Posts from — February 2008

Hey folks,

This is a vitally important contribution to the conversation on building long-lasting, sustainable movements that are about togetherness and liberation, instead of inequity, biogtry, prejudices, and divisiveness. Check out this pamphlet:

The Past Didn’t Go Anywhere: Making Resistance to Antisemitism Part of All of Our Movements
http://www.pinteleyid.com/past/
A 32-page pamphlet for activists by April Rosenblum

Chris Crass, an organizer from The Catalyst Project says:

“In order to build powerful movements we must take on antisemitism as what it is: a divide-and-rule strategy that has served to maintain ruling classes, conceal who actually has power, and confuse us about the real systems of oppression that pit us against one another. … Rosenblum’s pamphlet needs to be studied and the lessons applied.”

Spread it around too!

When I look around me at the American Left, what I see is a movement that’s treading. Perhaps it is a matter of definition (who is really in the Left and so on) or perspective (seeing vs. not seeing the great things going on in the progressive community). But when I look around me, the overarching relationships I see are not those of solidarity, but of jealousy, competitiveness, and hostility. Instead of real diversity, I see a drive to homogenize our strategies and actions - even if only by default and submitting to the status quo and “fighting the good fight”. Instead of egalitarian social relations and equity, I see social relationships which largely resemble the relationships that exist in the systems of exploitation which we oppose and seek to replace. Instead of strategy I see inefficiency and a lack of concrete goals. Instead of visionary thinking, I see a lack of direction. Instead of real organizing aimed at taking power, I see activism, lobbying, and resistance-mode repetition. Instead of fighting to win, I see more of the same habits of defeat.

One of my biggest internal battles has been “as organisers, should we engage with the (organized) Left? Or is even associating ourselves with most who call themselves ‘leftists’ enough to prevent real progress and growth?” Should we try to try to convince leftists that their actions aren’t moving us forward on a trajectory of change, or should we just spend our time with ordinary folks who sincerely want to help change the world.

I don’t know the answers to these things. I have lots of ideas about them though. What I do know is that a lot of people who don’t consider themselves “radicals” are doing some damn innovative things that’s moving the movement forward more than most “leftists”. Those who are committed to building a mass movement aimed at building a new future need to start having these big-picture conversations with one another. Intentional organizing and dialogue is one of our greatest tools.

I found a progressive artist today who is AMAZING! His name is Robert Shetterly. Since September 11th, he’s done over 50 portraits of “Americans Who Tell The Truth“. About his inspiring collection he says:

“My original goal was to paint fifty portraits. I’ve now gone beyond that and have decided to paint several more. The more I’ve learned about American history — past and present — the more people I’ve discovered whom I want to honor in this way. The paintings will not be for sale. They will stay together as a group. The courage of these individuals needs to remain a part of a great tradition, a united effort in respect for the truth. Eventually, I will give the portraits to one museum or library on the condition that they continue to be shown. These people form the well from which we must draw our future.”

He paints their portraits and then an inspiring quote that they said. Some are from the past. Some are from the present. They represent a diverse section of the progressive movement and are all really great. Robert has got an amazing style (not to mention that I wish I had his handwriting).

“Americans Who Tell The Truth” is a traveling exhibit. I hope to be able to attend one. Others should check it out and consider doing so too! Our movement begs for more and more progressive culture, art, music, and new forms of story telling and communication. Robert has made a gigantic contribution to that effort.

Th painting in this post is of Walt Whitman, the great American Poet. The quote painted is from his 1855 Preface to Leaves of Grass which says:

“This is what you shall do: Love the earth & sun & the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid & crazy, devote your income & labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul; and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body.”

Ain’t it the truth?

Thanks Robert.

It was my first week of high school. I was sitting in my 9^th grade global history class. Had the room not been since renovated, I could point to the exact seat where I had been sitting in. Mr. Denton, my high school’s principle, came on the loudspeaker. “Would everyone please listen? I have some very bad news. A short time ago a plane crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. Shortly thereafter, a second plane crashed into the other tower. There are also reports that a plane has struck the Pentagon. While it is still too early to tell, it’s being said that the crashes may be part of an ongoing terrorist attack. Please do not panic, we will keep you updated as events unfold.”

My heart sank. I had no idea what was going on. I was confused, disoriented, and scared. As the day would unfold, the severity of the attacks and more would become clear. My confusion would quickly turn to sorrow and anger.

And we all know what happened next… The red alerts. The presidential speeches. The reoccurring images of towers falling and planes crashing. The firefighter funerals. The church services. The community memorials. The anthrax scares. The duct tape and plastic sheeting. The “department of homeland security”. The red, white and blue – and yellow – covering everything. The fear. The hate. The sadness. The terror. The “War on Terror…”

More than anything I needed more information. I was buying newspapers and magazines everyday. I was reading articles on the internet. Though for all my reading, it still didn’t seem to make sense. The gap between what they were telling us and what I saw before me seemed to get wider by the day. The concept that anyone could “hate us for our freedom” sounded utterly preposterous to me.

Then I found an article that did make sense. It’s the only article I remember reading now almost six and a half years after that horrible day. It was titled “September 11 and Its Aftermath”. It was written on September 17 and published sometime in October. I realized only recently, re-reading the article which I had long forgotten about, that it had been written by two people who I now consider friends and personal mentors – Mike Albert and Steve Shalom.

The article started by outlining some context to the situation, the possible actors (Osama bin Laden, al Qaida, the hijackers), and then continued to dissect a myriad of questions that I and many other Americans were asking. “What should be the U.S. response?”, “What should be the implications for people who ‘praised” the attacks?”, “What should the U.S. do to protect ourselves from future attacks?”, and many others. Most significantly, like Z writers do meticulously, they understood what caused and drove emotions and actions, and pushed people to try to sympathize and understand the pain of others. They tried to explain everything from the joy of some people around the world in response to the attacks to the hyper-patriotism and “flag-waving” at home – both elements which sickened some portions of the American population. They urged thoughtful reflection, careful, thorough investigation, and tolerance and restraint. They presented the exact message that I – and many others – needed to hear during that dark period.

After reading that article, though I had read previous ones from Z before, Z Magazine and ZNet would slowly become a huge part of my life.

I generally advocated for peace and human rights before 911 happened. I had been involved in some liberal and direct service groups before, though I never had much political analysis on a grand scale. I had gained much of my progressive roots from amazing teachers the previous few years – veterans, queers, women, and others who had roots in social justice movements.

Much of this gave me a strong hatred for individuals like Saddam Hussein; hatred which, again without Z and other progressive sources, might have led me astray during the invasion of Iraq. While I can’t admit to this day that I am sorry for Saddam’s rule being at an end, I am much more horrified by what has occurred in Iraq under U.S. military occupation.

Around the end of March in 2003, ZNet and Z Magazine published a statement against the attack on Iraq entitled “We Stand for Peace and Justice,” which had been collectively penned by many Z authors from around the world. As soon as I read it I immediately agreed with it and signed the online version of the statement. I think it and much of what Z Communications publishes is a testament to both its accessibility and its relevance. As a liberal I agreed with the statement then. As a radical progressive I still agree with it today. That says quite a lot. The statement still gets to the roots of what my politics are. Here’s what it said:

“I stand for peace and justice.

I stand for democracy and autonomy. I don’t think the U.S. or any other country should ignore the popular will and violate and weaken international law, seeking to bully and bribe votes in the Security Council.

I stand for internationalism. I oppose any nation spreading an ever expanding network of military bases around the world and producing an arsenal unparalleled in the world.

I stand for equity. I don’t think the U.S. or any other country should seek empire. I don’t think the U.S. ought to control Middle Eastern oil on behalf of U.S. corporations and as a wedge to gain political control over other countries.

I stand for freedom. I oppose brutal regimes in Iraq and elsewhere but I also oppose the new doctrine of “preventive war,” which guarantees permanent and very dangerous conflict, and is the reason why the U.S. is now regarded as the major threat to peace in much of the world. I stand for a democratic foreign policy that supports popular opposition to imperialism, dictatorship, and political fundamentalism in all its forms.

I stand for solidarity. I stand for and with all the poor and the excluded. Despite massive disinformation millions oppose unjust, illegal, immoral war, and I want to add my voice to theirs. I stand with religious and moral leaders all over the world, with world labor, and with the huge majority of the populations of countries throughout the world.

I stand for diversity. I stand for an end to racism directed against immigrants and people of color. I stand for an end to repression at home and abroad.

I stand for peace. I stand against this war and against the conditions, mentalities, and institutions that breed and nurture war and injustice.

I stand for sustainability. I stand against the destruction of forests, soil, water, environmental resources, and biodiversity on which all life depends.

I stand for justice. I stand against economic, political, and cultural institutions that promote a rat race mentality, huge economic and power inequalities, corporate domination even unto sweatshop and slave labor, racism, and gender and sexual hierarchies.

I stand for a policy that redirects the money used for war and military spending to provide healthcare, education, housing, and jobs.

I stand for a world whose political, economic, and social institutions foster solidarity, promote equity, maximize participation, celebrate diversity, and encourage full democracy.

I stand for peace and justice and, more, I pledge to work for peace and justice.”

One thing that has always struck me about Z is that it is, as it advocates, participatory. What I mean by this is that, while many other left publications take weeks, or months to respond to an e-mail or phone call (if they ever respond at all), Lydia, Andy, Chris and Michael, or any of the various Z writers, often respond with a day or so – sometimes even within a few hours. They encourage new people to write – often for their first time – publishing articles, event postings, and major calls to action for thousands of grassroots activists, organizers, and citizen journalists every year.

Most recently I attended Z’s June 2007 Z Media Institute (ZMI). ZMI was a tremendously enlightening and powerful experience for me. It is a nine day progressive summer school held in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. At ZMI, we studied, learned, discussed and debated what a better society might look like, explored the rich history of radical social movements, and contemplated what type of strategic goals our movement would need to win a better society.

It was probably the most rigorous (and rewarding) educational experience of my life. While the content was outstanding, the unique component was the pedagogy. Education was combined with long-term friendship building. Utopian vision deconstructed cynicism and skepticism about possibilities for progress. Strategy and political analysis began to highlight what movement trends kept us from moving forward. The entire program was connected to the practice of grassroots organizers and organic intellectuals.

The Institute culminated in an evening session which asked the question: “Why Are We Radical?” The session highlighted what brings people to the Left and why the work we do is so important. The invisible stories about what drives people to action – veteran stories, stories about race, stories about gender and sexuality, stories about political repression and torture, stories about alienation, and mainstream institutions which limit personal development. Our stories of personal survival and struggle are the real stories of our movement, or our organizers, and of Z.

I was born exactly 21 years ago, and while I know I have so much to learn, I am comforted knowing that a growing community exists that not only shines light into the darkness, but believes that a world without darkness is actually achievable.

We can all support the efforts to strengthen and expand the Z Community. Now is the time to ask ourselves how much strong alternative news sources and left networks like Z mean to us.

As we begin a New Year:

Join Z. Write for Z. Donate to Z.

Let us do this that the resistance might not just live on, but rather, that we might finally know victory and that our children and grandchildren might live in an era of peace and justice.

www.zcommunications.org

The following is a review I wrote for ZNet on April 21, 2007. It’s one of my favorite books and super relevant for building powerful movements for social change. Check it out:

Remembering Tomorrow: From SDS to Life After Capitalism, a memoir by Michael Albert, published by Seven Stories Press, is a must read for every young organizer serious about winning long-term, systematic change in the world. It critically analyzes the social movements of the past with the goal of building the stronger, more explosive and powerful movements of the future. Rather than ignoring persistent movement problems, it asks the hard questions that far too many experienced organizers avoid. Its look at the sixties and decades since, addressing culture, political events, and especially activist organizing, presents history not only honestly, but as we need it. Its focus on vision and strategy challenges our current over emphasis on only critique. Its exploration of what type of society we really want by way of historical examples and experiences is truly remarkable.

How can we bring more people into our movements; even make our movements gravitationally attractive and compelling? How can we make it easier for people in the movement to lead normal lives? How can we relate to new and broader audiences? How can we frame reforms in a radical context, and direct them towards future social gains? What role should militancy play in the movement? What might a revolution in the United States look like (and how can we get there)? All of these pressing questions, and many more, are addressed at length and in depth in the book. Albert walks readers through decades-worth of practical lessons that can be immediately applied to their own grassroots organizing; whether in schools, in workplaces or communities, or in youth and student organisations such as the Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC) or Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

He explains how by thinking strategically and focusing on vision, we can provide the inspiration needed to overcome cynicism, counter critics, and draw masses of people into the movement- retaining instead of losing them, with an ever growing commitment.

Remembering Tomorrow is a true gift to young leftists- providing the knowledge they need to begin a life-long journey of political organizing and radical change. It is a timely addition to left organizing- at a point when the need for energetic young organizers to join in the development of vision, not only within the economic sphere, but also for kinship, culture, politics, and education, is greater than ever before. While each lesson from Remembering Tomorrow can be a powerful tool in and of itself, the central message of the book- that vision and strategy can give people the inspiration to fight and as such should be central to movement organizing- is a lesson that each of us should bring to broader audiences. Michael presents this theme perfectly, saying:

“If a person thinks a society promoting solidarity, diversity, equity and self-management is potentially attainable, then for him or her to say it should be morally off the agenda and therefore that people should not try to define it, explain it and forcefully advocate for it, would be to say that humanity should stop progressing…”

The memoir follows Michael Albert’s life, from his college experiences as a young organizer with Students for a Democratic Society, to his work as a founder of South End Press, and finally to the creation Zmag and Znet, and the development of Participatory Economics (Parecon)- the visionary post-capitalist economic model- with Robin Hahnel. It incorporates lessons not only from Albert’s life, but also from the lives of his friends, classmates, and fellow organizers. Drawing on his experiences at each stage of his life, Michael explores the positives and negatives of many trends in activist organizing- with an eye towards improving how we build movements. Analysing how we could forge a powerful Left formation- and what that would look like and require from us- is something that we do far too seldom.

While exploring the book, readers are engaged with diverse organizing experiences- from student organising at MIT, UMass Amherst, and the Harvard Education School, to teaching in schools, prisons, and eventually at Z Media Institute (ZMI)- a leftist summer institute. They will gain tremendous insights in the field of independent publishing and media, following Albert’s major role in South End Press, Z Magazine, ZNet, and Z Media Institute. Albert brings readers into his life, taking them around New England, the United States, and the globe; from his life as a student organiser, to his work as a lifelong author, activist, movement strategist, and visionary anticapitalist- at each step along the way, sharing with them his successes and failings, his insights and uncertainties.

Remembering Tomorrow provides countless examples of where strategic action could have yielded vastly different outcomes- from what was learned organising with SDS to that organisation’s tragic death; from the civil rights movement to the movement against the War in Vietnam; and from the Women’s Movement to advocacy for an entirely different form of visionary economic system. Albert is always up front where the movement could have acted more strategically, and his role in those actions, be they successes or failures.

Taking it further, Michael explores how Participatory Economics could be the economic basis for a future society; a society whereby humans could organize an advanced industrial society in a manner which promotes solidarity, diversity, equity, self-management and efficiency. Weaving together issues of sex, gender, race, and class, of what has been and of what could be, of people and their lives, places and their conflicts, and events and their implications, all culled from personal experiences, makes for a wonderfully human book that is also inspiring and edifying.

All-in-all Remembering Tomorrow: From SDS to Life After Capitalism sheds light on many of the movements of the past; renewing debate on many so-called “settled” issues, and starting new discussions on the issues that many leftists fail to address. It serves as both an extraordinary introduction for new leftists and a sobering wakeup call for experienced ones. I recommend it for all those who are serious about struggling to win a better world.

Note: Readers who enjoy Remembering Tomorrow and wish to further explore the need for our movements to develop vision and strategy, should also consider reading ParEcon: Life After Capitalism, and Realizing Hope: Life Beyond Capitalism and visiting Zmag.org

The presidency of George W. Bush, at its infancy through peak, represented the conservative movement’s crowning achievement. After 40 years of building, it looked as though their movement was unstoppable. But while the Republican Party marveled in its own glory, others were quietly and patiently planting the seeds of its demise.

While nothing is certain, all the signs of a coming realignment are beginning to take root. Rightwing analysts, such as David Frum at Financial Times, and others are talking about their worst nightmare being realized: a strong realignment of progressive forces which enables the left to control our society for decades to come - maybe longer. In Frum’s article in Financial Times entitled “Beware the coming Democratic sea-change”, he says whoever the Democratic Party nominee is, if they win the Presidency, we can expect:

“A greater government role in healthcare, higher taxes, tighter regulation, more social welfare, an increased flow of low-skilled migrants with amnesty for those already here, a cut-and-run from Iraq…”

All of these things are promising. Luckily for him he doesn’t know the extent of the coming progressive realignment.

So what are the signs? And, more importantly, what does this mean for progressive forces committed to pushing America further and faster to the left?

THE CONTEXT

World Events, Situations, and Trends

The Climate Crisis

Along side weapons of mass destruction, global climate destabilization is the greatest threat the world has ever faced. As the globe continues to warm and the climate continues to destabilize - fueled mainly by the West’s addiction to fossil fuels - we will face greater consequences ranging from rising sea levels (which could cause millions of deaths, and possibly billions of refugees), a rapidly increasing rate of species and habitat extinction, runaway pollution levels, erratic and catastrophic weather patterns, resource scarcity (the latter of which could lead to increased incidents of water wars, ethnic cleansing, and the like), and much more.

Nuclear Weapons and Weapons of Mass Destruction

After the fall of the Soviet Union and its satellite states, a gigantic number of weapons of mass destruction and materials went missing, were sold to unstable or hostile nations, and have been kept in unsafe storage. More alarmingly, the United States has taken actions which, if unchecked, could escalate into another Cold War. One key factor in this new escalation is America’s “missile shield” system which is planned to be built in Poland and the Czech Republic, based on a recently brokered deal with Poland. The “missile shield” which claims to be for protection against “Iranian missiles”, has much more sinister and grave implications. The Iranians are universally considered a threat by almost no one and questions arise as to what the purpose of such a system could be. As many have pointed (see Brian Dominick’s “Media Distorts Missile ‘Defense’ Plans” on ZNet & “European Missile Defense: The Technological Basis of Russian Concerns” by George N. Lewis and Theodore A. Postol in Arms Control Today), since such a system isn’t really for use solely against the Iranians, nor would it be effective in protecting against a Russian first-strike nuclear attack, one can only conclude that the “missile defense shield” is actually an offensive first-strike, weapons system designed to protect against missiles not taken out by a first-strike American attack - with major opponents in the region being Iran and Russia, and elsewhere - China.

The War in Middle East - Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Palestine, Lebanon

The U.S. occupation of Iraq; the U.S.-Israeli occupation of Palestine; the U.S.-Israeli attack against Lebanon; the U.S.-backed dictatorship in Pakistan; U.S. military operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan; perhaps more than any other place in the world, the Middle East is quickly spiraling out of control into a regional war (or conglomeration of wars), caused by a battle(s) for resources, wealth, power, and influence. The regional conflicts are fueling increasing fundamentalism and violence alongside prodding grassroots resistance and pro-democracy movements (i.e. Pakistan). After over a century of colonial rule, artificial boundaries and borders set up by colonial powers are threatening to rupture and fragment - with secessionist and nationalist movements growing in size and commitment. The Middle East is a region in turmoil. Like everything else in our current context, there is tremendous threats, juxtaposed with tremendous opportunities.

The Possible Recession (or Depression!)

Peak Oil and The Cost of Petroleum

The Blackwater Effect: The Rise of the For-Profit, Private Military (and Private Prisons)

SIGNS IN OUR MOVEMENT

The Movement

Elections

Shortly after John Kerry’s loss in the 2004 election, Eli Pariser, Executive Director of MoveOn.org, sent out an e-mail to MoveOn members saying:

“For years, the party has been led by elite Washington insiders who are closer to corporate lobbyists than they are to the Democratic base… But we can’t afford four more years of leadership by a consulting class of professional election losers. In the last year, grass-roots contributors like us gave more than $300 million to the Kerry campaign and the DNC, and proved that the party doesn’t need corporate cash to be competitive… Now it’s our party: we bought it, we own it, and we’re going to take it back.“

What he meant by this e-mail, I think, is that the Democratic Party could no longer ignore the grassroots and expect to win campaigns or stay in power. He and others at MoveOn and other organizations have said this repeatedly. Whatever you think of MoveOn, or their efforts to engage with the Democratic Party, it’s fairly hard, I think, to discount the role they’ve played in pressing the Party to move away from the center-right politics that they have leaned towards in the past. They’ve raised many crucial issues to national prominence - all very good signs and actions.

In 2004, many prominent liberals and progressives put out an incredibly informative book called Start Making Sense (which I talk about in an early blog post here), which discusses many things that progressives need to do to start winning (electorally) again. Almost every lesson can be applied to how grassroots movements for longterm transformative change can give entrenched interests a run for their money - and win. It also has many lessons that a Left Electoral Campaign should take to heart in the future.

New Brunswick, progressive danes, green party

The Obama Campaign

Huge portions of the American Left has ignored these positive signs.

And you can see tremendous progress in huge parts of the progressive community:

Youth1

Despite Thomas Friedman’s proclamation that the youth of the nation are “Generation Q” or “The Quiet Americans”, my generation (learning from both history, experience, and world-class mentors) is organizing to take America to new heights. That Friedman didn’t see was that, while Facebook and Myspace (and the Internet in general) can be a distraction for young people, it is also being used in a exciting new ways - linking groups who have never interacted with one another, popularizing dissent, and breaking down barriers to activism.

During many previous periods of social upheaval, groups in society - especially young people - have often had raised hopes and a sense of entitlement. It happened right before the civil rights movement when black soldiers came back from war. It happened before Venezuela took a turn town its path towards liberation, when there were decades of raised hopes around both capitalism and representative democracy - which are now being abandoned in terms of “socialism for the 21st century” and participatory democracy. And its happening again in America. Generation Change is was raised with parents who often had social security, unemployment insurance, and other social safety nets. The last remnants of the New Deal are being dismantled before our eyes. We will be the first generation in half a century which is worse off than our parents were. And on top of that, as the first generation to be raised during the age of information technology, we have extremely high hopes and a strong sense of entitlement. Whatever sense of hope cynicism still held onto, reality will shatter. If history is any indicator of what might occur, our objective conditions as a generation will soon lead to mass rebellion and upheaval.

A few projects to watch: Baltimore Algebra Project, Sustainable South Bronx, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), and the Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC)

Environmental Justice

Green For All, Apollo Alliance, Energy Action Coalition, Student Environmental Action Coalition, Powervote

Peace

Iraq Veterans Against the War, Winter Soldier, AFSC, WRL, shifts in UFPJ

Religious Left

The Network of Spiritual Progressives, Tikkun

Messaging

In the world of messaging and learning to tell effective stories and narratives, there are already those in progressive circles working hard on figuring out new ways to communicate our values with the public. The smartMeme project is one of the groups pioneering a field they call “story-based strategy”; an exciting initiative which challenges progressives to reframe the debate using alternative narratives to counter dominant myths around social programs.

Another small collective, Beyond the Choir, is also doing innovative work on how progressives can communicate our values using strategic and well-planned organizing, education, campaigns and actions.

George Lakoff’s Rockridge Institute is also paving the way in taking back language from the rightwing.

Media

Z Communications, The Real News Network, Democracy Now!

Negative trends in progressive media include a lack of support and consistent funding for these organizations. Where solidaristic attitudes and federations of progressive media outlets would prevent any one organization from falling apart or closing its doors due to lack of funding, we’ve seen an opposite trend occurring. With the rise of the internet, which has opened countless new doors for our movement, many of us have started to think that media is “free” - that no one should have to pay for it - or the labor that made it. This is a fantasy. Our movements should drive towards more relationships of solidarity, cooperation and community. No quality progressive media organization that has proven itself should have to close its doors due to financial hardship. Progressive media is the backbone of our knowledge base.

Democracy

Liberty Tree, New Brunswick

The Bolivarian Revolution

One of the most hopeful developments in the last 40 or more years, is undoubtedly the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela, lead by President Hugo Chavez. Its aims? Transcending capitalism and representatative democracy. The alternative? “Socialism for the 21st Century” and Participatory Democracy. I’ll write more later, in the mean time: http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/

TASKS FOR THE LEFT

Mentors

If there is anything my generation needs right now, it’s smart mentors. We need folks to tell us what worked and what didn’t worked in the past. We need to be able to tap into the collective experiences of the last 40 years. We don’t want to repeat your mistakes; we want to learn from them. The youth of American are setting out on the journey of our lives. We are setting out to recast our country from the fires of own creativity, passion, and hope. I’m not talking about dozens of mentors. I’m not even talking about hundreds of mentors. To set ourselves on a winning path, we need thousands of you to start stepping into that role. Not just teachers (though they are invaluable). Not just older activists (though we need plenty of activists of all ages). What we need are mentors. We need folks who will help us through a learning process. We need to have the space to make mistakes, be creative, and push the envelope. But we shouldn’t have to make the same mistakes over and over again. We need to learn from those in the past who were victorious. And we need to learn from the (non-cynical) organizers of the past who lost - and know why they lost. Commit to supporting younger folks in our journey to save our country. Do it consciously as a progressive. Don’t hide what you are doing - our future depends on urgent, overt action. Your conscience (and your Social Security checks) will thank you for it. So will I.
Capacity and Infrastructure

Z Media Institute, Training for Change, the Change Agency, Midwest Academy, Project South, Beyond the Choir, smartMeme, Ruckus Society, the Highlander Center, War Resisters League, New Tactics,

A TRAJECTORY OF CHANGE

Will finish off later!

–

1. Note, by sectioning-off various sections of the Left, I don’t mean to place artificial barriers where they need not be placed, but rather do this to highlight some exciting developments. “Youth”, for example, are working on dozens of issues, including peace, human rights, and environmental justice.

In an Valentine’s Day article in Time Magazine yesterday, Karen Tumulty reported on what appears to be a failing Clinton fund-raising and field team. In a strategy that wasn’t prepared to take Senator Clinton past Super Tuesday, her campaign is now scrambling to fundraise and set up field operations in Texas and Ohio. One striking part of the article read as follows:

“Clinton has shaken up a campaign team whose top rung often seemed to function like the permanent membership of the U.N. Insecurity Council, with each of its often feuding members holding veto power over any move that diverged from his or her plan. Gone is campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle, the former scheduler whose primary qualification seemed to be her long history with the candidate. Some of Clinton’s closest advisers had argued against putting Doyle in such a high-wire role, but it was a characteristic move for a candidate who, like Bush, is known to value personal trust and loyalty above all other virtues.”

I found it striking because of what it means for our grassroots movements. Many of the organizations and movements that I’ve been a part of were (are) completely chaotic. There is infighting. There is bickering. There is a lack of unity on the simplest of issues. Here we had an Establishment campaign that is having minor internal fighting - and its losing. There are certainly other elements of why Clinton is losing, though not having a cohesive campaign team must be one of them. It says wonders about our movements getting their attitudes in better shape and doing what it takes to win.

In article in The Swamp, Mike Dorning outlines what the Obama Campaign has been doing to win - specifically what it took to win in Iowa, but also what it takes to win in other states too (and why he’s ahead of Clinton in many respects):

“It’s an old-fashioned counting system redolent of yesteryear’s precinct walks that rates voters based on personal contact, usually face-to-face meetings or one-on-one conversations over the telephone.

The “ones” are the candidate’s strongest supporters — by Iowa tradition, those who have signed cards pledging to show up on caucus night and back the candidate. The “twos” are supporters who have declared their backing less formally.

Count correctly. Keep adding. If the number rises high enough, the outcome is victory.

That is, if the same army of campaign workers and volunteers that has called, coaxed and cajoled for months also can get those supporters to turn out on a bitter-cold January evening at 1,784 precincts across the state. And if those supporters will stay in place for two hours, standing their ground in front of friends, neighbors and business acquaintances.”

Many people who consider themselves lefitsts don’t do this type of organizing. And to win we’d need to have thousands of communities organized on a longterm basis - not just for a single electoral campaign. They don’t do it for issue-based campaigns, let alone electoral campaigns (even if they aren’t national). We don’t do this in cities and we don’t do it in rural communities. And we wonder why we don’t win? I often am thankful that the Democratic Party didn’t keep a permanent campaign like this going. We’d be in deep shit.

Scientists in Northern California have genetically altered butterflies so they emerge from their cocoon metamorphosis without wings.

The reason for this alteration is to control the movement of butterflies and keep them closer to the apple tree orchards that has suffered a decline in apples due to poor pollination because of erratic butterfly migration.
Global warming is also a factor as the mild winters send out signals that confuse the butterfly instincts to start their life cycles at the wrong time.
The new breed of non - flying butterflies are just called ‘Butters’.

CALL TO ACTION

March 19, 2008: the 5th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the beginning of the 6th year of war and occupation, the 6th year of senseless death and massive destruction.

2008 is a critical year in the efforts to bring an end to the war and occupation in Iraq. This is the year the anti-war movement must up the ante, pull out all of the stops and build so much pressure that the war will finally be brought to an end.

United for Peace and Justice is calling for and supporting a set of activities on and around the 5th anniversary that will manifest the intensifying opposition to the war and help strengthen our movement. We invite you to work with us to ensure the success of these actions.

• ­March 13-16, Winter Soldier: UFPJ is committed to providing major support to Iraq Veterans Against the War and its Winter Soldier hearings in Washington, DC, on Marc­h 13-16. We will help local groups plan events that directly link to and amplify the Winter Soldier hearings, where those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as Iraqis and Afghans, will tell the nation the real story of this war.
• ­March 19, Mass Nonviolent Direct Action in Washington, DC: UFPJ has initiated the planning and organizing for what we hope will be the largest day of nonviolent direct action and civil disobedience yet against the war in Iraq. We encourage people to be in Washington, DC, on March 19th to be part of the civil disobedience, or to assist in support work. We are working to have all 50 states represented in this massive action.
• March 19, Local Actions Throughout the Country: We encourage those who are not able to make it to Washington on March 19 to organize local actions. These actions may vary in location or character, but they will all be tied to the protest in Washington and all sending a message to the policy makers: It is time to end this war and occupation!

­Help us make the 5th anniversary the last anniversary of this war!­

­Join our efforts to build the strongest actions in March — actions that will not only mark the anniversary but will also help propel our movement into the critically important work that must be done throughout the year.

Click here for info about more 5th anniversary actions.

My good friend Joshua Kahn Russell turned me on to an AMAZING book by Malcolm Gladwell called “The Tipping Point“. Apparently I missed this one when it came out. Wish I hadn’t, but glad I read it now! It’s one of the best books I’ve read in years.

After I read it, I realized that a lot of my not-so-progressive friends and business student acquaintances love the book. If you are a progressive, read it with an eye towards seeing the basic concepts and how powerful they are - not with the expectation that you will agree with everything Gladwell says about this or that issue. The underlying concepts are groundbreaking and, dare I say, revolutionary.

You can read excepts from the book and what Gladwell has to say about the book here. I’ll definitely be reflecting on and referencing this book a lot in the future. Its definitely one to read a few times! The endnotes are even amazing!

Check out this YouTube video about John McCain! Points out more of McCain’s conservative policies, including him saying that a 100 year occupation of Iraq would be “fine by me”.

“We know that, as a country and as a world, we’re all in it together and we’re more than the sum of our parts. That goes for both sides of the border. What would it mean to value everyone equally, no matter where they come from and how they got here? How would you tell America that immigration is about Community Values?

[Read more →]

Again, progressives get it wrong (Obama knows strategy though!). It isn’t about facts - you can pile facts to the ceiling (though we have truth on our side and must show it). Without a clear vision, an emotional vision, a spiritual, cultural, epic vision of the future - you won’t get the votes. Here’s Frank Luntz - Republican Party Strategist and Message Maker doing a focus group of Democrats after Super Tuesday. He asks “name one accomplishment of Barack Obama”. Almost none can do it. While Obama might have a ton of them. that’s not the main part of his message! (Also see my post: Language Warriors)

====

After the polls closed on Tuesday in Super Tuesday States, Hillary and Bill Clinton injected $5 million from their personal fortunes into Hillary’s campaign. As a challenge, the Obama campaign asked their supporters to match that number. In under 24 hours, that happened - mostly from small donors giving small amounts from their pockets. That number is up to over $7,600,000.00 in a little under two day. TWO DAYS. He reached $6.5 million in a little over a day. Incredible!

The Left should ask WHY this is happening, instead of merely critiquing Obama’s politics (and theres plenty to critique). Below are six of Obama’s speeches. All are incredibly inspiring. The left should learn from his rhetoric, his lack of stupid dogmatic language, his imagery and story-telling skills, his charisma, and his message. We take that message roll with it - using real organizing, and real analysis behind it. We should stop whining and start winning!

====

Here’s an letter to the San Francisco Chronicle talking by Rabbi Michael Learner. He talks about how Obama is basically one of the only spiritual progressives on the national scene:

“Rabbi Michael Lerner is editor of Tikkun magazine, chair of the Network of Spiritual Progressives, rabbi of Beyt Tikkun synagogue-without-walls in San Francisco and Berkeley, and author of the 2006 national best-seller ‘The Left Hand of God: Taking Back our Country from the Religious Right.’

I enthusiastically support Barack Obama, the first serious spiritual progressive candidate for the presidency. Once in office, Obama’s discourse of hope, challenging narrow technocratic consciousness, will open the possibility for serious social movements to push him beyond the constraints of Democratic Party spinelessness.

Spiritual progressives want a New Bottom Line so that institutions, social practices, even our own personal behavior is seen as efficient, rational and productive, not only to the extent that they maximize money and power (the Old Bottom Line) but also to the extent that they maximize love and caring for others, kindness and generosity, ethical and ecological sensitivity, and enhance our capacity to respond to others as embodiments of the sacred and to the universe with awe, wonder and radical amazement.

In our Spiritual Covenant with America ( www.spiritualprogressives.org ), we apply these ideas not only to support single payer health care and taxes on carbon emissions but also to replace our foreign policy Strategy of Domination with a Strategy of Generosity, recognizing that our well-being as Americans depends on the well-being of everyone else on the planet. Hence we call for a Global Marshall Plan to dedicate 1-2 percent of the GDP of the United States each year for the next 20 to once and for all eliminate domestic and global poverty, homelessness, hunger, inadequate education and inadequate health care. It will be up to us ordinary citizens to create the pressure that will allow Obama to fight for the spiritual progressive agenda he actually believes in, but is unsure can be realized at this historical moment.“

====

Finally, I have been looking through Obama speeches. His speeches in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Chicago (Super Tuesday) had something really interesting about them. None of them mentioned God. In the past, Obama has talked about “an awesome God”, giving moving speeches in Churches and other religious institutions. He’s a member of the United Church of Christ, but it seems as if he doesn’t need to wear it on his sleeve. He finishes most speeches with talk about an epic mission to build a better America. Again, if the Left wants to win, we should take notice of why this man is winning…