Ed Asner

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Edward Asner is an actor, a president of the Screen Actors Guild and a long member of Democratic Socialists of America^[1].

Communist front sponsor

In 1984 Ed Asner was one of the "co-sponsors" of the Ninth Annual Banquet of the Labor Research Association . This organization was identified as a Communist Party USA front. It cooperated with the Soviet international front group, the World Federation of Trade Unions.

The banquet honored Democratic Congressman Charles Hayes. Other cosponsors included Howard Metzenbaum and Bella Abzug.^[2]

Opposing loans to Chile

In 1987, Joanne Landy, Thomas Harrison and Gail Daneker, Directors, Campaign for Peace and Democracy/East and West, New York, circulated a statement Against Loans to Chile calling upon the Reagan Administration to oppose all loans to Chile.

It has been signed by leading "peace, labor, human rights, religious and cultural figures from the United States, Western Europe and Latin America." They were "joined by a large number of activists and writers from the USSR and Eastern Europe, many of whom have been persecuted in their own countries for work in independent peace and human rights movements."

Ed Asner endorsed the call.

The majority of signatories were affiliated with Democratic Socialists of America.^[3]

Anti-capitalist

In a fund raising letter of May 1990, on Democratic Socialists of America stationery, Asner stated:

Arbitrary power in the East has met its match and has been relegated to the dustbin of history by the power of the people. Arbitrary power in America has not. In America that arbitrary power has a name: capitalism.^[4]

Asner went on to say:

DSA believes in a fundamental redistribution of wealth and power in this country...Join with progressive public officials like Congressman Ron Dellums and San Francisco City Supervisor Harry Britt. . .who are working through DSA to bring together the day-to-day battles for social change with the longer-term strategies and visions.

Your contribution of $20. $35. $50. $100 or more will make you a "card-carrying" democratic socialist. It will push forward the work of promoting democratic socialist alternatives and building a progressive majority in the Nineties.

DSA potential donors list

On January 21, 1992 Steve Tarzynski, National Political Committee of Democratic Socialists of America, wrote a letter to "Harold" (probably Harold Meyerson).

"Following is the list of possible major donors I can think of to pledge support for Trish and our program in southern California. Additions and comments sorely needed."

Question marks in original list.^[5]

Los Angeles DSA potential donors list

On July 26 1992 California Democratic Socialists of America leader Steve Tarzynski wrote a draft "major donor letter" for Southern California DSA, inviting donors to join the Upton Sinclair Club of DSA^[6]

We know you have been generous in supporting DSA's important work in the past. We'd like to develop a core of at least twelve people who will pledge 1,000 annually to keep our Organization working for Southern California DSA. We invite you to be one of those people. This select group of members and friends would have a key role in rebuilding a democratic left opposition in California.

This unique group of individuals would form the "Upton Sinclair Club" which will act in an advisory role meeting with the Southern California DSA leadership at an annual brunch. Sinclair Club members will receive a quarterly bulletin reporting on Southern California DSA's progress, and will have an opportunity to meet international DSA spokespeople and international guest speakers in more intimate small group settings. Admission to all local, statewide, and national DSA events in the Southern California would be complimentary with membership in the Sinclair Club.

The draft was accompanied by a "List of Potential major donors to DSA"

Peace for Cuba Appeal

In 1994 Edward Asner was an initiator of the International Peace for Cuba Appeal, an affiliate of the Workers World Party dominated International Action Center.

Other prominent initiators included Cuban Intelligence agent Philip Agee, academic Noam Chomsky, Congressman John Conyers and Charles Rangel^[7].

Rosenberg Fund for Children

In 2003 Ed Asner was on the Advisory Board of the Rosenberg Fund for Children^[8].

Ed Asner serves^[9]on the Advisory Board of the Rosenberg Fund for Children.

Not In Our Name

In August 2004 Edward Asner an Actor endorsed an anti “Bush Team” Protest at the Republican National Convention in New York, organized by Not In Our Name, an organization closely associated with the Revolutionary Communist Party^[10].

911 "Truther"

Ed Asner was one of 100 "prominent Americans" who signed an October 26 2004 statement^[11]circulated by 911Truth.org calling on the U.S. Government to investigate 9/11 as a possible "inside job".

...we have assembled 100 notable Americans and 40 family members of those who died to sign this 9/11 Statement, which calls for immediate public attention to unanswered questions that suggest that people within the current administration may indeed have deliberately allowed 9/11 to happen, perhaps as a pretext for war.

Independent Progressive Politics Network

In 2009 Ed Asner served on the Advisory Committee of the Independent Progressive Politics Network^[12].

Campaign for Peace and Democracy

Asner is listed as an endorser of the Campaign for Peace and Democracy, as of March 15, 2010.^[13]

External links

• Campaign for Peace and Democracy website

References