You’re looking for an anti-imperialist candidate, which Obama never claimed to be. There’s not a majority for that, but that’s not a reason not to vote for one, if there was one.

Obama is a high-road industrial policy capitalist and a ’soft power’ multipolar globalist, truth be told, and capable on pulling together a majority this round, rather different from McCain’s unreconstructed neoliberal US hegemonism. You’re smart enough to appreciate the distinction.

You don’t have to vote for him. Or even endorse him or most of his platform. I don’t, but I know where I stand in this battle, especially given the racist assaults on Obama. Kool-Aid, indeed. Shame on you for picking that up from Hannity. But if you go to the polls to vote for Nader or McKinney or whoever, which is fine, just practice some small ‘d’ democracy and bring scads of antiwar voters under the age of 40 with you. You can talk to them about their illusions along the way; they’ll still figure out what to do. Or if you want to engage the election as a nonpartisan not backing anyone, read my piece on our new blog, indicated here.

Http://progressivesforobama.blogspot.com

Clarification: Single-Issue politics is a losing game. Pick an issue: have the Dems/fellow Liberals made any progress on it in the last 25 yrs?

Last major positive development I can remember was Roe V. Wade. Am I forgetting sthg important? I may have my timeframes jumbled again; Boland Amendment was positive, so was Ollie North conviction — which typical of all concessions from the capitalists was soon followed by his elevation to Elder Statesman cum Heroic Warrior status, w/his own TV show.
Anyway, since I started playing Legislative Advocacy games down to the Whorehouse, I mean the State Capitol, it’s been one long retreat. “Advance to the Rear”, MacArthur called it, down the slopes of Frozen Chosen.
Poetry? Here’s a poetic phrase for you: Elaborate Minuet.

So screw Singleissue politics, except Singlepayer because I need some new teeth:) I mean they create issues. Use them to disperse our forces, while they concentrate theirs on holding onto the reins of the State Apparatus. Haha — “Write Your Congresscritter!” They keep whole armies of Liberal dummies busybusybusy for centuries of Labor-hours, all writing letters, going to hearings, holding pr. conferences, begging the incumbent m-fers for crumbs. They give the two-headed dog Sweenie-Sternie a scrap just often enough so they can front of for they Rank&File: Look what I brought you from the store! Like they passed a Living Wage ordinance here in Sac cpl yrs bk. Big campaign, SEIU had lawn signs all over town, 500 bodies to pack City Hall cpl times, preachers, teachers, Leaque of Wmn Voters — till finely YAAAY, WE WON! Living wage for some tiny classification of municipal employees, affected maybe a hundred workers, sthg like that.
Just a big charade, for the piecards & the politicianos to front off. I was gonna outreach to the ‘hood here, see if cd get a crew together to post lawn signs — SEIU rep says, no need, we have a Contractor to do that, they do a good job, put up/take down.
Hehe: SEIU has a rule for new hired Organizers etc: you can be radical as hell, say anything you want, be a open Comminist, even a Tearerrist Supporter giving Material Support to Children’s Healthcare Clinics in Gaza — just as long as you don’t Stir Up The Membership. Let those sleeping Duespayers lie!
One other rule: do NOT sign no Initiative Petitions unless they were written & endorsed by the Democratic Party of CA, or at least by the Sac County Central Cmte. I.e., if you support efforts by the GP, P&F, PSL and/or others to raise the min. wage, you are an Enemy of the Working Class, you scab bastard. Same goes for Singlepayer Healthcare: gotta support the bill the Dems are gonna pass in the Legislature, for Arnold to veto whenever he gets to it. Forget that Arnold-proof Initiative: that’s scab stuff.

Anyway: the GP will never get enough House seats away from the Dems out there in those semirural districts. Be lucky not to have Rethuglicans. I mean enough seats to be a factor. Of course one person can make a certain diff. But not a v. substantial one, and unless in a Safe District, a really safe district, will be out in two yrs.

Yes Big Protest Rallies/Marches are also valuable means of struggle. Strikes are better, but Demonstrations are fine, I’m all for them. But once pulled off, there is no Payoff.
Electoral struggle has many of the same benefits as protests/vigils/smallscale CD, in that it’s a way to get The Message out, to educate people, to bring people together so they can interact & deepen each other’s radicalization. But there is one big difference: it is within the realm of the possible that a Candidate will one day be elected to office — and with Office goes a certain measure of Power. Plus access to a lotta resources.
The thing is, they keep us scurrying from one Vital Issue to another. Everybody is working on their favorite issue, the one they have an Affinity for. Which is fine if all you care about is NIMBY. “Not in Our City”. Meanwhile the War goes on: war on Black Usians, Native Americans, Latino migrantes, on Afghanis, Africans, Pilipinos, Venezuela, Cuba, Arabs, Muslims here and abroad — is it not clear by now that the War is everywhere? And that it is generated, launched & carried out from a Central Headquarters? How you gonna politically attack PNAC in your own backyard? Try protesting at the DHS/JTTP office: they’ll just laugh at you. If they get annoyed they’ll hold you down & pepperspray your ass.
The current Multi-Prong Offensive of Globalized Capital is just that: Global. Kill one tentacle, another will get you.
I guess if you don’t have any concerns that transcend your local area, your town, city, water district etc, it makes sense to keep a narrow focus. It also makes senses to urge a narrow focus if you are a Zionist, and you don’t want anybody questioning the Prevailing Mythological Consensus.
But I disgress:) The pt is that the GP et al are not likely to dislodge any Democrats very soon. Most “radical” districts are the bailiwick of firmly-ensconced Pwogwessive Dumbocrats, with whoom the local GPers usually enjoy a warm “coalition” relationship, stage Fora together, have Labor Day Picnics etc etc.
However, in districts with Black majorities, a certain restlessness, a certain stirring-about has been observed recently. The Cong. Blk. Caucus has not delivered on its collective promises, and people are getting tired of waiting. However, there is this entity, this Presence, this mechanism in place which is there to “deal with” any dissatisfied customers. Some of us have taken to calling it the Invisible, or the Virtual, or the New Plantation. It consists of phalanxes of totally sold-out House Negros, whose loyalties to the local Democratic Establishment have been secured by unbreakable bonds of $$, even more by the fear of losing revenue streams to witch said H. N.’s has become accustomed, and by Fear period, cuz nobody in iz rt mine messes w/ the Mossad. Self-instilled chronic Stupiditty plays a role also, making it possible for HNs to overlook inconvenient facts & fail to draw the simplest conclusions from that which is obvious to everybody.
Maybe it’s time to take a break now, see what Max has to say?

Hehe:)
–dan

Uh, Lloud? yr prolly rt, shld tek it more easier on Max, he ain’t the Main Enemy, in fact is an Important Ally so I shld Observe Diplomatic Decorum & not offend him further. However my sense is he’s a sturdy fellow, not one to get depressed over trollery.

I myself come from the Ol’ Street Corner school of advocacy proceeding. Like “Don’t Suck, BLOW!”. Move that NRG OUT, don’t be sucken it IN. So say wts on yr mind, if somebody can shoot it down, hey, go for it! If I’m wrong, Pull My Coat! Don’t let me persist in ignernce, lemme know when I stray off the beam!

There usta be a troll on the ol’ IMC Palestine, had unpronounceable handle, usta never say a complete thought or a coherent sentence front to back. But made more sense than anybody them days, incl. yrs T(2002, Beit Lam, then siege of Muktada) . Shot me down cpl times, down in Flames:) But my ack is improved for it so I owe him for taken the trbl.

Just like I prish8 you exprsng opinion re Max: cd be y have a pt, cd be not much of a one:) Max a Big Boy, don’t need be Rescued?

Anyway I’m glad t see you ‘n hp keepen Fred alive here; I got this thing I sent to my Lisk that an esteemed acquaintance came bk positive on it. So I’m gonna post it here & see if anybody notices. Like I was layen in bed, had this FLASH, hadda get up, type it down before forget it. Was thenken about Gene Ammons in the Jug all his life, which I got to rambling on in later part — there IS a direct connection but may not be apparent to non-beboppers. Oh yeah, this just the Vocab of me thinken to myself, I’ll get around to doen a translation later I hope:)

RED TOPopopopopop:
—————————————————————————>
>DearCuibono,
>I ‘m on your wavelength. There is nothing more to argue about; nothing in doubt requiring dialogue. Indeed, the very act of “sitting down” with criminals amounts to abject surrender.

>From now on, eternal resistance, no accommodation.

Glen
————————————————————
> Okay, here’s the deal:
>
> Green pty might eventually get three/four seats in House; but will take > more, & more stauncher folks w/ a better idee whass rilly hapning, to form a > non-Dim-ocrat Radical Indep. Caucus in Congress. Have to be all Safe Seats.
> found only in AfrAmercan Cong dists. So need a mov’t strong enough challenge > the Virtual Plantation, all thiz Preachers on the take from AIPAC et al, > addicted they Budgets. All these piecard Labor Leaders addicted to place in > the Machine(s), sweenie-sternie, shalom shalom. NAACP: shalom shalom, gimme > the $$. Been The Oney Game In Town so long most think it’s like the sun > comes up in the morning — but it ain’t. Them day comen to a rapid end, cuz > people is hurten & they MAD.
>
> Cyn can talk these people, cd go right in any park basketball ct & start
> runnen it down: brothers wd lissen. Go outside any Welfare office, ladies > gonna holler Amen, at LAST!
Ifn she say “Chk out this ol gray dude, he > holden”, they’ll lissen t Yrs Trly & get ther wigs RILLY lit up. (So hep > me Lord Buckley:) er Redd Foxx: “Ann… ann ther OFF! an it’s Vomit, comen > up on e inside… inna Joseph coat silks… an its Birdshit onna rail… > annnd FEE-dull-baum…”
Oh Its Nice to Be Nice, but sometime Crazy People won’t let you.
>
> So we need a big mov’t. We need these Green yuppies, mosly fulla shit, > Dingdong said Prez (no offense intended, pls keep lissnen Max
we need u, also > this be oppty for u) but know Elections game.
>
> It a game, like football, basketball, tonk, chess (anybody like Tonk? I’m a > Tonk badass, wanna try me?:) Gotta know the game. They have a structure, a > network all th country, a infrastructure? But ain’t got the Focus. The > Priorities, as in Richard Priorities. This wear the rassroots come in, keep > em Focussed.
>
> And Sisters like Cyn at the top keepen order.
>
> Spose we get twenty elected Congress, and the margin btwn the D’s & the GOPs > is 19: we got the Swing Vote. Drive a Hard Bargain: either Cyn’s chair a > House Ways & Means or we vote w/ the Rethuglicans. From a Cmte Chair you can > hold Hearings into everthing, subpeona ever Official in sight. make em > testify, Under Oath. if they jive, Perjury. Not even Fox News can just > ignore a Chair of a Full Cmte of the Congress. TV loves Fire, and > Congressional Hearings.
>
> Once we get rollen, why can’t we eleck Cynthia Senator from GA? or maybe > Calif: Funstein getten purty ole:) Senators can Filibuster, be a Big Fly > inna ointment, gum up the works.
>
> Screw that Euro GP “Long March through the Institutions”: ain’t accomplisht > shit there & won’t here.
>
> We need first a Black-led Party, then a Green, Red, Yellow, Black Brown & > Beige Electoral Vee-hickle! A Bloque truly Popular, a Temario Completo, a > REAL “rainbow coalition” ( w/ a small “r”:) Coalition, United Front, Bloc, > Alliance, whatever.
>
> What we need first: all candidates have to distance they self from AIPAC et > all. Accept they gonna be attacted by people claiming they represent Jewish > Community, (sic), be called Auntie C-Mights, caw caw pollywanna Not-see.
> Gotta denounce Exisstence so called “State of Israel” (sic) Militarized Apartheid > Theocracy now enforcing Military Occupation Gaza & US Congress/Exec > Br.
Gotta denounce all this Islamaphobia stereotyping.
>
> (Man, it crazy! Remin me just like Jim Crow: went DC Bus Depot they had > Sheet Music racks: Coon Songs. Now it on Teevy: A-Rabb Terrississ!
> Constantly, incessantly, in your ear, in your face.
> Middle name Hussein? marked forever: Sheesh Martha, a Hairrettick!
> ———————————————————————————-
Okay, this where gets Esoterical; the younger/more Suburban folks may want to just skip it, may be over yr head, y cn ketchup later:)______________________________________________________
> “Raahhpadup-pup-pup-pup, pie dedop “RED TOP!”oppoppoppoppop! …mmm gonna
> drop gonna drop… “My Sweet little Alice, Rozetta…”
>
> lakka a one eye cat peepen inna Sifu Stoa. Row laka Big Weel inna Joja
> cottin feel. Honey Hush.
>
> Now is the Time: do th Hucklebuck, if you cain do it you be outa Luck…
> [okay, bk to Englisch:]
> “there is a Tide, in the affairs of men
> which taken at the flood
> Leads on to Fortune.”
>
> Everthing is everthing, Don’t be hangen back, time decide: Who Am I? another
> Comadationiss?, or is it Confrontation. Yes?
>
> L’Audace! L’Audace! Toujours L’Audace!
>
> Pays y $$ & y makes y choice: he who hesitates is lost.
>
>
> & I’m Aoooooottt:)

Nader doesn’t know how to be a team player and is destroying any possibility of a third party.

The Green Party has some nuts, but many good people run for office under that party.

The Libertarian Party is just a mix of people that don’t want to pay taxes, carry concealed weapons, and take drugs.

Max Shields and dan e –

Presumably you both know your names can be placed in the box at the top of this page reading “Enter Search Terms” and you can click “Search DV” and find a list of all your posts (since August 2007 or so) with those names appended to the text?

I respect you both because you are both active in community politics. Personally as a book person and not an activist, I’m more familiar with post-Marxism, Gramsci, Fanon, and Eldridge than any “white-minority local organizing” books. And my readings convince me that dan e’s skepticism with regard to getting your rocks off by organizing communities-and to hell with the national scene, is much more realistic on March 23, 2008. But where you stand is based on where you sit. Or more exactly: you two (and we three) have a lot more in common than we have to Dis each other about. I’m relatively dis-interested because I’m presently only an activist to the extent that I can make modest financial contributions to activists I believe in. And I feel a little guilty about that, a feeling I’m working real hard to leave behind.

Max. I don’t have time to bicker with you about whether your posts are well-considered or sometimes fly off the handle.

And dan e. Save your salvos for bigger ships. max is one of us, and we got limited ammunition.

Lloud Rowsey

BTW, you got some Cymru? Some “pritani”? I got some, pa’s name Jinkin.

ez,
DE

You liven in a dream world. San Francisco is as much a Colony of the Big KKKombine as is your mind.

See this is where I get mad, all you petty bourgeois m-fers tryna tell us it’s all an accident, just a coincidence, keep yr nose to yr local grindstone & dont look up. Keep putten on them bandaids, dealing with indiv. cases — just don’t start looking at the root cause of the disease.

Well you may be geographically in a city but you mind is somewhere the grass is green, birds singen in the trees, highschool is Fri Nite football game & ROTC, what the shrubbery saw, what the dogs discussed, when the boy landed the paper right the edge the porch.

CONCENTRATION OF WEALTH!!! where you been, man? Dontcha read the WSJ, fer crysache? Like Buddy Hackett said: “Wha part a Unite a State you con fron, Sprit Pee?”
Okay, you live in a city. Be innersting to know witch, but don’t wanna endanger yr privacy;) If you live in a city, and you actively engage in trying to reform this, reform that, start some Altruistic endeavor/project/initiative — you will soon learn that it’s hard to get v. far sans the OK from somewhere above. You gotta have Clearance.

Now some kinda enterprises/projects are Non-Controversial. So all you have to worry is not steppen nobodies toes. Like you wanna open a bar, be sure not close t no school, not too close to some other dude’s bar been there 30 yrs, maybe some Citizen raises objections, you go down City Hall, thass what the Councilcritters there for. Just like Cosa Nostra two guys got a contradiction: take it to Il Padrone.

But other projects are Controversial. You try to — oh, I wrote sthg about this wyle ago. I’ll paste it in somewears. Anyway if you try to present Mazen Qumsiyeh’s Wheels of Justice to yr local Hi School you’ll hear immed. from the Thought Police. Which is controlled from Tel Aviv in coordination with eastern Long Island.

See man, your Local Police is now controlled by the DHS, the local JTTA, FBI & them. Plus Blackwater: at the Artillery Hillery funraiser we protested & my metronome got famous coastocoast, the Sac Co Sheriff Bomb Squad vans had Blackwater decals on the back doors.

Your local Real Estate fourflusher is a stooge of the bank down the st; said bank is a subsidery of a big bank hq’d east coast, prolly NYC. BofA was bought out. Everything is a Franchise. Your “city”, unless you mean NYC, is a colonial outpost run by faraway gunsels for the coupon clippers.
“Local Action” my ass: gimme a brk. How you gonna stop this fukken “war” (sic) by purely local action? people been tryen for five yrs, ain’t happened yet. Wrong approach: try sthg elst.

Also in 2004: “When asked about Senators Kerry and Edwards’ votes on the Iraq war, Obama said, ‘I’m not privy to Senate intelligence reports,’ Mr. Obama said. ‘What would I have done? I don’t know. What I know is that from my vantage point the case was not made.’”
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9407E2DF153DF935A15754C0A9629C8B63

His much-touted 2002 speech wasn’t as anti-war as he’d like you to believe. In the speech, he never said “Do not attack Iraq”, or “If I were in the Senate right now, I’d vote against any resolution that could in any way be construed as giving the President the authority to send troops to Iraq.” That gave him deniability, in case the war went well.
http://www.barackobama.com/2002/10/02/remarks_of_illinois_state_sen.php

In 2003, when the war was popular, he took the speech off his website.
http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=491&Itemid=1

His war funding voting record has been exactly the same as Clinton’s.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_01/012953.php

He didn’t make it back to Washington to vote on the Kyl-Lieberman Iran resolution, even though he’d been notified the vote was imminent.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00349

“[T]hose looking to the Obama campaign as a means of ending American militarism will be sorely disappointed. The Illinois Senator has vowed not to reduce the ballooning US military budget—which consumes an estimated $700 billion annually—but rather to increase it. He has called for the recruitment of another 65,000 soldiers for the Army as well as 27,000 more Marines. He has vowed to put ‘more boots on the ground’ in the ‘war on terror,’ the pretext invented by the Bush administration to justify ‘preemptive war,’ i.e., military aggression aimed at asserting US hegemony over the oil-rich regions of the Middle East and Central Asia.

“As for Iraq itself, his promises to end the war are belied by his pledge to keep American forces in Iraq to defend ‘US interests’ and conduct ‘counterterrorism operations,’ a formula that would see tens of thousands of US soldiers and Marines continuing to occupy Iraq and repress its population for many years to come.”
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/feb2008/obam-f14.shtml

Carolyn Kay
MakeThemAccountable.com

and what would those be?