May 31st
A Detailed Look at Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMNRs) - The Energy Solution or a Costly Dead End?
(manufactured in a factory and shipped to operational sites to reduce costs)
Meetings # 3,820 - Jan Boudart, environmental activist
Description
The speaker states; "I will present several aspects of Small Modular Nuclear Reactors. The history and development of SMNRs, their size, their cost and the Catch 22 of the combination of "support" for nuclear development along with the Trump Administration's backing of several start-ups with different designs and the withdrawal of independence from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). I will give reasons why these policies pre-empt private investment in the nuclear project."
Information Illinois’ Nuclear Power Watchdog
Committed to ending nuclear power since 1981 https://neis.org/
PRESS RELEASE: Small modular reactors are still too expensive, too slow, and too risky
May 10th
Great Power Politics
and the Multipolar World 2025 and Beyond
Meetings # 3,817 - Eric Mao: Geopolitical analyst and the founder and president of the Geopolitical Forum
Description: The trend having been going on in recent years and getting more evident, with the public acknowledgements by Sec. Rubio the world has “officially” transitioned from unipolar to multipolar. How will the former unipole, the United States, behave in the new world order? How will the dynamics be between the other great powers—China and Russia—and the rest of the world?
New World Order
USA
???
Special May Day Speaker
May 3rd
What Can Libertarians Learn from Saul Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals"?
Meetings # 3,816 - Justin Tucker, college regular and 1st Ward Libertarian Committeeperson
Saul Alinsky of Chicago tremendously influenced the labor movement and the Democratic Party. He founded the Industrial Areas Foundation, where he helped organize community groups across the United States. His infamous "Rules for Radical: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals" laid down a strategy to effect change. The book was a publishing success and became well-regarded by many on the American left.
During Barack Obama's ascent to the presidency, the book was re-examined by American conservatives as a way to understand the philosophy of the incoming president. To some, the book was further evidence of a Marxist agenda they thought Obama was about to impose.
Justin Tucker will offer an analysis of "Rules for Radicals." He will discuss the practicality of Alinsky's rules, particularly when applied to Libertarian organizing. He will also examine Alinsky critics such as David Horowitz to determine how much reactionary reaction was warranted against the book.
May 17th
American Monetary Institute (AMI)
for reforms to bring forth a greater level of economic justice
Meetings # 3,818 - Steven Walsh
The American Monetary Institute (AMI) is a publicly supported charity, founded in 1996 to present the results of our research in a manner understandable by the average citizen; leading to monetary reforms which bring forth a greater level of economic justice and a more equitable and efficient functioning of government.
The speaker states that: “It is a timely moment in our history for a few reasons, not all of them obvious. I will reference two recent books on the Federal Reserve: Our Money: Monetary Policy as if Democracy Matters by Leah Downey and Spread the Fed by Robert Hockett (and two of his earlier works are The People’s Ledger and Financing the Green New Deal). Hockett and other authors are pushing for substantial changes that only Congress could authorize. It will take many enlightened citizens pushing our politicians to make these vital changes. Further, it will be necessary to lay out the plan of this new foundation before we are staring down the barrel of the next financial crisis (p.46 of Our Money above referenced).
People who want to further their understanding before May 17th are cordially invited to a webinar with Hockett on Wednesday, April 23rd, at noon.”
For Information: https://monetary.org/
May 24th
Remember the Culture Wars?
They Came for the Arts and Got the Country
The story of how the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) had been targeted
by a collection of conservative politicians for destruction
Meetings # 3,819 - Tom Tresser, Civic Educator. Public Defender
You may know Tom Tresser (www.tresser.com) as one of the leaders of the No Games Chicago campaign from 2009 (www.nogameschicago.com) that spiked Chicago’s Bid for the 2016 Olympics (which cost the winning city, Rio, $24 billion! You’re welcome).
But over 20 years before that Tom was an organizer for the League of Chicago Theatres fighting to save the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) from destruction (https://www.tresser.com/save-the-nea). The NEA had been targeted by a collection of conservative politicians and Far Right evangelical organizations, led by The Christian Coalition. What happened has been called the Culture Wars, and – spoiler alert – we lost. Tom will tell the story of what happened, how the arts in Chicago responded, and what FAILED to happen as the Far Right built its civic muscles.
If you love the arts, freedom of expression, believe in separation of church and state, are repulsed by hate-fueled politics, or are curious as to how the Far Right has taken over this country, you need to attend!
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