[GPRI] FW: [usgp-dx] The Best Politicians Money Can Buy, and ideas for alternative action (Scott Tucker)

[Greg Gerritt]

------ Forwarded Message
From: Scott McLarty <scottmclarty at yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2007 08:15:33 -0800 (PST)
To: <usgp-media at gp-us.org>, <natlcomaffairs at green.gpus.org>
Subject: [usgp-dx] The Best Politicians Money Can Buy, and ideas for
alternative action (Scott Tucker)

THE BEST POLITICIANS MONEY CAN BUY

To Readers of Open Letter,

    In the Boston Globe article excerpted (with
weblink) below, the reporter refers to "both
parties."  Despite this bipartisan and deeply
anti-democratic mentality, the article
inadvertently helps us to raise other questions.

    Why not demand publicly funded elections and
much shorter campaign seasons?  Why not demand
public forums and debates open to parties with
real track records such as Greens, Socialists,
and Libertarians?  Why not vote your conscience?
If anyone tells you that your conscience no
longer counts in politics, they are telling you
that your vote doesn't count either.  If that is
true, let's make the case openly and honestly for
revolution (even by means of the ballot, wherever
and whenever possible).

    A republic founded by revolutionaries can be
recreated by revolutionaries.  This is elementary
politics.  If "progressives" have not learned
that much, then they should not pretend to give
us lessons in the power of voting.

    I have taken an extended break from
publishing Open Letter.  When Open Letter first
began online, it was one of the critical links in
a national network of anti-war organizing and
political dissent.  I think the mission of Open
Letter should change now.  Of course each of us
remains important, since the cellular level
remains critical to the body politic.  But the
spectrum of online sources of information has
indeed broadened over time. (My opinion of blogs
depends upon the blogger, though it's tough to
crank out product daily and still have time to
pull back from events for deeper reflection).

    The single most important act we can make in
the electoral arena is to deprive the corporate
parties of our votes and money.  Every vote for
Republicans and Democrats is a vote for corporate
management.  Obama, Edwards, and the Clintons are
building personal careers, not social movements.

    Many Greens and Socialists have no use for
the "free market" ideology of the Libertarian
Party, but many Libertarians are serious allies
in the realm of electoral reform.  So that is a
limited but quite important tactical coalition.

    In order to create an independent and
democratic left, our time, votes, and money
should be not be wasted on career politicians and
corporate managers.  Form councils of workers,
students, farmers, neighbors and writers.  That
should be our main political work every day of
every year. Those groups, meetings, and councils
are republics in miniature, the real bones and
blood cells and connective tissue of the body
politic.  Without such "town meetings," any
political party will become another lousy racket
and another job fair for millionaires.

    As some make time every day to pray or
exercise, so we should make time each day to do
our political homework and then raise hell in
public.  And on election days vote your
conscience.  Then we have some hope of making our
votes count. If the elections remain rigged by
corporate bribery and censorship, hold mass
demonstrations for honest recounts and electoral
reform.  In the causes of peace, health care,
fair wages, and ecological sanity, escalate the
tactics of non-violent civil disobedience.

    When we, the people, lead, then even the
career politicians will finally follow.

    Not one cent and not one vote for the parties
of war and empire!

    Peace and solidarity,

    Scott Tucker


==============


DEMOCRATS COURT DISASTER WITH EARLY PRIMARIES

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/03/06/states_may_force_megap
rimary_winnow_the_2008_field_early/

(EXCERPT)

SUSAN MILLIGAN, BOSTON GLOBE States with more
than half the nation's population are zeroing in
on Feb. 5 next year to stage their presidential
primaries, creating a single day that could
determine the major party nominees at a
historically early point in the process. At least
19 states have moved or are considering moving
their primaries to the first Tuesday in February
. . .

The trend would mark the biggest change in the
presidential nominating process in decades. It
would mean that presidential candidates would
need to raise massive amounts of money -- at
least $100 million before the first vote is cast,
according to analysts in both parties -- and may
see their chances of success evaporate at a stage
when the contenders in past presidential contests
were still introducing themselves to American
voters.

"It's insane. It's going to be a de facto
national primary," said Rich Bond, a GOP
consultant and former chairman of the Republican
National Committee. "It's going to mean that the
candidates with the highest name recognition and
the most cash on hand are going to have a huge
advantage over the rest of the field."

Both political parties are trying to keep the
states from front loading the primary schedule.
Republicans in 2004 approved rules to penalize
states that hold primaries before Feb. 5 or after
July 28, 2008. Democrats have both incentives and
punishments to keep states in line.






 
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