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Last night, watching Bill Maher...
we see... Huh? Ralph Nader, Micheal Moore, Rep Juanita Miller (Dem-CA)
and a Republican fellow named Foley from Florida...
As we listened, we were impressed with the clarity of the message from
Micheal and Ralph. The budget to "defend" Europe and Japan (from
who?) is the money that could provide a college education to every young
adult in the nation. The Bush Tax Siphon (cut) comes while we of course,
have no cash for schools, medical care, child care, clean water, etc...
in short, a real view of what would constitute victory - money invested
in people, not weapons and welfare for the rich.
A platform. One that is specific enough to measure our achievement or
lack of same resulting from actions we plan to take in the coming months.
We are all committing to a great deal of effort, and in some cases risk,
to "Beat Back Bush". What I want to see is our Coalition, in consultation
with its signatory organizations and all individuals associated here,
define the positives that we lack and which would be signs of our winning
when we see them come true.
I remember something called "the Hubert Humphrey Full Employment Act"
that I think got buried years ago. I remember work by Seymour Melman on
converting the current defense industry to other technological uses (light
rail, energy conservation, etc) which was a PLAN...
Can we come to a 10 Point Plan? Specific, comprehensive alternate policy
demands that we promote to the nation and design our actions around, be
they letter writing, faxing, marching...
peace,
elbop
My thoughts:
Platform, mission statement, that type of thing.
Empowerment, as a concept and not a word.
Encourage people to realize the power of their own lives. This comes from
friendship, truth, teaching, reading, presenting real information. Other
things like freedom of speech, press, assembly, and protest, access to
REAL INFORMATION and not corporate mass media pablum are related issues.
Geocentric. Not capitalist, anthorpocentric (people centered) or even
biocentric (life centered) This means changing eating patterns. One of
the most radical political things you cna do, and one of few really political
effective acts available to you is to EAT WELL. Has more power than you
think. Networks to help people buy used, buy green, avoid buying new things
will also be effective.
Change through truth and teach ins, because I know that part works. I
am a teacher. I change people for a living. You can too. Tutoring kids
to become radicals of tommorrow, while also teaching them math and to
read, helping them to the wodnerful education most of you enjoyed. Getting
them into college with scholarships, so they can become just as free and
powerful and you (collective, not singular)
Three directions, along with specific small scale actions.
Just thoughts. Eat them up and spit them out.
don
my proposal for developing our vision or mission statement, is that
each committee come up with its own mission statement and then we have
a wordsmith group hammer out a proposed mission statement that may take
the form of ten key points of unity...
I do want express my oppinion now that we during the time at the meeting
that the agenda called for brainstorming issues, we spent allour time
on process and structure and there was no discussion of the makeup of
the committees..Why does campaign finance reform get a seperate committee
while civil rights, labor issues, etc... do not?
If the committees are going to remain broad, then campaign finance
reform should be part of electoral reform. While I support McCain Feingold,
I think other electoral reforms are just as important, without other reform
it would take six months top for loopholes to be developed to get around
McCain/Fiengold.
Whats done is done, but if we are going to outreach to labor, or minorities
we must let them start their own committees, and not bury their issues
in committees that are to broad. The committees should reflect the many
segments of the coalition.
Re- Purpose of J20/27.
I think there are many positive positions to be struggled
for on the progressive spectrum. We are not, however,standing on a politically
flat launching pad from which to push an agenda forward.
Rather we are all looking up a steep mountainside as
a steady unrelenting avalanche is beginning to rumble and move down upon
us. Instictively, in horror, we each raise our unarmed and naked hands
to resist.
Together we have a better chance to blunt the effects
of this attempt to bury us, especially if we can get the truth out to
the American people.
We have got to change the current climate of opinion,
stop the steady barrage of right wing propaganda and obfuscation so that
more and more people question what this regime does. That's how to build
a larger and larger resistance to it, to eventually stop them, which is
the goal.
The role of independant media is of utmost importance
to keep those of us already committed informed and with a sense of movement.
The penetration of the corporate media with progressive
ideas, however, is key to building a movement in the populace of resistance
and positive change.
Right now, people know that something isn't quite right,
but there is no language out there that articulates their sense of things,
no leaders to identify with.
It's not so different from having feelings inside, and
having them come alive when you hear a singer voice them, or a poet, or
an author. Then you feel validated, and sure of your feelings after all.
You get excited and "moved" to action. This is what I see our role as.
Linda K. 3xB ( Beat Back Bush!)
Published on t r u t h o u t - 2/11/01 - http://www.truthout.com
t r u t h o u t - responds to to the DLC report; "Why Gore Lost, And How
Democrats Can Come Back"
AN AUTHORITATIVE AND UNYIELDING VOICE
A few nights ago I sat watching a documentary about the life, vision and
struggle of Cesar Chavez to end slavery, not in 1865 but in 1965.
The program documented the desperate efforts of Cesar Chavez and the United
Farm Workers to combat a ruthless California Grape Growers cartel. Their
pilgrimage to justice impeded by racism, threats and violence from police
and courts alike. The drama even included a carefully staged photo-op
with then Republican Governor Ronald Regan sitting down in front of news
cameras for a delicious bowl of fresh California grapes in an attempt
to break the international California
Grape Boycott, a boycott that would ultimately triumph bringing a small
measure of justice for the poorest of the poor.
In marked contrast to Ronald Regan's willingness to thwart progress was
then Senator and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy's determination
to aid Cesar Chavez in achieving it. Their relationship ended in the Ambassador
Hotel on the night of June 6, 1968. Bobby thanked Cesar for his friendship
and once again acknowledged the meaning of the struggle. He then made
his closing remarks and began to leave the stage and head for his room.
At that moment an authoritative and unyielding voice can clearly be heard
telling him instead to change course and go through the pantry.
Why now open these old wounds? Do decades old events have any real bearing
on our lives today? Yes of course. Freedom is never granted, it is always
won. The dark days of our recent past are not gone if they are forgotten.
It is certainly less painful to forget, to rely on a customized version
of what we believe the future will hold. It is I believe however far wiser
to bear in mind the inscription above the entrance to the National Archive
building in Washington "The past is prologue to the future," - indeed.
THE FAILURE OF 2000
The greatest failure of campaign 2000 and perhaps the last half century
of American politics was the failure of the democratic party to protect
the rights of it's own voters in Florida, from a virulent new strain of
the same old Jim Crow virus. The failure of the DLC, is lacking the courage
to say it.
CURIOUS DEMOGRAPHICS
The report's demographic reassessment of the democratic party base was,
to say the least curious. In winning more votes than any other democratic
campaign in history the Gore campaign clearly demonstrated an understanding
of how to reach out to a wide and diverse demographic base, while remaining
true to democratic values. However one aspect of the demographic analysis
any self respecting democrat could not help but cringe at was that new
found attention be paid to the newly affluent. Not to worry, under young
Mr. Bush's fiscal guidance of that's not likely to be a big growth
segment.
THE LOSS IS A CROSS TO BEAR
The DLC report was constructed on the "Gore lost" premise, a position
sharply rebuked by newly elected chair of the Democratic National Committee
Terry McAuliffe, not to mention the vast majority of democratic voters.
The "loss" premise, is a fundamentally false premise, therefore an enormous
cross to bear for those who base their position on it. The real question
is can any political strategy constructed with such a false premise at
it's core not ultimately fail?
Ample time and money where clearly spent constructing the DLC report,
with custom commissioned polls as the focal point. There was however at
least one question the DLC's pollsters where either unable or unwilling
to ask. So I'll ask now : ask this of the American people; 'Was justice
done on December 12, 2000?', and when they answer, listen very carefully.
To access the DLC report :
http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?
kaid=132&subid=193&contentid=2906
Marc Ash - t r u t h o u t
ma@truthout.com
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