2/27/17 Minutes: Fliers, Upcoming Events

In attendance: Jackson (moderator), Milla, Nancy, Ty (secretary)
Start time: 7:01 PM

1. Event Review: We showed the “Far Beyond The Stars” episode, and it didn’t really get a good turnout.

2. Upcoming Event: We’re going to showing Women in Red Stockings! It’s an easy setup, we’ll be ready to go.

3. Reimbursement: After fliering, Jackson will be reimbursed $20 and Ty will be reimbursed $6.

4. Fliering: Ty will be putting up fliers before First Friday.

5. Lincoln Earth Day: Lincoln Earth Day sent out an email, asking for booth registrations. Ty will send an email to make sure our continued use of the non-profit price is ok.

6. Community Center Questions: Someone emailed us some questions about how to run a community center similar to ours. Ty forwarded the email to Jackson, who was better prepared to answer those.

7. Bystander Intervention Workshop: Rae contacted us regarding the name; she agreed that the name should be something different, but proposed the more general “Standing Up Against Harassment” as the title. She also created a poster, and though we already have the calendar printed with street harassment in the name, we’ll go ahead with billing it as “Standing Up Against Harassment” from now on.

8. Discussion Article: Ju Ping sent us an article that could maybe prompt discussion. Nancy also suggested an article to read regarding America and its relation to terrorist groups. Jackson’s interested in doing further article reading groups, but wants to see if this first discussion group goes well.

9. Taiwan Marriage Equality: Tabled

10. Stuff to Buy: Tabled

11. Graphic Design: Tabled

12. Web Events: The Fascism event needs going up tonight. Other March events need going up soon, as well as our fundraiser and clothing swap.

Meeting adjourned: 8:33 PM

Tabled items: Articles for Discussion, Graphic Designer, Taiwan Marriage Equality Fundraiser, Stuff to Buy (canopy, stuff to secure bike rack, paper cutter, whiteboard, labels, 7×7 no-slip outdoor mat for porch, new SSD hard drive for public laptop)

2/20/17 Minutes – Spring Calendar finalized!

In attendance: Jackson (secretary), Ju Ping, Ty (moderator)
Start time: 7:05 PM

1. Event Review – We watched Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution on Saturday night. The turnout was great, with a bunch of new people. The movie attracted a lot of attention, as there’s still a lot of interest in the Panthers. Jackson says we should run it again.

2. Upcoming Event – We’re showing “Far Beyond the Stars” (Star Trek: DS9) on Friday night. We’re ready for it.

3. MBLGTACC – Ty just came back from a conference for queer college students. He reported back on some of the cool panels there, including “Marxism and Queer Liberation.” He was inspired by how the very radical workshops there were jam-packed!

4. Book – Ty picked up a book called Queering Anarchism at the conference. He wants to donate it to the library, and he wants to be reimbursed $20 for buying it. We’re ok with this!

5. Spring Calendar:

March
Saturday, March 4th, 7-10 PM: Movie Night: Women in Red Stockings (A documentary about the 1975 Women’s General Strike in Iceland)
Saturday, March 11th, 1-3 PM: What is Fascism? (a community discussion)
Saturday, March 18th, 1-3 PM: “The Safety Pin and the Swastika” reading group/discussion (the use of symbols in identity politics and the alt-right)

April
Saturday, April 1st, 1-3 PM: Standing Up Against Street Harassment (A Bystander Intervention Workshop with UNL PREVENT)
Saturday, April 8th, 1-3 PM: How the Democrats Are Fracking the Left (a community discussion)
Friday, April 21st, 7-10 PM: Trekkies For Justice: “Force of Nature” (Star Trek: The Next Generation) [allegory about environmentalism]
Saturday, April 22nd: (Tabling at Lincoln Earth Day)

May
Friday, May 12th, 8 AM – 6 PM, and Saturday, May 13th, 8 AM – 2 PM: The Black Cat House Yard Sale Fundraiser
Sunday, May 14th, 12 PM – 5 PM: Trans Clothing Swap
Friday, May 19th, 7-10 PM: Movie Night: Harlan County, USA (documentary about 1973 coal miners’ strike)
Saturday, May 20th, 1 – 3 PM: Little Red Singalong (learning to sing leftist songs!)
Friday, May 26th, 7-10 PM: Dr. Who For Justice: “The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion” (allegory about conflict and refugees)

Meeting adjourned: 8:40 PM

Treasury Log 2017 (General, Library, Speakers)

GENERAL TREASURY

We started the year with $479.78.

February 13th Update

New donation:

1. We received $97 in our donations box.

New debits:

1. Jackson was reimbursed $25 for getting one of our communal laptops repaired through his job. This was approved at the January 9th meeting.
2. Jackson was reimbursed $50 for making a donation on the group’s behalf to an IWW member shot by a Neo-Nazi in Seattle. This was approved at the January 30th meeting.
3. Jackson was reimbursed $27.87 for renewing some of our webhosting for another year. This was approved at the January 30th.

These total $102.87 in new debits.

Altogether, our treasury is decreasing $5.87. Our new balance is $473.91.

March 13th Update

New donations

1. Richard donated $50. Thanks, Richard!

2. We pulled $23 from our donations box.

These total $73 in new donations.

New debits

1. Jackson is reimbursed $20 and Ty is reimbursed $6 for calendar printing. This was approved at the February 27th meeting.
2. Jackson is reimbursed $35 for registering us for Lincoln Earth Day. This was requested at the February 27th meeting, and confirmed at the March 13th meeting.
3. Jackson is reimbursed $20 for donating on our behalf to the Taiwanese Marriage Equality fundraiser. This was approved at the March 6th meeting.
4. Jackson is reimbursed $31.88 for buying us a large, new whiteboard and more dry-erase markers for use in our discussions and workshops. This was approved at the March 6th meeting.
5. Ty is reimbursed $12.87 for getting some fliers printed in the last week. This was approved at the March 6th meeting.
6. We are transferring $100 to our Speaker’s Treasury to provide for our speaker coming up from Houston for “The Coming Repression.” This was approved at the March 13th meeting.
7. We are transferring $200 to our Library Treasury to cover a large order of books from Monthly Review Press. This was approved at the March 13th meeting.

These total $425.75 in new debits.

Altogether, our treasury is decreasing $352.75, to a new total of $121.16.

August 21st Update

New donations:

1. Jackson donated $166.
2. Joe of the SWP donated $18 to share our table at Earth Day.
3. We raised $16.25 at Lincoln Earth Day.
4. James donated $2.
5. We raised $39.09 at the Renters Together Resource Fair.
6. Richard and Christy donated $150!
7. We collected $35.79 from our donations box.

These total $427.13 in new donations.

New debits:

1. Jackson was reimbursed $50 for making a donation on our behalf to the Omaha GDC for the legal expenses of Omaha activists who were unjustly arrested by the Omaha police at a counter-protest against Trump. This was approved at the April 3rd meeting.
2. Jackson was reimbursed $19.73 for picking up our summer calendars. This was approved at the May 22nd meeting.
3. Jackson was reimbursed $26.24 for buying our paper cutter. This was approved at the May 29th meeting.
4. Jackson was reimbursed $193.39 for renewing our website for another year. This was approved at the July 31st meeting.
5. Ty was reimbursed $12.07 for picking up our fall calendars. This was approved at the August 14th meeting.
6. Jackson was reimbursed $50 for making a donation on our behalf to the victims of the Neo-Nazi attack in CVille. This was approved at the August 14th meeting.

These total $351.43 in new debits.

Altogether, our treasury is increasing $75.70, to a new total of $196.86.

September 18th Update:

New debits:

1. $100 was transferred to our Speakers’ Treasury. This was approved at our August 21st meeting.
2. Jackson was reimbursed $29.90 for buying labels for our buttons. This was approved at the August 28th meeting.

These total $129.90 in new debits. Our new balance is $66.96.

November 13th Update:

1. We received $64 in our donations box. Thanks, y’all! Our new balance is $130.96.

November 20th Update:

New donation:

1. Susan donated $5 at our movie on Friday. Thanks, Susan!

New debits:

1. Ty is reimbursed $3.21 for paying for our movie on Friday. This was approved at the November 20th meeting.

2. Ty is reimbursed $12.07 for getting our winter calendars printed. This was approved at the November 20th meeting.

3. We transfer $76.78 to our Library Treasury so that it can cover a reimbursement to Jackson for some books. This was approved at the November 20th meeting.

These total $92.08 in debits from our General Treasury. Altogether, our treasury balance is decreasing $87.08, to a new overall balance of $43.88.

LIBRARY TREASURY

We started the year with a balance of $2.09, but also with a $65 IOU to Jackson.

February 13th Update

New donation:

1. Jackson donated $130.

New debit:

1. Jackson was reimbursed $19 for purchasing four books for the library. This was approved at the January 30th meeting.

Overall, the IOU is paid off and we still have $48.09.

March 13th Update

New donation: We transferred $200 from the General Treasury at the March 13th meeting.

New debits

1. Ty is reimbursed $20 for buying Queering Anarchism for our library. This was approved at our February 20th meeting.

2. Jackson is reimbursed $211.93 for placing a large order from Monthly Review Press for our library. This was approved at the March 13th meeting.

Altogether, our treasury is declining $31.93, to a new overall balance of $16.16.

August 21st Update

1. Jackson was reimbursed $5 for donating a book to the library. This was approved at the April 3rd meeting.
2. Jackson donated $50.

Altogether, our treasury increased $45, to a new balance of $61.16

September 18th Update:

New donations:

1. Jackson donated $55.
2. James donated $32.

These total $87 in new donations.

New debit:

Ty is reimbursed $106.13 for buying us some AK Press books. This was discussed at the September 11th meeting and confirmed at the September 18th meeting.

Altogether, our library treasury is reducing $19.13, to a new balance of $42.03.

November 20th Update:

New Donation:

1. We transferred $76.78 from our General Treasury. This was approved at the November 20th meeting.

New debit:

1. Jackson is reimbursed $118.81 for buying 28 new books for our library. This was approved at the November 20th meeting.

Our balance is now $0.

SPEAKERS TREASURY

We started the year with $100.

March 13th Update

New donation: We’re transferred $100 from our General Treasury at the March 13th meeting. Our new balance is $200.

August 21st Update

1. We donated $100 to James.
2. We donated $100 to Jude of Tilted Scales Collective. This was pre-approved at the June 12th meeting, and confirmed at the June 19th meeting.

We currently have $0.

September 18th Update:

1. We transferred $100 from our General Treasury at the August 21st meeting.
2. We donated $50 to Serendipiti for doing a workshop here. This was pre-approved at the August 21st meeting and confirmed at the August 28th meeting.

We now have $50.

2/13/17 Minutes: More Spring Calendar

In attendance: Jackson (moderator), Ju Ping, Ty (secretary)
Start time: 7:02 PM

1. Event Review – We had a very good discussion on imperialism on Saturday. We still need to work on our moderation skills! Ju Ping also thinks that we can avoid putting people on the spot for discussion points if we ask for ideas ahead of times via the event pages or mailing list.

2. Upcoming Event – We have a movie coming up on Saturday! The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution will be playing and the room just needs to be set up for that.

3. Crimethinc Tour – We likely have space to put them up for two nights, and we could definitely do our traditional radical pasta feed for them. We’re also planning to donate $100 to them to help cover touring expenses.

4. Spring Calendar:

March
Saturday, March 4th, 7-10 PM: Movie Night: Women in Red Stockings (A documentary about the 1975 Women’s General Strike in Iceland)
Second week of March: Preparing For The Trump Era Crimethinc tour
Saturday, 1-3 PM: What is Fascism? (a community discussion)
Saturday, 1-3 PM: “The Safety Pin and the Swastika” reading discussion

April
Saturday, April 1, 1-3 PM: Bystander intervention workshop with UNL PREVENT
Friday, April 21, 7-10 PM: Trekkies For Justice: “Force of Nature” (TNG)
Saturday, April 22: Lincoln Earth Day

May
Monday, May 1: May Day/International Worker’s Day march?
Friday, May 12, 8 AM – 6 PM, and Saturday, May 13, 8 AM – 1 PM: The Black Cat House Yard Sale Fundraiser
Sunday, May 14, 12 PM – 5 PM: Trans Clothing Swap
7-10 PM: Whovians For Justice: “The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion”

Little Red Singalong: Either April or May

Not scheduled: Movie Night: Harlan County, USA, discussion on what an anti-capitalist culture looks like, discussion on stopping liberals/Democrats from co-opting direct action, Movie Night: Attack the Block, Movie Night: Battleship Potemkin, Movie Night: Strike, Movie Night: Persepolis

Future documentary to consider: Radio Kobani

Blocked out days: April 15, April 29 from 12 PM – 3 PM
Days Ty will not be there: March 11, March 25-29

Meeting adjourned:  8:16 PM

Tabled items: Spring Calendar, Stuff to Buy (canopy, stuff to secure bike rack, paper cutter, whiteboard, labels, 7×7 no-slip outdoor mat for porch, new SSD hard drive for public laptop)

What is Imperialism? Discussion Minutes

Group definitions of imperialism:
– highest stage of capitalism (as in Lenin’s book on the subject of imperialism)
– control exerted by a state against other states (outside or within its borders)
– two key words: dominance and extraction
– Revisionist, delusional “Manifest Destiny”

Dictionary definition: a policy of extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military force. (Addition to this: through economics as well)

Lenin’s summary of imperialism: A capitalist nation will always inevitably seek more power outside its borders after a certain level of power. Capitalism must grow or die. But in the hands of apologists, this definition can be used to excuse actions against nations by the Soviet Union and others which were considered not capitalist.

Lenin’s response to imperialism: for the class-conscious worker (and their allies) to oppose the capitalist rulers of their own countries. Agreement on this point, but to also create alternative forms of self-governance that can resist reinstatement of capitalism.
– A leftist reclamation of “state’s rights:” smaller communities have the right to govern themselves in the way that makes sense for them. Conservative U.S. has used this to exert homophobic and misogynist policies, but the same concept can be used to resist imperialist and fascist efforts by federal governments.
– Communalism and other forms of bottom-up organization: Kurds, Zapatistas

It is debatable whether the United States is a sovereign nation, due to corporate influence. But it always was an imperialist one in its method of dominance and extraction of resources over other nations.

How do you argue against the revisionist history of United States exceptionalism?
– Talk about politics! Don’t be “polite” at the dinner table and discuss the history of U.S. imperialism. Talk frankly about Grenada, Vietnam, and the history of our own U.S. states (Texas, Hawaii, etc.), for example.
– The United States claim to fight the wars they do for “democracy” and “human rights,” when looking into the goals and actions of the U.S. suggests anything but.
– Also religion and nationalism as motivations of empire.
– Not exclusive to Western empire. Japan organized Shinto in its imperialist formation to be more akin to Christianity, and include worship to the emperor in their worship of gods.
– “Nationalism is isolationist xenophobia described as a virtue.”
– The U.S. population in general supports universal health care, not going to war, and many other progressive ideals regardless of what hate-mongering propaganda has told them to believe – so there is hope.
– Start thinking outside established capitalist parties (who are working in the interests of a small elite) and for your own interests and in the interests of your communities and other working class people.

Further reading on related subjects:
– Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism by Vladimir Lenin
– The Common Cause: Creating Race and Nation in the American Revolution by Robert Parkinson
– An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
– Wobblies & Zapatistas: Conversations on Anarchism, Marxism and Radical History by Andrej Grubačić and Staughton Lynd
– Capitalism’s World Disorder: Working-Class Politics at the Millennium by Jack Barnes
– Washington’s Assault on Iraq: Opening Guns of World War III by Jack Barnes
– 1945: When U.S. Troops Said ‘No!’ by Mary-Alice Waters

2/6/17 Minutes – Spring Calendar, Announcements

In attendance: Jackson (secretary), Ju Ping, Ty (moderator)
Start time: 7:00 PM

1. Upcoming Event – Our discussion on imperialism is this Saturday. We’ll be ready for it. Ju Ping may make food.

2. Announcements – There are two campus events this Thursday that are of interest to us and possibly some of our friends: 1) a protest against Trump’s Executive Order on the Travel Ban from 12-1 and 2) A roundtable: “We the People: Black Lives and American Politics” will be held in the Heritage Room of the UNL Union from 7-9 PM. We’ll share their Facebook events on our page.

3. Spring Calendar:

March
Saturday, March 4th, 7-10 PM: Movie Night: Women in Red Stockings (A documentary about the 1975 Women’s General Strike in Iceland)

April
Saturday, April 1, (Time TBD): Bystander intervention workshop with UNL PREVENT
Saturday, April 22: Lincoln Earth Day tabling

May
Monday, May 1: May Day/International Worker’s Day march

Priorities: “The Safety Pin and the Swastika” article reading discussion, Little Red Singalong, Environmentalist movie on probably April 21st, Doctor Who two-part episode: “The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion” (a sci-fi allegory about refugees),

Not scheduled: Movie Night: Harlan County, USA, discussion on what an anti-capitalist culture looks like, discussion on stopping liberals/Democrats from co-opting direct action, Movie Night: Attack the Block, Movie Night: Battleship Potemkin, Movie Night: Strike, Star Trek?

Blocked out days: April 15
Days Ty will not be there: March 11, March 25-29

Meeting adjourned:  8:32 PM

Tabled items: Spring Calendar, Stuff to Buy (canopy, stuff to secure bike rack, paper cutter, whiteboard, labels, 7×7 no-slip outdoor mat for porch, new SSD hard drive for public laptop)