[O29] party pooper politics

[gustavo]

Hey Reem,

Unfortunately people sometimes lapse into the kind of rhetoric that 
prompted your response.  The writer made a comment about "democrats" 
without distinguishing between the current, corrupt democratic party 
leadership (and frankly, the leadership of any party is almost always 
corrupt), and the "rank-and-file"  that is the voters who identify with 
the party and support them in elections.  Most of those people would be 
surprised to learn just how corrupt and ineffective the Democratic Party 
has been.  To lump them in as "enemies" with the pro-war Clintons, 
Kerrys, Liebermans, etc. is just silly.  So our problem is how to grow 
viable alternative political vehicles not just for those democratic 
voters but also for the people who simply do not participate in our 
electoral politics.  Some people think the best way to do this is to 
rightly point out how bad the Democratic Party has been at representing 
the people over the powerful, which in theory has been its role in 
American politics for a good long while now.  Indeed, seeing how the 
party leadership is in the hands right now of pro-war corporate 
shillers, there isn't much good to be said of the party right now.  But 
do we try to smash it like some would suggest, or do we try to move it 
back to the left, and with it its huge block of loyal voters?  That's a 
huge debate, as you know.  I think a combination of pressure on the 
party by reaching oout to its base with our alternative messages is 
important, but so is weaning them off the idea of traditional 
partisanship and get them interested in more democratic and 
participatory forms of politics, encouraging them to inform themselves 
and vote with their own ideals and not those of an organized power 
bloc.  A lot of people on the left represent alternative power blocs 
that seek to convert people to their point of view or program, so people 
with anarchic tendencies tend to be wary of these "cadres" as well.  I 
recognize that sometimes you have to fight fire with fire, especially 
given the mortal lock that the Dem-Reps have on our electoral system 
(they've conspired with big media and big business and gerrymandered 
their way to a deadlocked, barely contested political field), and while 
I think a lot of these groups are well-intentioned, many of them 
unfortunately share a few of the shortcomings of the established 
political machines, and that is reason enough to cultivate a healthy 
independent skepticism as an individual interested in contributing 
thoughtfully to solving the world's problems--seems like you're well on 
your way!!

Solidarity

gus

reem abou-samra wrote:

> Personally for me, i can't even vote yet since im under 18 still, but 
> what's so wrong about being a democrat? that's like saying you hate or 
> aren't proud for being an American because one man committed 
> manslaughter who was an American as well. I'm Sunni Muslim, although i 
> don't agree with the killings in Iraq on the Shiite people committed 
> by sunni muslims, doesn't make me any less proud that i'm Muslim. Some 
> guy came up to me yesterday and ask me if i was a shiite or a sunni 
> muslim, and i told him sunni, and he was like so you're the peaceful 
> ones or the violent one? and i was like well technically according to 
> Iraq i'd be catergorized into the violent group, but am i violent and 
> do i agree to their actions no. but am i any less Muslim again no.
> So being a democrat, doesn't necessarily mean you're proud of negative 
> things the democratic people have done. i was at the september 24th 
> rally, and so many people were proud to be democratic americans but 
> they wanted to cause change to how the democrats in the US are running 
> things.
> im sorry if i've spoken in ignorance since i'm not yet a voter and 
> don't really know too well how things go.
>
>
> -- 
> "All great spirits often encounter violent opposition from mediocre 
> minds" -Albert Einstein
>
> -reem abou-samra
>
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-- 
"Se eu dou comida aos pobres, eles me chamam de santo. Se eu pergunto porque os pobres não têm comida, eles me chamam de comunista."

"If I give food to the poor they call me a saint.  If I ask why the poor have no food they call me a communist."

-Dom Hélder Câmara


"I wouldn't call it fascism exactly, but a political system nominally controlled by an irresponsible, dumbed down electorate who are manipulated by dishonest, cynical, controlled mass media that dispense the propaganda of a corrupt political establishment can hardly be described as democracy either." 

-Edward Zehr