[O29] closure? i don't think so!

[Gus]

Well said Gary.  I think the old saying is that a house divided cannot 
stand, which is why if we want to pull the rug out from under the 
current system we have to be able to set aside our differences long 
enough to grab onto the rug and yank with all our collective strength.  
Clearly there are divisions and disagreements on the left.  Clearly 
there is room for improvement in communication, and (dare we dream) in 
building a respectful community that can work together effectively to 
advance shared goals.  For now, though, why don't we do our best to make 
sure O29 is remembered as marking the beginning of a newly energized 
movement, or at the very least a positive step in that direction.  In 
any case I do look forward to meeting you all in person, preferably not 
to argue, but to start building the bridges we need to survive together 
in struggle.



On 10/7/2005 1:10 PM, gary hicks wrote:

> hi:
>  
> it has now become more than apparent that this argument isn't about 
> the demands of the march, even though this is how it's being presented.
>  
> this argument is all about a bunch of (mostly) white folks purporting 
> to be socialists, progressives, etc. who for the life of them can't 
> get a handle on the centrality of the struggle against their own 
> chauvinisms.
>  
> this argument is also about folks with purportedly socialist and 
> progressive politics who for reasons known only to god and their cadre 
> leaders have GOT TO BE the first kids on their block to come up with a 
> correct line on these matters. hence whoever achieves this can go on 
> to seize hegemony, power, or whatever elusive bragging rights (or is 
> it rites?) and glory as long as folks listen.
>  
> finally, ty is more than right about how it has taken this long to 
> come to this point, since at least 911. this is downright pitiful and 
> disgraceful. so---------------------
>  
> i agree with david that monday night is NOT the time for this 
> discussion, since we all know-- yes we do, because we all know how we 
> are!-- that there will be no two for, two against a given proposal 
> ----------------- but a free-for-all in place of the time needed to 
> actually put this event together. and frankly, some of us (myself 
> included) who were involved in the march 20 event, and some of us 
> (myself not included) in the followup to the december event of last 
> year, have all been there done that. and obviously, the april 23 
> conference didn't/couldn't resolve matters because at bottom that 
> conference was all about getting together people for a fall action by 
> way of a few workshops thrown in--- as though these latter would 
> magically infuse us with the intelligence needed to carry on without 
> the hassles which we've been privy to on this past week's emails.
>  
> so let's get down to organizing business monday night and check our 
> ideologies and egos at the door.
>  
> gary