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23 April 2016 |
This weekend sees an illustrious gathering in Frankfurt of pseudo-lefts, union bureaucrats, Greens and Social Democratic Party VIPs. They were invited to attend the “Action Alliance—Stand Up Against Racism,” or, more precisely, a conference against the Alternative for Germany (AfD). |
This “Action Conference” is a cynical deceit. It is a meeting of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens, the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) and the Left Party, i.e., precisely those forces that first prepared the ground for the AfD. The civil servants, union bureaucrats and academics gathered together ha... |
Workers and young people correctly regard the rise of the AfD with anger and concern. This reactionary party, which came out of the right wing of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and which initially opposed the euro, has developed increasingly openly in a fascist direction. Its recent campaign against Muslims—AfD ... |
However, those who want to fight against the AfD must understand the causes of its rise. A doctor can only treat the sick when he or she understands the causes of their illness and medical history; similarly, serious-minded workers must examine what causes and conditions have led to the rise of the AfD. And the most im... |
In their practical politics, the SPD, Alliance 90/The Greens and the Left Party have supported the social devastation policies of the German bourgeoisie for years. Together with the Christian Democrats and Free Democratic Party (FDP), they have pushed these policies through against working people in the form of social ... |
In addition, these parties have prepared the way for the AfD with their right-wing slogans, and are now reacting to its electoral success by moving even further to the right, taking on the political positions of the AfD and Pegida, and putting these into practice. The constant tightening of the right to asylum, the dir... |
In the meantime, prominent Left Party politicians are advancing flawless AfD views. Sahra Wagenknecht declared, “Those who abuse our hospitality have also forfeited the right to hospitality.” Oskar Lafontaine appealed to nationalism with the words, “Our capacity for refugees is limited.” |
Those who want to fight the AfD must first break with the SPD, the Left Party and the Greens, who all defend the interests of the ruling elites. As in the 1930s, these parties are reacting to the deep international crisis of the capitalist system and the growing social tensions with militarism, oppression, increased ex... |
Only an independent movement of the working class that fights against capitalism and for an international, socialist perspective can oppose this development and direct the anger of the population in a progressive direction. |
The “Action Conference” is aimed in the diametrically opposite direction: It diverts workers’ militancy into the wake of corrupt right-wing parties. Left Party politician Gregor Gysi has even spoken since in favour of a government coalition with the CDU; and the Marx21 tendency, the German offshoot of Britain’s Sociali... |
The Left Party is part of the “establishment parties,” whose politics are hardly distinguishable from them. Wherever they sit in government, as in the state of Thüringa, or as previously in the Berlin state assembly, they impose the same social cuts as the SPD, the Greens, FDP and the Christian Democrats. |
The prominent participation of the trade unions in the “Action Conference” is also significant. The trade union leaders who signed the call for the meeting include Frank Bsirke of service union Verdi, whose shameful sell-out of the strike by day nursery workers last year signalled his willingness to strangle every mobi... |
The same right-wing politics are pursued by the IG Metall, many of whose functionaries also signed the call for the meeting. They have helped to organise the social devastation that has transformed former industrial regions into areas of high poverty. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, they supported the li... |
Among the first to sign the call for the meeting was the SPD federal minister for families, Manuela Schwesig. She belongs to the Merkel government, which is dictating austerity to all of Europe, has practically abolished the right of asylum and, since January, has deported even the sick and traumatised on a mass scale. |
The bogus character of the “Stand Up Against Racism” alliance can be seen most clearly in the person of Christine Buchholz. She is both the most prominent member of the pseudo-left tendency Marx21 and the parliamentary defence spokeswomen for the Left Party. She has travelled alongside Defence Minister Ursula von der L... |
Katja Kipping, Bernd Riexinger and Petra Pau of the Left Party, as well as the editor of the Neues Deutschland newspaper, Tom Strohschneider, were also among the first to support the call for the meeting. |
“We want to show a clear demarcation against racism and right-wing witch-hunts,” the paper stated. The phrase is particularly cynical when one looks at the reality of the SPD-Left Party-Green state government in Thuringia. There, state premier Bodo Ramelow (Left Party) is conducting mass deportations. Even the pro-Left... |
As for the Greens, it is enough to mention the names of Joschka Fischer and Daniel Cohn-Bendit, the champions of an aggressive war policy, or Winfried Kretschmann, who as state prime minister in Baden Württemberg has perfected the system of quartering and disciplining refugees to enable their smooth deportation. |
What bothers the politicians gathered in the Frankfurt trade union headquarters is not the rejection of the AfD’s politics, but the fear of a rebellion by the working class and the youth that runs out of their control. For a long time, the so-called “left” has functioned along the lines of “indicate left and turn right... |
The more the anger in the population grows against the government’s war drive and policy of social devastation, the harder it is for the establishment parties to maintain control. This can be seen by the drop in electoral support for the Left Party and the SPD. In the state of Saxony Anhalt, the Left Party lost 7 perce... |
While some votes have turned to the AfD, up to 50 percent of those eligible to vote no longer bother because they do not feel themselves represented by any party. And not all AfD voters are racists or fascists. In the state elections in March, one in four AfD voters stated that they had not voted for their programme, b... |
The fascist danger is currently neither acute nor unstoppable. A determined mobilization of workers and young people against war and fascism could easily dispel it. Such a struggle would also attract those middle class layers who are turning away from the establishment parties in disappointment and increasingly lean to... |
To do this, the working class needs a new party that is completely independent of the entire spectrum of bourgeois politics. In November 2015, the WSWS wrote: “Those who want to fight against the AfD must also reject the right-wing policies of the government, the Greens and the Left Party.” |
As the International Committee of the Fourth International says in its statement “Socialism and the fight against war,” a movement against war and its associated risks must “be based on the working class, the great revolutionary force in society, uniting behind it all progressive elements in the population.” It must be... |
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Amtrak |
Overall Satisfaction Rating |
3.74/5 |
• 5 stars |
330 |
• 4 stars |
345 |
• 3 stars |
316 |
• 2 stars |
57 |
• 1 stars |
92 |
Based on 1,140 ratings submitted in the last year |
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Amtrak Reviews |
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Page 1 Reviews 1 - 10 |
Rated with 4 stars |
Verified Reviewer |
Original review: Sept. 7, 2019 |
I booked a trip on the California Zephyr from Davis to Glenwood Springs, CO for a short trip. At the time, I was only 17. I planned to board train #6 on 3/29/2019, arrive GSC the next day at noon, then board train #5 the same day at 2pm going back to Davis arriving there on 3/31. This trip was just for fun because I lo... |
On 3/27, I was looking at the train location map and saw that train #5 was 12 hrs late because of the flooding. Not good because if it got to Emeryville so late, then train #6 wouldn't depart at 9am like it usually does therefore it would get me to Glenwood Springs late. I was concerned that I could miss the train in G... |
The next day, because train #5 apparently didn't arrive EMY until nearly 4am, instead of 4pm like is usually does, train #6 didn't leave EMY until 11:30, reaching Davis at 1:10pm, already 2 1/2 hrs late. I got onboard in my sleeping car. My attendant, Janel, was incredibly sweet, and took care of EVERYTHING during the ... |
I alerted Janel about the situation. I explained that I was under 18, and that I was worried about missing the westbound train. I asked if Amtrak could pay for me to stay in a hotel if I missed train #5. She told me that this couldn't be done because Amtrak is "poor" right now (due to the Trump administration). Janel a... |
The OBS Manager (David) advised me to exit the train in Grand Junction, the stop before Glenwood Springs so that I could still catch train #5. I felt that would be a better idea than continuing to Denver. I went back to my roomette and 5 minutes later, the conductor (Paula) showed up to my sleeper to talk to me. I once... |
We reached Salt Lake City at 5:40am, still over 2.5 hours late. I stepped off to get some fresh air. The conductor coming on (Mike) saw me on the platform at my sleeper with Janel and told us both he was made aware of my situation with needing to get off the train early. He said it was no problem really and told me all... |
They were fine with me exiting early, but they said they were surprised and disappointed that my sleeping car attendant would tell me Amtrak is poor and suggest that I fend for myself in Denver to the Airport. Everything went well from there. I got to Grand Junction at around 12:30pm and I got off as arranged. I was gl... |
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Rated with 5 stars |
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Original review: July 24, 2019 |
I took a train from Washington, DC to New York City in 1991 that was supposed to get in a 8:30 pm. It arrived at 2:30 in the morning to a deserted Penn Station and passengers were abandoned in our efforts to continue our travels. I stayed away from trains for 25 years, but booked an AMTRAK train from Washington, DC to ... |
I needed to get up to Trenton, NJ on July 22, 2019 but faced weather related flight cancellations, so I HAD NO CHOICE but to try AMTRAK again. Train 94 left Union Station on July 22, 2019 within :30 seconds of its scheduled departure time. We arrived Trenton right on time. On the return, train 129 arrived in Trenton (f... |
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11 people found this review helpful |
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Rated with 4 stars |
Verified Reviewer |
Original review: July 18, 2019 |
In the past 4 or 5 years I have traveled on Amtrak from Sacramento to Denver and back, maybe 5 times giving me about 10 experiences of travel with them. Here’s my review. ARRIVAL-DEPARTURE: Nine out of ten times my travel has been pleasant enough with the train arriving and departing on time. Once I recall it arrived e... |
Knowing the train wasn’t coming for 7 hours we decided to walk around town. (Amtrak staff allowed us to “store” all our luggage in the baggage room, which made our day much easier.) Our walk ended early as we didn’t have extra money to spend. We headed back to Union Station which is quite a lovely place to be. My girls... |
First the train wouldn’t arrive until 5:30 pm, (8am that morning was departure time), then 20 minutes later it was expected at 6:11pm, it continued throughout the day, though the evening, then through the night until the train was to arrive at 11:54pm. The time 11:54 wasn’t changing on the updated train status, so many... |
COMMUNICATION: Finally, out comes an Amtrak worker stating the train is stuck around the corner due to a signal problem. She was more informative than anyone we’d heard from all day, and gave us reassurance while scanning out tickets. But we still waited. Earlier, the (friendly but quiet) staff at DUS counter said they... |
Many travelers had other connecting travel plans or jobs to get to, so it was extremely frustrating for them. Our group did not have time restraints, only the inconvenience of our pickup person juggling small children possibly in the middle of the night to pick us up. We still had no idea or input of our expected arriv... |
Earlier at the station we were constantly held at bay expecting the train in about 45 minutes... You can’t plan anything. Had we known at 7am that morning the train would not arrive until midnight... Well, we may have opted to rent a car or have my daughter come back for us. Luckily, that evening in the station a Jazz ... |
BATHROOMS: Loading the train at midnight, we found the restroom toilets were filled to the brim with... Well, that image is STILL in my mind. And a bad smell... ugh. We used a nearby train car. No problem, not for me. (60’s) But a lady, we waited in line with, purposely sat down stairs for easy access to the restroom. ... |
STAFF: On all my trips the staff is pleasant enough. I will agree with others though, there are a couple who treat you as cattle, shine lights in your eyes in the middle of the night and not ask, but tell you to move. On our recent trip, we were sitting separately but were told to move together as the train would fill ... |
BUS: At times of traveling around mountain highways, I see buses going high speeds around curves and never wanted to be on one. Ever! Much to my dismay, and my other main frustration, Amtrak decided to unload its passengers in Reno, short of their destinations, and put us on a bus. The interior of the bus was nice enou... |
COMPENSATION: Upon asking... Amtrak was gracious enough to offer a partial refund or a better savings with a voucher, for the more than 24 hour delayed ride home. I already had another trip planned and will be experiencing a sleeper car for the first time. To date, I’ve only purchased coach seating. Afterwards, I will ... |
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Rated with 5 stars |
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