FEBRUARY 20, 2026 TAKING ACTION Preparing for a general strike The level of violence to which we have become accustomed has been so blatantly escalated with the scapegoating of immigrant communities, that government agents are becoming a threat to the general public. Dissent is being made the enemy by the supremacist ideology of the most elite of the capitalist ruling class. This elite is much smaller than the top 1% and is at the top of the chain of command. The top deciders and the most powerful enjoy anonymity so that cannot be held responsible and everything looks like an act of God. Mark Twain and Upton Sinclair were some of our folk heroes who spoke truth to power in their day. When the servants of the elites face the public with declarations about security and stability as if their experts are the sole relevant actors, people like Twain and Sinclair have exposed them. All the world is a stage and the play of supremacism seizes center stage until the audience gets up and declares its independence. Our everyday life is the real stage and all the media spectacles, entertainment extravaganzas, sports and wars do not really change the foundation of labor that makes all this possible. Imagine if we used our labor power to create the world we want to live in. Billions are spent to make sure you do not think about this. Commodity fetishism is the culture we live in. Academia is a specialty that glories in trivia with a display of intelligence that dazzles and confuses. I once was assistant to a professor whose Ph.D. thesis described how Indians took over a fort because the lawyers’ fees. It’s all there in the terms and conditions that no one reads. Legalese is an insult to the English language. Lawyers write the legislation that legislators pass without reading because they have advisors, probably those same lawyers. When you realize your labor power KEN PARKS Groundcover vendor No. 490 they gates could not be closed due to dirt buildup. The thesis had no discussion of land sovereignty, treaties or critique of Manifest Destiny. Supremacism, the central ideology that undermines any struggle to finish the American revolution, is yet to be dismantled. This is a central task of intellectual workers if we are to create “liberty and justice for all.” The ideas you believe in create the world you live in. It is too easy to fall into compliance with the standard model. Do you want a job? Who writes the terms and conditions? Touch or sign here. Bureaucratic helpers such as social workers, case managers, senior specialists, human resources and mental health professionals do not want to evaluate terms and conditions. They are written by lawyers whose brilliance is used to camouflage the slavery that is hidden in terms and conditions. All bureaucrats advise “just sign” so we can move forward and you can survive in the slavery of terms and conditions. You can end up in court in an eviction suit you never understood and then they want you to pay their is trapped in terms and conditions made by the bosses, you may consider revolutionary action to change terms and conditions so that your reality is respected. The bosses are absolutely dependent on the working class to make the wealth that they exploit. At least read a good summary of “Das Kapital,” the landmark book by Karl Marx, so that you understand surplus capital, wages and profits. Many of you understand this when it is pointed out. The Democracy at Work Institute is a good place to search; there are podcasts and other materials. There is plenty of homework in my writing. As a lifelong student, I have learned that post-graduate work begins as you age — with curiosity as your guide. At what age do we reach maturity? Do what you can now as the best preparation for the future. It does not matter if you have more lifetimes. Reality is here now and inseparable from the timeless time that is the context for past, present and future. A calm and clear mind is the best way to prepare for anything. If you have not learned the seven points of good posture, check in with Khenpo Choephel at Karuna Buddhist Center and learn the stages of mindful awareness that promote calm and clarity. Ideas that promote the context for a good view of reality will thrive in a calm and clear mind. It’s good to start the day with “offerings down, prayers up” as our indigenous community teaches. Disciplined curiosity will be your companion on the path of awakening. Much gratitude to all those who help me on the path. The current talk of a general strike is of a one-day event encompassing work, school and shopping. A more advanced general strike would mean no work until terms and conditions that are working-class-friendly become the norm. This is the revolution to which we invite each other. Peter Block has much to say about life-friendly communication and community building. I was sent one podcast and will follow up on this amazing resource. When we learn to listen and communicate, friends, family, coworkers and neighbors will discover new meaning in our lives. The struggle is good. I mentioned the saints in my everyday life who replaced my stolen tricycle. I will continue our mutual work, especially revolutionary food. The goal of a healthy gut biome is worthy of study and practice. Food as medicine is a theme that goes from Hippocrates to Groundcover News' Food Special Edition magazine. The struggle continues, Hasta la Victoria Siempre. Remember the sacred nature of your labor power as you engage in the art of living. Begin the day with a few minutes of calm and clear awareness and cultivate compassionate intention. This is the best preparation for the work of a general strike. GROUNDCOVER NEWS 7 SHERIFF from last page ISMAEL from page 4 agency specific, with over 100 required written standards for policies and procedures. “Not only do you have to have a policy, you have to live it out and show proof.” During the accreditation assessment when issues are identified, efforts are made to rectify the issues, then accredited agencies are required to renew every three years. At this time no Washtenaw County law enforcement agencies are on MACP's list of accredited agencies. Accreditation has the potential to improve the transparency, access and trust the community has with the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office. Ish started ACCESS with his grandmother (Aliya Hassen) who told me one of the most amazing stories about pride, ignorance and dishonor. "A young Arab woman was showing signs of pregnancy. Because the young girl was in her mid-teens her father demanded to know the identity of her sexual partner. The young teen denied having sex with anyone. As time went on her belly grew larger. The parents were dreading the public embarrassment of an unwed, pregnant daughter. They killed her ... An autopsy was done revealing a large tumor in the child's abdomen rather than a developing fetus." Ismael Ahmed co-founded the National Arab American Museum in Dearborn, a very distinguished showroom depicting the positive influence of Arabic culture. My personal favorite exhibit is the astrolabe, a device that uses star position to calculate time. Ismael Ahmed also started the Concert of Colors now in its 35th year. CofC is metro Detroit's diversity festival which pays tribute to the many different ethnic groups that beautify our region. "Diversity is a strength not a weakness" — an important concept in our modern day resurgence of white supremacy and Maga hatred. Ismael Ahmed was chosen by Governor Jennifer Granholm to be executive director of Michigan Department of Human Services. "Ismael was selected to boost morale" in the worst economy, 29 months of steady decline. Ismael Ahmed hosted the very popular and always stimulating world music program, “This Island Earth,” on WDET radio. Ismael Ahmed was hand-picked by Joe Biden to be on the National Education Association board. Ish passed January 31, 2026. Truly a master of community relations. I was fortunate to know Ish intimately enough to know his idiosyncratic laugh, his sense of humor and his infectious smile. My bewilderment, however, is: How can anyone be so accomplished in such a short amount of time? 79 years on planet earth. Ismael Ahmed’s passing from carcinoma seems to create a huge deficit in our moral commitment to each other. Ismael was a successful community organizer who beckons to us to be like him and continue the work in front of us.
8 Publizr Home