family, or if my father had a full-time job that actually paid a living wage. I know that millions and millions of families and individuals are living paycheck to paycheck in a country that is bound with opportunities, but those same people are unable to live comfortably in their pursuit of happiness. Instead, they are struggling. America is better than that – we as Americans are better than that.
As the Vice Presidential candidate on the 2012 Socialist Party ticket, how would you explain the role of the Vice President and what you would do in the job?
There is an exceedingly simple reason that I am running for the office of Vice-President. I hope to be one of the public voices of a growing anti-capitalist movement. I hope to speak for the person reading this interview who doesn’t have healthcare. I hope to speak for the unemployed, those who have lost hope in the future and those who are struggle just to meet their bills. I hope that the legislation and initiatives we propose would bring some financial and psychological relief to people suffering under the chains of student debt. I taking my cue from the old Socialist candidate Eugene Debs who once said, “While there is a lower class I am in it; while there is a criminal element I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” This is what I hope to accomplish as Vice-President.
What do you think are the three most important problems facing American's today?
First and foremost, we’re in the midst of an unemployment crisis, which includes “underemployment.” Americans need good paying jobs – not jobs to barely get by on. Second, our economy is suffering, which translates to the loss of jobs, a rising number of foreclosures, the increased loss of benefits and general hopelessness. Our campaign would call for an immediate Moratorium on all housing foreclosures. Meanwhile, corporations are making record profits and the wealthy are getting wealthier. We, as Americans, cannot and should not accept this. And third, we need to end the wars and bring our troops home – bring those tax dollars home. In one way or another all these problems, or issues, all relate to each other; you can’t address one without address another or address and fix one in a vacuum. What do you plan to do to fix those issues?
To address the unemployment crisis, we would put unemployed and underemployed people to work immediately through an emergency federal jobs program. This isn’t just about implementing a short-term relief program; it’s about setting the foundation for a fully employed economy that is based on the principle that every human being has the right to work. Next, we would address the economy by developing new sectors – sectors that are owned and managed by the workers. We see this happening already: the local bike shop or coffee shop is an example of what the future of employment could be in the U.S. We would use this kind of creative thinking to encourage, protect and fund new, cooperative sectors in areas like environmental cleanup and the educational system – sectors that we can develop right away. Lastly, we would call for an immediate cut of 50% to military spending. This can easily be accomplished by ending the war in Afghanistan, closing Guantanamo and military aid to other countries.
We need to make a significant investment in our depleting and deteriorating infrastructure. Investing in our own infrastructure is a win-win. Throughout history we have seen nations pull themselves out of a recession by investing in their infrastructure. For example, Italy has invested billions – I think it’s over 10 billion dollars – into their infrastructure because they understand that by investing in infrastructure, jobs are created. People want those jobs; they make money, and then they spend the money. The same principle applies here in the US. If Americans have jobs, and they have the money, they will spend money; this will stimulate the economy, and manufacturers will hire workers to supply the demand, which will create more jobs … it’s a wonderful cycle. Americans have jobs, and our economy will only improve. But like I said, you can’t address one without addressing the others. It’ll be great if we can stimulate the economy from the ground up, but there must be regulations in place that protect the consumer, that does not allow employers to exploit workers, that jobs are kept here in America instead of exploiting workers and natural resources in other countries. The party’s platform calls for an immediate cut of 50% to military spending – this can easily be accomplished by ending the war in Afghanistan, closing Guantanamo, military aid to other countries, and many other things – and instead, allocate those funds to stimulating our own economy. What would you most like potential voters to know about you?
I would like voters to know that I am a patriot and a proud American. I served in the military because I have a strong sense of patriotism, and almost 20 years ago, I felt that I could do my part by enlisting in the Marines. Still today, I feel that I have an obligation to do absolutely everything I can to ensure that everyone in this country has the opportunity to live a happy and productive life. I have a family and I want my children to have a better life than I did growing up. I believe in a constant effort to improve and grow… I try to improve as an individual, as a husband, as a father, as a humble public servant … I try to improve as a small business owner, I try to improve the party, I try to improve my community, I try to improve my home state of Texas … and I will never stop trying to improve my country.
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I believe in the democratic transformation of capitalism through the creation of a democratic socialist society. I believe in the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, the right to peacefully assemble, and protecting those freedoms. I believe that people have a right to a good job with a living wage, quality health care, quality education, and affordable housing. I oppose the US’s occupation of other countries and I call for an immediate end of all wars that we are currently engaged in. I oppose loopholes in the tax code that only benefits the large corporations and wealthy individuals. I believe in a comprehensive policy to protect our environment from fossil fuels and man-made pollutants that are damaging our planet. I believe in investing in our infrastructure and investing in sustainable and renewable energy. I believe in creating banks that do the job banks should do. A public bank operated as a highly regulated public utility with comprehensive regulations to protect the consumers is sorely needed. Why Socialism? Can you explain for those who aren't familiar with the platform you are running on?
Personally, I think that a democratic socialist society will provide the basic needs for everyone to have the opportunity to live a happy and fulfilling life, including basic health care and a job that pays a living wage are unattainable for millions of Americans. Healthcare should be a human right provided to every human being as a part of a socialized medical system. The national healthcare system should be publicly owned in the same manner as Fire Departments, Post Offices and Sanitation Departments currently are. Private health insurance companies would no longer be necessary. We need an increase to the federal minimum wage would provide workers with a living wage and a national program that guarantees safe affordable housing. A first step would be an immediate moratorium on all housing foreclosures. Community land trusts which move housing away from the market and towards the idea of housing as a human right should also be well financed and encouraged at the Federal level. These are just a few of the points in the SP-USA program. Overall, I believe that socialism is fair, equal, compassionate, and sustainable ... whereas capitalism is tailored to benefit the privileged few – the 1% in society; capitalism promotes deregulation to benefit the corporations; capitalism promotes worker exploitation by allowing profits to be the sole motivator; and capitalism breeds inequality between people, cultures, religions and races. Socialism would encourage compassion, solidarity and just among all the people of the world. What specifically makes your campaign unique?
I think timing makes this campaign unique. In recent history, and especially since the first George W. Bush presidency in 2000, we have seen policies implemented that only benefit the wealthy such as massive tax breaks, the doling out of sweetheart military contracts and the corporations, and little has been done to benefit working people. Unfortunately, our current president, Barack Obama, has continued to implement policies that are not designed for a society that is coming out of a recession. People have seen, day after day, that the current administration – and the government as a whole – is not looking out for us, but instead is concentrating on enriching the same financial sector that funded his campaign. Obama’s various jobs bills, including the most recent proposal, have amounted to little more than public relations stunts that will do little alleviate the lingering crisis of mass unemployment. The emergence of social movements such as Occupy Wall Street demonstrate that Americans are waking up to the reality that a capitalist system – especially the capitalist system here in America – is in a downward spiral. Americans are asking themselves, why has the average salary of a CEO increased between 200% and 300% since the 1980s and the average salary of a worker has only increased a few percentage points? What American voters will find in the Alexander/Mendoza campaign is candidates that seek to address the issues of unemployment, the lack of adequate housing and the lack of healthcare in a positive way that uses democracy as a means to end the corporate control of our everyday lives. We are presenting some “concrete utopias” to the usual two-party dead end.
What drew you to the Socialist Party?
What primarily drew me to the party was the SP-USA’s message of equality and compassion. I agreed with the basic stance that the party took on many issues – human rights, the economy, foreign policy, education – and the more involved I became and the more I educated myself, I found that I wholeheartedly believed and supported the platform of the Socialist Party USA. I recall being impressed by how welcoming everyone was and the party made me feel as if I wasn’t just another name on their member list, but that I was part of something tangible, that I was part of the struggle along with every other American. Why should people vote for your ticket instead of that of President Barack Obama or whomever wins the GOP nomination?
President Barack Obama and the GOP nominee will continue to represent the wealthy and the corporations. Even a quick glance at the 2008 campaign finance reports will tell us the names of these corporations – Goldman Sachs, Microsoft and J.P. Morgan. Their message may differ slightly from each other, but it is evident for whom they ultimately represent and fight. In 2008, Americans were fed up with the eight years of the Bush administration … our economy was in the gutter, we were still fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, people were losing their homes at an alarming rate, and jobs were very scarce. For many, then-candidate Barack Obama represented “hope” and “change.” Here we are almost four years later and not much has changed: President Obama has continued the failed policies of George W. Bush and we have seen him be influenced and manipulated by the special interest groups. What happened to the Employee Free Choice Act? Where is the Federal Jobs Program? Where is Immigration Reform? What happened to supposed pro-Environment initiatives? Not only didObama not deliver on his promises of change, but many people lost hope … lost hope in what seemed like an opportunity for change. Americans now see that true change does not come in the form of a rich businessman from Texas or a Harvard-educated, corporate-backed politician from Chicago. True change comes from poor and working class people standing up and demanding change from the ground up. One part of the larger struggle against the politics of the 1% is electing individuals who understand the struggle, who have lived the struggle, and who represent a party who is truly by the people, for the people. This is what we hope to offer in 2012. What would you say most influenced your personal politics?
It’s hard to say what influenced me the most in my personal politics. I think it was just growing up the way that I did, the struggles I’ve experienced, and trying to survive along the way is what got me to where I am today. I did not have a privileged upbringing. So many issues that I see many Americans facing today, I either saw my family struggle with and face those issues or I’ve experienced them myself. I was born in the US, but my family moved to Mexico when I was very young. I recall that we had a comfortable life in Mexico. We were definitely not rich (from a money standpoint), but we owned a home, had a car, we went to a private school, my parent owned and operated a small neighborhood store, we were involved in the community, and had lots of family friends that constantly saw in the neighborhood, church, or school … so life seemed enjoyable and fulfilling. I never felt that we were missing anything, never felt hungry, never felt sad, and never saw my parents fight or argue. Even though we would visit family in the US and would see the big houses, the nice toys, the big malls, I never felt that we were missing anything. It wasn’t until my family immigrated to California that I started to see my family struggle. We lived in a tiny apartment, did not know anyone, did not know the language, and both of my parents worked. My father worked the graveyard shift, so we hardly saw him except on weekends. And my mother, who didn’t work before, now worked a full-time job. Before, my parents were involved in our daily lives, and now they didn’t have time to take us to school, help us with homework, or even have a family dinner sometimes. It was very clear that we were struggling. Even at a young age, I felt like we were struggling. I always wondered, why did my parents leave their life of comfort in their own country and come to America where they were struggling from day one? The only answer I ever received from my parents was that they did it for us; they felt that we had more opportunities in America than anywhere else. Though I agree, I also know that those opportunities come at a very high cost if you don’t have your basic needs met. For example, I don’t recall ever having health insurance growing up; either it was never offered to my parents where they worked or it was too expensive to afford. I recall my father losing his job and my parents struggling to put food on the table. I recall going to a church on Wednesday nights to pick up food that they would give away. I recall both of my parents working full-time but still struggle to provide for the family, always living paycheck to paycheck. Today I wonder how our lives could have been different if my parents had universal health care for them and the family, or if my father had a full-time job that actually paid a living wage. I know that millions and millions of families and individuals are living paycheck to paycheck in a country that is bound with opportunities, but those same people are unable to live comfortably in their pursuit of happiness. Instead, they are struggling. America is better than that – we as Americans are better than that.
As the Vice Presidential candidate on the 2012 Socialist Party ticket, how would you explain the role of the Vice President and what you would do in the job?
There is an exceedingly simple reason that I am running for the office of Vice-President. I hope to be one of the public voices of a growing anti-capitalist movement. I hope to speak for the person reading this interview who doesn’t have healthcare. I hope to speak for the unemployed, those who have lost hope in the future and those who are struggle just to meet their bills. I hope that the legislation and initiatives we propose would bring some financial and psychological relief to people suffering under the chains of student debt. I taking my cue from the old Socialist candidate Eugene Debs who once said, “While there is a lower class I am in it; while there is a criminal element I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” This is what I hope to accomplish as Vice-President.
What do you think are the three most important problems facing American's today?
First and foremost, we’re in the midst of an unemployment crisis, which includes “underemployment.” Americans need good paying jobs – not jobs to barely get by on. Second, our economy is suffering, which translates to the loss of jobs, a rising number of foreclosures, the increased loss of benefits and general hopelessness. Our campaign would call for an immediate Moratorium on all housing foreclosures. Meanwhile, corporations are making record profits and the wealthy are getting wealthier. We, as Americans, cannot and should not accept this. And third, we need to end the wars and bring our troops home – bring those tax dollars home. In one way or another all these problems, or issues, all relate to each other; you can’t address one without address another or address and fix one in a vacuum. What do you plan to do to fix those issues?
To address the unemployment crisis, we would put unemployed and underemployed people to work immediately through an emergency federal jobs program. This isn’t just about implementing a short-term relief program; it’s about setting the foundation for a fully employed economy that is based on the principle that every human being has the right to work. Next, we would address the economy by developing new sectors – sectors that are owned and managed by the workers. We see this happening already: the local bike shop or coffee shop is an example of what the future of employment could be in the U.S. We would use this kind of creative thinking to encourage, protect and fund new, cooperative sectors in areas like environmental cleanup and the educational system – sectors that we can develop right away. Lastly, we would call for an immediate cut of 50% to military spending. This can easily be accomplished by ending the war in Afghanistan, closing Guantanamo and military aid to other countries.
We need to make a significant investment in our depleting and deteriorating infrastructure. Investing in our own infrastructure is a win-win. Throughout history we have seen nations pull themselves out of a recession by investing in their infrastructure. For example, Italy has invested billions – I think it’s over 10 billion dollars – into their infrastructure because they understand that by investing in infrastructure, jobs are created. People want those jobs; they make money, and then they spend the money. The same principle applies here in the US. If Americans have jobs, and they have the money, they will spend money; this will stimulate the economy, and manufacturers will hire workers to supply the demand, which will create more jobs … it’s a wonderful cycle. Americans have jobs, and our economy will only improve. But like I said, you can’t address one without addressing the others. It’ll be great if we can stimulate the economy from the ground up, but there must be regulations in place that protect the consumer, that does not allow employers to exploit workers, that jobs are kept here in America instead of exploiting workers and natural resources in other countries. The party’s platform calls for an immediate cut of 50% to military spending – this can easily be accomplished by ending the war in Afghanistan, closing Guantanamo, military aid to other countries, and many other things – and instead, allocate those funds to stimulating our own economy. What would you most like potential voters to know about you?
I would like voters to know that I am a patriot and a proud American. I served in the military because I have a strong sense of patriotism, and almost 20 years ago, I felt that I could do my part by enlisting in the Marines. Still today, I feel that I have an obligation to do absolutely everything I can to ensure that everyone in this country has the opportunity to live a happy and productive life. I have a family and I want my children to have a better life than I did growing up. I believe in a constant effort to improve and grow… I try to improve as an individual, as a husband, as a father, as a humble public servant … I try to improve as a small business owner, I try to improve the party, I try to improve my community, I try to improve my home state of Texas … and I will never stop trying to improve my country.
In a nutshell, what is your platform?
The Stewart Alexander Presidential Campaign is committed to socialism, democracy, ecology, feminism and racial equality. My platform is committed to the transformation of capitalism through the creation of a democratic socialist society. To create a better future for working people, my platform will offer a guide that will establish a new social and economic order in which democracy will allow the 99% to shape our own future – in our neighborhoods, in our local government, and, perhaps most importantly, in our economy.
We need to create a new democratic voice that helps us to make rational decisions about industry, financial institutions, and the use of our precious natural resources. Overall, I intend to put the vast wealth of this society to work to finally satisfy human needs instead of feeding the profit hungry 1% and the corporations that they own.
I call for doubling the minimum wage and indexing it to the cost of living — equal pay for equal work, and for work of comparable worth and guaranteeing the right of all workers to organize. My Platform calls for a 30-hour work week at no loss of pay, with six weeks annual paid vacation. I call for a Universal Basic Income Guaranteed to alleviate poverty and homelessness.
As part of my peace agenda, I call for an immediate 50 percent cut in the military budget, followed by additional cuts, with the aim of rapidly reducing the military budget to less than 10 percent of its current level with the peace dividends directed to essential social services and to the cost of cleaning up contaminated military sites. I call for the disbanding of NATO and all other aggressive military alliances, and the closing of all overseas bases. Socialists have always understood that war is a rich person’s game for which poor and working class people are made to pay the ultimate price.
My administration would defend and extend liberties guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. We would repeal the U.S.A. Patriot Act, and the National Defense Authorization Act. I call for the abolition of the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and all other institutions of covert warfare.
Why Socialism? Can you explain for those who aren’t familiar with the platform you are running on?
Capitalism has never worked for the majority of people in society. Capitalism is a system that has continuously exploited working people in order to increase the profits of a few multi-national corporations and the world’s super rich. Socialists believe the economic model for the nation must change from capitalism to a democratic socialist economy; a change from a “free market” economy that is based on competition, profit and greed, to a system that is based upon assuring that the basic human needs of all are met. Just take a look at the real human effects of our latest Capitalist economic crisis and you will find the answer to the question, “Why Socialism?”
What specifically makes your campaign unique?
The Stewart Alexander 2012 Presidential Campaign will offer a full democratic socialist alternative to voters. We will be a left-wing option to the parties of the 1% - the Democrats and Republicans. The Stewart Alexander 2012 campaign will directly challenge the corrupt money-driven politics in Washington DC while not being bashful about talking about the failed policies and promises of Barack Obama. My campaign is really about transforming the political landscape.
What drew you to the Socialist Party?
I have been involved with the Socialist Party since 2007. However, I have known about the party for many years. I joined the Peace and Freedom Party (PFP) in California in 1998 and was involved in much of the PFP’s local and state politics. In 2007, my political interests were more on a national level and the PFP was a California-based political party. I decided to attend the national convention for the Socialist Party in St. Louis as a presidential candidate. Although I did not receive the presidential nomination, several delegates entered my nomination as the vice presidential candidate for the 2008 presidential ticket and I received the nomination by an overwhelming majority. Both the Socialist Party and the PFP are founded on the principle of protecting the interests of working people. This idea really attracted me to them.
Why should people vote for you instead of President Barack Obama or whomever wins the GOP nomination?
Working people should vote for me as president because I represent the people. I hope that when they read my program, or hear me speak, or watch me on TV they will encounter ideas that connect with their everyday lives. I hope they will see socialism as a way out of the debt and despair of capitalism. They will also find that President Obama represents Wall Street and the GOP candidates represent Wall Street. I come from the 99%, I live with the 99% and I will represent political positions that will better the lives of the 99%. Wall Street will invest billions to insure the corporate candidates are re-installed; I am not asking working people to make huge contribution to my campaign, I am asking working people to invest their vote for a better future for working people everywhere.
Your Wikipedia bio states that you were in the Air Force Reserve. Has having a military background influenced your politics?
Near the end of my military service, I was able to look back on that experience, and I realized that war is not about protecting our freedoms; war is big business with a high cost of human life and suffering. The U.S. has been engaged in smaller military conflicts or full wars since WWII and cost is staggering. Unfortunately, working people bare the cost (human and monetary cost), and the multi-national corporations enjoy the profits. I began to learn this from many of the soldiers I worked with and came in contact with during the time I spent in the Air Force. I came to the somewhat cruel reality that Vietnam was not about protecting our freedoms. Today a new generation of soldiers is finding out the same thing about Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Pakistan and, perhaps, Iran. These wars are not about freedom, they are about protecting the interests of the super rich.
As the Vice Presidential candidate on the 2008 Socialist Party ticket, do you feel that campaign made any mistakes and how will your campaign differ this time?
My approach in 2012 has been to get my vice presidential running mate involved in the campaign from day one. We have 14 individuals working with my national campaign committee; however, it is important that we all work as one. Alex Mendoza has many roles in the campaign. He is the National Campaign Executive Administrator. In this position, Alex is working directly with Mimi Soltysik, the National Campaign Manager; along with Mimi, Alex oversees all aspects of the daily working of the campaign. Alex is a vital component of the campaign, a spokesperson and an ambassador for the Socialist Party USA and the socialist movement. The Alexander/Mendoza campaign is also about communication — in our committees, in the party and in reaching the nation.
In addition, the Occupy movement has changed the political landscape of our country, so there is no telling what exciting possibilities lie ahead for the campaign. This is a big difference from 2008 when we often struggled to get a basic message about socialism out. Now, with Occupy, thousands of people are already discussing issues that we want to talk about.
What do you think are the three most important problems facing American’s today?
First: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs, the need to move to a full employment economy
Second: Reclaiming our constitutional rights
Third: U.S. military aggression and the costs of war
What do you plan to do to fix those issues?
First, the Stewart Alexander Presidential Campaign has a dynamic plan to create jobs. Forget Obama’s multi-billionaire dollar bank bailouts or his flashy tax incentives that produced few jobs. We will create jobs directly and immediately by creating an emergency national employment program and by providing public funding for an independent worker-owned and worker-managed cooperative sector.
Second, I will defend and extend liberties guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. Repeal the U.S.A. Patriot Act, and the National Defense Authorization Act. I call for the abolition of the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and all other institutions of covert warfare.
Third, I will call for an immediate 50 percent cut in the military budget, followed by additional cuts, with the aim of rapidly reducing the military budget to less than 10 percent of its current level with the peace dividends directed to essential social services and to the cost of cleaning up contaminated military sites. I call for the disbanding of NATO and all other aggressive military alliances and the closing of all oversees bases.
What would you most like potential voters to know about you?
Know that I am a working person and I am just like the majority of Americans. Know that I am asking you to support my candidacy for president because I think I can make a positive difference. The representatives from the two corporate parties will only represent the interests of Wall Street. I represent a new direction for working people, in which workers and community members will take responsibility for and control of their interpersonal relationships, their neighborhoods, and their destiny. Capitalism has failed working people; a democratic socialist society is the new direction we need as a nation to move toward a better future.
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The Stewart Alexander Presidential Campaign is committed to socialism, democracy, ecology, feminism and racial equality. My platform is committed to the transformation of capitalism through the creation of a democratic socialist society. To create a better future for working people, my platform will offer a guide that will establish a new social and economic order in which democracy will allow the 99% to shape our own future – in our neighborhoods, in our local government, and, perhaps most importantly, in our economy.
We need to create a new democratic voice that helps us to make rational decisions about industry, financial institutions, and the use of our precious natural resources. Overall, I intend to put the vast wealth of this society to work to finally satisfy human needs instead of feeding the profit hungry 1% and the corporations that they own.
I call for doubling the minimum wage and indexing it to the cost of living — equal pay for equal work, and for work of comparable worth and guaranteeing the right of all workers to organize. My Platform calls for a 30-hour work week at no loss of pay, with six weeks annual paid vacation. I call for a Universal Basic Income Guaranteed to alleviate poverty and homelessness.
As part of my peace agenda, I call for an immediate 50 percent cut in the military budget, followed by additional cuts, with the aim of rapidly reducing the military budget to less than 10 percent of its current level with the peace dividends directed to essential social services and to the cost of cleaning up contaminated military sites. I call for the disbanding of NATO and all other aggressive military alliances, and the closing of all overseas bases. Socialists have always understood that war is a rich person’s game for which poor and working class people are made to pay the ultimate price.
My administration would defend and extend liberties guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. We would repeal the U.S.A. Patriot Act, and the National Defense Authorization Act. I call for the abolition of the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and all other institutions of covert warfare.
Why Socialism? Can you explain for those who aren’t familiar with the platform you are running on?
Capitalism has never worked for the majority of people in society. Capitalism is a system that has continuously exploited working people in order to increase the profits of a few multi-national corporations and the world’s super rich. Socialists believe the economic model for the nation must change from capitalism to a democratic socialist economy; a change from a “free market” economy that is based on competition, profit and greed, to a system that is based upon assuring that the basic human needs of all are met. Just take a look at the real human effects of our latest Capitalist economic crisis and you will find the answer to the question, “Why Socialism?”
What specifically makes your campaign unique?
The Stewart Alexander 2012 Presidential Campaign will offer a full democratic socialist alternative to voters. We will be a left-wing option to the parties of the 1% - the Democrats and Republicans. The Stewart Alexander 2012 campaign will directly challenge the corrupt money-driven politics in Washington DC while not being bashful about talking about the failed policies and promises of Barack Obama. My campaign is really about transforming the political landscape.
What drew you to the Socialist Party?
I have been involved with the Socialist Party since 2007. However, I have known about the party for many years. I joined the Peace and Freedom Party (PFP) in California in 1998 and was involved in much of the PFP’s local and state politics. In 2007, my political interests were more on a national level and the PFP was a California-based political party. I decided to attend the national convention for the Socialist Party in St. Louis as a presidential candidate. Although I did not receive the presidential nomination, several delegates entered my nomination as the vice presidential candidate for the 2008 presidential ticket and I received the nomination by an overwhelming majority. Both the Socialist Party and the PFP are founded on the principle of protecting the interests of working people. This idea really attracted me to them.
Why should people vote for you instead of President Barack Obama or whomever wins the GOP nomination?
Working people should vote for me as president because I represent the people. I hope that when they read my program, or hear me speak, or watch me on TV they will encounter ideas that connect with their everyday lives. I hope they will see socialism as a way out of the debt and despair of capitalism. They will also find that President Obama represents Wall Street and the GOP candidates represent Wall Street. I come from the 99%, I live with the 99% and I will represent political positions that will better the lives of the 99%. Wall Street will invest billions to insure the corporate candidates are re-installed; I am not asking working people to make huge contribution to my campaign, I am asking working people to invest their vote for a better future for working people everywhere.
Your Wikipedia bio states that you were in the Air Force Reserve. Has having a military background influenced your politics?
Near the end of my military service, I was able to look back on that experience, and I realized that war is not about protecting our freedoms; war is big business with a high cost of human life and suffering. The U.S. has been engaged in smaller military conflicts or full wars since WWII and cost is staggering. Unfortunately, working people bare the cost (human and monetary cost), and the multi-national corporations enjoy the profits. I began to learn this from many of the soldiers I worked with and came in contact with during the time I spent in the Air Force. I came to the somewhat cruel reality that Vietnam was not about protecting our freedoms. Today a new generation of soldiers is finding out the same thing about Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Pakistan and, perhaps, Iran. These wars are not about freedom, they are about protecting the interests of the super rich.
As the Vice Presidential candidate on the 2008 Socialist Party ticket, do you feel that campaign made any mistakes and how will your campaign differ this time?
My approach in 2012 has been to get my vice presidential running mate involved in the campaign from day one. We have 14 individuals working with my national campaign committee; however, it is important that we all work as one. Alex Mendoza has many roles in the campaign. He is the National Campaign Executive Administrator. In this position, Alex is working directly with Mimi Soltysik, the National Campaign Manager; along with Mimi, Alex oversees all aspects of the daily working of the campaign. Alex is a vital component of the campaign, a spokesperson and an ambassador for the Socialist Party USA and the socialist movement. The Alexander/Mendoza campaign is also about communication — in our committees, in the party and in reaching the nation.
In addition, the Occupy movement has changed the political landscape of our country, so there is no telling what exciting possibilities lie ahead for the campaign. This is a big difference from 2008 when we often struggled to get a basic message about socialism out. Now, with Occupy, thousands of people are already discussing issues that we want to talk about.
What do you think are the three most important problems facing American’s today?
First: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs, the need to move to a full employment economy
Second: Reclaiming our constitutional rights
Third: U.S. military aggression and the costs of war
What do you plan to do to fix those issues?
First, the Stewart Alexander Presidential Campaign has a dynamic plan to create jobs. Forget Obama’s multi-billionaire dollar bank bailouts or his flashy tax incentives that produced few jobs. We will create jobs directly and immediately by creating an emergency national employment program and by providing public funding for an independent worker-owned and worker-managed cooperative sector.
Second, I will defend and extend liberties guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. Repeal the U.S.A. Patriot Act, and the National Defense Authorization Act. I call for the abolition of the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and all other institutions of covert warfare.
Third, I will call for an immediate 50 percent cut in the military budget, followed by additional cuts, with the aim of rapidly reducing the military budget to less than 10 percent of its current level with the peace dividends directed to essential social services and to the cost of cleaning up contaminated military sites. I call for the disbanding of NATO and all other aggressive military alliances and the closing of all oversees bases.
What would you most like potential voters to know about you?
Know that I am a working person and I am just like the majority of Americans. Know that I am asking you to support my candidacy for president because I think I can make a positive difference. The representatives from the two corporate parties will only represent the interests of Wall Street. I represent a new direction for working people, in which workers and community members will take responsibility for and control of their interpersonal relationships, their neighborhoods, and their destiny. Capitalism has failed working people; a democratic socialist society is the new direction we need as a nation to move toward a better future.
Sen. Bernie Sanders has proposed a constitutional amendment entitled the Saving American Democracy Amendment which would overturn the Supreme Court decision in a case called Citizens United vs. FEC which defines corporations as people.
The text of the amendment states:
There is a petition to show support for the amendment here. Please think about signing it.
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The text of the amendment states:
SECTION 1. The rights protected by the Constitution of the United States are the rights of natural persons and do not extend to for-profit corporations, limited liability companies, or other private entities established for business purposes or to promote business interests under the laws of any state, the United States, or any foreign state.
SECTION 2. Such corporate and other private entities established under law are subject to regulation by the people through the legislative process so long as such regulations are consistent with the powers of Congress and the States and do not limit the freedom of the press.
SECTION 3. Such corporate and other private entities shall be prohibited from making contributions or expenditures in any election of any candidate for public office or the vote upon any ballot measure submitted to the people.
SECTION 4. Congress and the States shall have the power to regulate and set limits on all election contributions and expenditures, including a candidate’s own spending, and to authorize the establishment of political committees to receive, spend, and publicly disclose the sources of those contributions and expenditures.
There is a petition to show support for the amendment here. Please think about signing it.
Apparently, when I wasn't looking the live action Alvin and the Chipmunks films have been so successful that there is a third film entitled Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked being released today.
As of this writing, the film is hovering at 10% critical approval according to Rotten Tomatoes a far cry from the 21% of the second film and the 26% of the original.
But while critics seem to shrug these films off, people tend to adore them. A lot. Moviefone created a graph to illustrate the popularity in cash.
click for larger version
These films have made more almost ten times more than the Make-A-Wish foundation received in donations for 2009. Of course, that is all Chipmunk films compared to a single year of donations. But if we look at individual film grosses it doesn't get much better.
The first film made $217,326,974 domestically and $361,336,633 worldwide. The second film dwarfed that with a haul of $219,614,612 domestic and $443,140,005 worldwide.
But according to the graph, the Make-A-Wish foundation received a little over 97,000,000 in 2009 and the Environmental Defense Fund made slightly over $134,000,000.
Some others?
American Friends Service Committee for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010 had a total income of $27,585,741
Feeding America for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010 charted $25,284,767 in individual contributions.
Having never seen any of the chipmunk films, I am not criticizing them as films...but I find it shockingly sad that people would rather collectively give $217,326,974 to watch a film about three computer generated chipmunks than give a similar amount to an actual charitable organization doing some good in the world.
Our individual priorities affect this country just as much as the priorities of the United States government and Wall Street. Americans are more than happy to stand in long lines waiting to spend $500 for an iPad 2 but balk at the government helping those in need.
A world where we are more amenable to showering money on critically reviled entertainment than in donating money to organizations which actually help others isn't a very noble world at all.
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As of this writing, the film is hovering at 10% critical approval according to Rotten Tomatoes a far cry from the 21% of the second film and the 26% of the original.
But while critics seem to shrug these films off, people tend to adore them. A lot. Moviefone created a graph to illustrate the popularity in cash.
Since the singing chipmunks were once lonely little orphans who were rescued by their talent manager, Moviefone decided to compare the Chipmunks' movie dollars with some real charities devoted to animal welfare and art achievement.
click for larger version
These films have made more almost ten times more than the Make-A-Wish foundation received in donations for 2009. Of course, that is all Chipmunk films compared to a single year of donations. But if we look at individual film grosses it doesn't get much better.
The first film made $217,326,974 domestically and $361,336,633 worldwide. The second film dwarfed that with a haul of $219,614,612 domestic and $443,140,005 worldwide.
But according to the graph, the Make-A-Wish foundation received a little over 97,000,000 in 2009 and the Environmental Defense Fund made slightly over $134,000,000.
Some others?
American Friends Service Committee for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010 had a total income of $27,585,741
Feeding America for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010 charted $25,284,767 in individual contributions.
Having never seen any of the chipmunk films, I am not criticizing them as films...but I find it shockingly sad that people would rather collectively give $217,326,974 to watch a film about three computer generated chipmunks than give a similar amount to an actual charitable organization doing some good in the world.
Our individual priorities affect this country just as much as the priorities of the United States government and Wall Street. Americans are more than happy to stand in long lines waiting to spend $500 for an iPad 2 but balk at the government helping those in need.
A world where we are more amenable to showering money on critically reviled entertainment than in donating money to organizations which actually help others isn't a very noble world at all.
In October 2010, I wrote about a subscription based fire department in Tennessee. At that time, the Cranick family called 911 and the firefighters refused to show up because the Cranick's hadn't paid the $75 subscription fee.
This time, the firefighters showed up. And watched a house burn to the ground.
The subscription is a fee paid to a local town. No fee, no services.
See? It is all about incentive. If we just help everyone who needs help, then nobody will pay for help. Capitalism at its finest.
Who would create such a policy?
Oh....right.
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This time, the firefighters showed up. And watched a house burn to the ground.
Vicky Bell told WPSD-TV that she called 911 when her mobile home in Obion County caught fire. Firefighters responded but did not put out the blaze because she does not subscribe to the local fire service.
The subscription is a fee paid to a local town. No fee, no services.
Rural residents who want fire protection can get service from the nearby town of South Fulton, but they must pay a $75-a-year fee. South Fulton Mayor David Crocker said that if the city's firefighters responded to people who didn't pay there would be no incentive for anyone to subscribe.
See? It is all about incentive. If we just help everyone who needs help, then nobody will pay for help. Capitalism at its finest.
Who would create such a policy?
A local newspaper further pressed Mayor Crocker about the city’s policy, which has been in place since 1990. Crocker, a Republican who was elected in 2008 and serves with a county commission where every seat is also filled by a Republican...
Oh....right.
It is a common refrain from the right that defense spending creates jobs and boosts the economy.
In September, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta stated that defense cuts would increase unemployment.
In October 2011, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA) claimed:
But this isn't really all that...um....true.
Dean Baker, macroeconomist and co-founder of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, recently blogged about a new study done by the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts.
The report, entitled The U.S. Employment Effect of Military and Domestic Spending Priorities: 2011 Update, makes it very clear while military spending may create some jobs, there are far more productive ways to create jobs.
Domestic spending gives you more bang for your buck, too.
There are many reasons why non-military domestic spending is more productive. Many have heard of the old $400 claw hammer and a $9,000 wrench but now the military is spending $400 per gallon of gas.
I care more about teachers than $400 a gallon drums of gasoline. How about you?
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In September, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta stated that defense cuts would increase unemployment.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is warning members of Congress that threatened defense cuts in the order of $1 trillion over the next decade would add 1 percentage point to the U.S. unemployment rate, a senior defense official said on Thursday.
In October 2011, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA) claimed:
As a fiscal conservative, I tend to oppose increasing government spending for the purpose of job creation. But I think we must understand that the defense industry is unique in that it relies entirely on federal government dollars. We don’t spend money on defense to create jobs. But defense cuts are certainly a path to job loss, especially among our high skilled workforces.
But this isn't really all that...um....true.
Dean Baker, macroeconomist and co-founder of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, recently blogged about a new study done by the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts.
Using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' employment requirement tables, they find that on a per dollar basis spending on health care or energy conservation creates 50 percent more jobs than spending on the military. Spending on education creates more than twice as many jobs as spending on the military.
The report, entitled The U.S. Employment Effect of Military and Domestic Spending Priorities: 2011 Update, makes it very clear while military spending may create some jobs, there are far more productive ways to create jobs.
Since mid-2011, the impact of military spending on job creation has been discussed prominently in the United States, as one component of the broader debate on how to reduce the federal government’s fiscal deficit. The figures we present here aim to help clarify that debate. Our key finding is that spending on the military is a poor source of job creation relative to spending on the green economy, health care, education, or even personal household consumption.
The U.S. government spent $689 billion on the military in 2010.2 This amounts to about $2,200 for every resident of the country. The level of military spending has risen dramatically since 2001, with the increases beginning even before September 11, 2001. In constant dollar terms (after controlling for inflation), military spending rose at an average rate of 5.3 percent per year from 2001 – 2010, i.e. through the full eight years of the Bush presidency and the first two years under President Obama. By contrast, the overall U.S. economy grew at an average annual rate of 1.6 percent over this past decade. As a share of GDP, the military budget rose from 3.0 to 4.7 percent between 2001- 2010. At the current size of the economy, a difference between a military budget at 4.7 rather than 3.0 percent of GDP amounts to $250 billion.
Domestic spending gives you more bang for your buck, too.
Nevertheless, because spending on clean energy, health care, and education produces substantially more jobs overall per $1 billion in spending, it also creates more good jobs. This includes jobs paying within a mid-range, which we define as between $32,000 - $64,000 per year, as well as high-paying jobs, i.e. those paying over $64,000.
There are many reasons why non-military domestic spending is more productive. Many have heard of the old $400 claw hammer and a $9,000 wrench but now the military is spending $400 per gallon of gas.
Parachuting a barrel of fuel to a remote Afghan base takes sharp flying skills, steady nerves and flawless timing.
It also costs a lot of money—up to $400 a gallon, by military estimates.
But the Pentagon is stuck with the expense for the foreseeable future, especially given the recent deterioration in U.S.-Pakistani relations.
"We're going to burn a lot of gas to drop a lot of gas," said Capt. Zack Albaugh, a California Air National Guard pilot deployed with the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron.
I care more about teachers than $400 a gallon drums of gasoline. How about you?
