Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day USA??

Subject: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day USA??
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 12:00 AM

Across the U.S.A.

It is my understanding (and I have been confused more than once before) that on May 01 - ALL IMMIGRANTS or those from immigrant families, (Lituanian? Russian? Polish? Chinese? Korean?) are being urged by migrant-audience radio stations to boycot work, and school?

Isn't this the Marxist-Leninist, Socialist-Communist, International Workers' Day???

Looks like ANARCHY to me! Sedition in time of war? Treason?

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day U
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 12:15 AM

There always has been a small effort to honor International Workers' Day in the U.S. Maybe it's time for stronger solidarity.

Arise, ye prisoners of starvation....

-Comrade Joe-

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day U
From: skarpi
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 02:37 AM

jabb , it´s the workers day off here in Iceland as well through hole eroupe
All the best Skarpi Iceland.

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day U
From: Bert
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 02:52 AM

It's all WORKERS Garg, If that includes you then just take a day off and enjoy it.

Contrary to popular opinion all workers are not Marxists.

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day USA??
From: M.Ted
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 05:16 PM

There is an effort to organize all Latinos in the US, or at least all Latino immigrants, to boycott everything on May 1st.   It will be coordinated with a "Boycott Gringo" effort in Mexico--here is a link. Great American Boycott 2006

It is to the IWW website, but, since you are a conservative, don't feel obliged to "organize" anything, regardless of the exortation at the end of the text.

This is probably as good a place to comment on this as any, so I must say that I think this boycott is a really dumb idea. It smacks of "Give us what we want or else ", which is a great way to create and angry backlash.

Given that this is a "workers boycott" on May Day, the organizers are probably Communists, some of whom would like nothing better than an angry backlash from the "Imperialists" and their "lackies", to "mobilize the working classes to action"--

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day USA??
From: M.Ted
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 06:35 PM

Let no one be deceived, my sympathies are with the working classes, just not with the folks who try to exploit them for political gain--For those who still hope for a a better world tomorrowMP3s of the Internationale in 30 Languages

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day USA??
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 07:21 PM

THANX - M. TED!

YUP! That is exactly what is being preached on the airwaves.
It appears they don't have their act together - one organizer calls for black shirts of mourning - another organizer call for white shirts of solidarity.

Snippets from different sections:

On May 1, we will wear "white" a T-Shirt and/or white arm bands

We will settle for nothing less than full amnesty and dignity for the millions of undocumented workers presently in the U.S.

No Work, No School, No Sales, and No Buying the Port and local rails will shut down

On May 1st we are calling on students and workers of all races to join in a day of resistance.

Wear black in solidarity with all the immigrants being detained in US prisons and the thousands who have died crossing the border *Please no American flags

We demand a total change of priorities from the production of things to the caring for people and the environment.

Sincerely,
Gargole

I don't believe they will sing The International the tune is much too complex..... perhaps an easier tune like La Cucaracha.

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day U
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 08:12 PM

MAY 01 is MAY DAY. Getting up before dawn to gather flowers and leaving them anonymously on neighbor's doors. Singing, dancing, flowers in the hair, May wine, and May Poles. For centuries and centuries it has been the custom and then somebody makes it into a social political event?

Reminds me of the Christians taking over Saturnalia?

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day USA??
From: M.Ted
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 08:48 PM

Singing, dancing, and flowers in the hair? Hey, Gargoyle, I think someone is interested in that "cucaracha";-)

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day USA??
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 21 Apr 06 - 09:34 PM

M. Ted, surely you can read enough to realise that capitalism will give the workers nothing that they do not take.

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day USA??
From: M.Ted
Date: 22 Apr 06 - 11:48 AM

I know that very well, Richard Bridge. I also know that, far from wanting to create true"People's Movements", many, if not most leftist organizations have their own ideas about what is good for the masses.

Don't get me wrong--I get choked up when I hear "The Internationale"--I just think that the results of a hundred and fifty years of "People's Revolutions" has been pretty abysmal.

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day USA??
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 22 Apr 06 - 08:09 PM

The US has a workers' day. It's called "Labor Day."

The prominent display of Mexican Flags in marches recently to the exclusion of US symbols, has already produced significant changes in how some people feel about our "immigrant problem." I'm afraid that staging a mass protest, ignoring the existing traditional tribute to US workers, and - as some may note - associating it with the "May Day" Marxist/Socialist rallies in past history (known to many in our less than literate general population, who mostly do not know of the current international traditions) will NOT contribute to an increase in support for their cause.

About the only worse - maybe - thing they might do would be to have their rally on May 5 - Cinco de Mayo - which is a Mexican holiday with which virtually everyone in the US is familiar.

The timing is also a bit "iffy" as this past week Immigration and Customs officers raided one company, arrested nearly 1,200 illegal workers (out of a total 5,800) in 26 states, and are requesting indictments of a half dozen current and former managers. Forfeiture of company assets is a possible penalty. At least some of the managers are accused of deliberately recruiting alien workers, and of providing falsified documentation for them.

By about May 1, the indictments should be popping out, which might make it a good time to be a bit "less assertive" if there is to be any hope of obtaining a more generous treatment.

The current problems have NO CAUSE other than the failure of our legislatures to enact fair and enforceable laws, and to provide funding and direction for their enforcement. Unfortunately, the current Congress offers little hope of a meaningful remedy. In the worst case, it could act completely irrationally (i.e in normal fashion).

John

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day USA??
From: M.Ted
Date: 22 Apr 06 - 09:20 PM

John, you are exactly on the money--the current situation exists solely because politicians have refused to do anything to manage it. The reason is quite simple--They don't want to get tough because business needs a source of competent, cheap labor, and they don't want to make the laborers legitimate because they are afraid of a backlash from "Middle America"--

The arrests, as everyone knows, are politically timed by the administration, who play for both Latino votes and Conservative money.

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day USA??
From: Mark Ross
Date: 23 Apr 06 - 12:36 PM

May 1st is Labor Day, actually started here in the states back in the 1880's, and spread to Europe and the rest of the world later. It is a day of Solidarity and I don't give damn for that so-called Labor Day in September, with its parades, politicians, hotdogs and cheap beer.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day U
From: GUEST,,gargoyle
Date: 24 Apr 06 - 12:03 AM

Nothing here - about cheap beer - Or much of anthing else.

An interesting web-projection....emulating the type of flyers(note "printing" structure....we once had plastering the grass of a backyard. (Thankfully, the dew-point was high that April eve.) And our candidate lost.

Link: http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20060413091242747

It looks like a grand night to shop JC Penny's, K-mart, the BIG Malls, and Wal-Mart. One might actually receive customer service.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

It is "Mother's Day" since the welfare checks are handed out on the first and the fiftenth.....I doubt it will curtail sales for the "mama hochitas" with ready cash burning in the bush.

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day U
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 24 Apr 06 - 12:09 AM

Mark - do you have a reference for "The DAY" beginning here?

Is

here,

the UK or the USA or someplace else?

Better yet, can you give a time, place, location, speaker/journalist that FIRST advcocated the event?

Sincerely ignorant on IWP etc.
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day USA??
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Apr 06 - 12:23 AM

my wish for may first is that GARGOYLE find some sort of laxative that he likes. he can post on mudcat about how he hates it, but that's ok, as long as he takes it in private and gets some relief. barring that, i wish he'd re-read his posts for how much sense they might make to anyone but himself. what a hater.

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day U
From: Piers
Date: 24 Apr 06 - 04:46 AM

In 1884, the U.S. Federation of Organized Trade and Labor Unions had passed a law declaring that, as of May 1, 1886, an eight hour workday would be the full and legal workday for all U.S. workers – the ruling class had that much time to recognise this new law and put it into effect.

The owners refused.

On May 1, 1886, workers took to the streets in a general strike throughout the entire country to force the ruling class to recognise the eight-hour working day. Over 350,000 workers across the country directly participated in the general strike, with hundreds of thousands of workers joining the marches as best they could.

In what they would later call the Haymarket riots, during the continuing strike action on May third in Chicago, the heart of the U.S. labor movement, the Chicago police opened fire on the unarmed striking workers at the McCormick Reaper Works, killing six workers and wounding untold numbers. An uproar across the nation resounded against the government and its police brutality, with workers' protest rallies and demonstrations throughout the nation set to assemble on the following day.

On May 4, Chicago members of the anarchist IWPA (International Working Peoples' Association) organized a rally of several thousand workers at Haymarket Square to protest the continuing police brutality against striking workers on the South Side. As the last speaker finished his remarks that rainy evening, with only 200 of the most dedicated workers remaining at the rally, 180 armed police marched forward and demanded the workers to disperse. Then, deep within the police ranks, a bomb exploded, killing seven cops. The police opened fire on the unarmed workers – the number of workers wounded and killed by the cops is unknown to this day. Eight anarchists were arrested on charges of "inciting riot" and murder. The retaliation of the government was enormous in the days to follow, filling every newspaper with accusations, completely drowning the government murders and brutality of days past.

Eight workers were convicted as anarchists, were convicted of murder, and were convicted of inciting a riot. Only one of the eight men accused was present at the protest, and he was attempting to address the crowd when the bomb went off. In one of the greatest show trials in the history of the working-class movement no evidence was ever produced to uphold the accusations, though all eight were convicted as guilty. Four of the prisoners – Albert Parsons, August Spies, George Engel and Adolph Fisher – were executed, Louis Lingg committed suicide, and the three remaining were pardoned due to immense working class upheaval in 1893.

On May 1, 1890, in accordance with the decision of the Paris Congress (July 1889) of the Second International to commemorate the Haymarket martyrs, mass demonstrations and strikes were held throughout Europe and America. The workers put forward the demands for an 8 hour woring day, better health conditions, and further demands set forth by the International Association of Workers. The red flag was here created as the symbol that would always remind us of the blood that the working-class has bleed, and continues to bleed, under the oppressive reign of capitalism.

From that day forward (starting in 1891 in Russia, by 1920 including China, and 1927 India) workers throughout the world began to celebrate the first of May as a day of international proletarian solidarity, fighting for the right of freedom to celebrate their past and build their future without the oppression and exploitation of the capitalist state.

From here.

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day USA??
From: Mark Ross
Date: 24 Apr 06 - 11:56 AM

Thanks Piers.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day U
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Apr 06 - 09:41 PM

The ancient Celts and Saxons celebrated May 1st as Beltane or the day of fire. Bel was the Celtic god of the sun.

The Saxons began their May day celebrations on the eve of May, April 30. It was an evening of games and feasting celebrating the end of winter and the return of the sun and fertility of the soil. Torch bearing peasants and villager would wind their way up paths to the top of tall hills or mountain crags and then ignite wooden wheels which they would roll down into the fields

The May eve celebrations were eventually outlawed by the Catholic church, but were still celebrated by peasants until the late 1700's.

Mayday celebrations in Europe varied according to locality, however they were immensely popular with artisans and villagers until the 19th Century.During the middle ages the various trade guilds celebrated feast days for the patron saints of their craft.

Mayday was a raucous and fun time, electing a queen of the May from the eligible young women of the village, to rule the crops until harvest.

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day USA??
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 26 Apr 06 - 08:18 PM

BS: May 1st Immigration Solidarity Strike

Merge Threads?

John

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day USA??
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 28 Apr 06 - 04:54 PM

Nuestro Himno
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MIAMI — British music producer Adam Kidron says he just wanted to honor the millions of immigrants seeking a better life in the U.S. when he came up with the idea of a Spanish-language version of the national anthem.

The initial version of "Nuestro Himno," or "Our Anthem" comes out today and features artists such as Wyclef Jean, hip-hop star Pitbull and Puerto Rican singers Carlos Ponce and Olga Tanon.

Some Internet bloggers and others are infuriated by the thought of "The Star-Spangled Banner" sung in a language other than English, and the version of the song has already been the target of a fierce backlash.

"Would the French accept people singing the La Marseillaise in English as a sign of French patriotism? Of course not," said Mark Krikorian, head of the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that supports tighter immigration controls.

"Nuestro Himno" uses lyrics based closely on the English-language original, said Kidron, who heads the record label Urban Box Office.

Pro-immigration protests are planned around the country for Monday, and the record label is urging Hispanic radio stations nationwide to play the cut at 7 p.m. EDT today in a sign of solidarity.

A remix to be released in June will contain several lines in English that condemn U.S. immigration laws. Among them: "These kids have no parents, cause all of these mean laws ... let's not start a war with all these hard workers, they can't help where they were born."

Bryanna Bevens of Hanford, Calif., who writes for the immigration-focused Web magazine Vdare.com, said the remix particularly upset her.

"It's very whiny. If you want to say all those things, by all means, put them on your poster board, but don't put them on the national anthem," she said.

Kidron, a U.S. resident for 16 years, maintains the changes are fitting. After all, he notes, American immigrants borrowed the melody of the "Star Spangled Banner" from an English drinking song.

"There's no attempt to usurp anything. The intent is to communicate," Kidron said. "I wanted to show my thanks to these people who buy my records and listen to the music we release and do the jobs I don't want to do."

Kidron said the song also will be featured on the album "Somos Americanos," which will sell for $10, with $1 going to the National Capital Immigration Coalition, a Washington group.

James Gardner, an associate director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, said Americans have long enjoyed different interpretations of the Star Spangled Banner, including country or gospel arrangements.

"There are a number of renditions that people aren't happy with, but that's part of it — that it means enough for people to try to sing," he said.

Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Perez, said this country was built by immigrants, and "the meaning of the American dream is in that record: struggle, freedom, opportunity, everything they are trying to shut down on us."

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day USA??
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 28 Apr 06 - 04:55 PM

Oh say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What they stealthily climbed, at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose tall poles and tight chains, made the perilous climb,
O'er the barbed wire they slid, and are now slightly bleeding?

And the search light's white glare, the dogs sniffing the air,
As they patrolled the fence but Jose was not there.
Jose, will that barbed wire barrier keep you away?
Will it deter all your friends? or will they come anyway?

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day USA??
From: Desdemona
Date: 28 Apr 06 - 04:58 PM

I just heard about this last night from my partner. He's a university professor, and apparently it looks like Monday is shaping up to be a pretty 'optional' day for students as well!

For my part, as much as I like the idea of idleness in a good cause, I'm committed to be on the banks of the River Charles to dance up the sun and bring in the May...same as it ever was!

~D

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day U
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 29 Apr 06 - 04:24 AM

I know that May the 1st is also the feast of St Joseph the Worker in the Catholic Church and assumed that there was a long standing history of that feast, predating the modern usage of May Day as workers day, but it seems that everyone cashes in somehow. A quote from a Catholoic Church web site:

"Apparently in response to the "May Day" celebrations for workers sponsored by Communists, Pius XII instituted the feast of St. Joseph the Worker in 1955."

So not as old a religious feast day as I assumed.

Subject: RE: Folklore: May 01 - International Workers Day U
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 02 May 06 - 09:59 PM

No wimper - No Bang

The DAY passed unnoticed (as usual)with little less hype than the white-Bronco "OJ Run to the Border"

One poor soul (on radio) measured the migrant success by a drop in the USA Stock Markets. Poor fool, EPS, SPIDERS, OIL, CHINA,....were all wrapped up into a May 01....rally. (No wonder, these people remain third-world.)

A local rally round a May-Pole is much more fun than a mob, without "rest-rooms," "comfort stations," in on the streets of an urban landscape.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle