If our civilization is going to last much longer, we are going to need to transfer some power from the top to the bottom. Look at the bubble economy of the last few years... We had a vast expansion of corporate and consumer debt. In May, payments on consumer debt exceeded 100% of disposable income. If consumers took out any more debt, they wouldn't be able to pay it off. Now they can't get credit to buy shiny new things, so the people who make things are going to lose their jobs.
Never mind the environmental problems, such as global warming -- now that half the north pole is going people are starting to realize that it's no joke. What about the "environmental crisis" that the mass media perpetuated on our culture? Teachers can't educate kids in schools because they're burnt out on TV. Most of us are going to die in a nursing home because family structures have been destroyed by college educations and corporate jobs that move us around the country and the world, and the television set that raises children instead of their parents.
We got into this mess because the decision makers in our society make decisions for their own personal good, not the public good. We can only get out if the people take power back. Because we're on the edge of an economic and ecological crisis which is only going to get worse if we do nothing, I think "the establishment" will find itself in a weak position and will have to let us win.
Needless to say, a lot of activists are getting involved these days, both in things like the protests that have happened in Seattle, Philadelpha, LA, Boston and Saint Louis, but also in more "square" things like the Nader campaign. If you'd like there to still be a planet to live on, you should get involved too.
You know, major candidates don't like to answer people's questions today. They only like to run ads on television.
Here in New York State, we have Hillary Clinton running for Senate against Rick Lazio, a Republican. There also a number of minor candidates, such as Mark Dunau, our Green Party candidate (native new yorker, organic farmer) as well as libertarian, independent and right-to-life candidates.
The League of Women Voters produced a nice brochure which, on one side, had procedural information about how to vote -- even the complicated stuff like how to get an absentee ballot. On the other side they have answers that Senate candidates have for three questions.
Turns out, the major parties hate the LWV, so they refused to answer the questions. You see, the LWV believes in democracy, the LWV wants people to vote, while the major candidates want you to stay home. The LWV made the critical mistake of allowing John Anderson in the 1980 presidental debates. As a result, the major parties formed the bipartisian Comission on Presidental Debates, which refused to let Ralph Nader or Pat Buchanan participate. To make their pamphlet, the LWV had to copy answers to the question off the major candidate's web sites.
Starting with Carter, the Democratic party has been infiltrated by Republicans. The real role of Gore is to hide the fact that the Democratic party no longer exists. A vote for a major candidate is a vote of confidence in a political system that is deteroriating rapidly.
A Green Party activist, I'm voting for Ralph Nader. Still, I think Reynolds and Harry Browne have a lot of good things to say and would be a great choice of you believe in him. Remember that, even if you like Gore or Bush, you can do a lot more than voting. Call up your local campaign, put a sign in your lawn, volunteer to sit at a table and pass out literature. There is a lot to do every election season, and every campaign welcomes volunteers. It makes a difference, and it's one of the most fun things you can do.
Since Carter, year by year, the Democrats have been becoming more and more like Republicans. Clinton/Gore didn't deliver on a single promise that they made to their supporters. Rather, they cut welfare, supervised the execution of retarded prisoners, and had to return a bribe that they solicited from an Indian Reservation.
Organizations like NOW are saying that women should vote for Gore. Never mention that Clinton raped a woman in 1979 and got away with it. Never mind the dangerous message that women will send by voting for their successor, telling women and men throughout the country than men can commit rape and get away with it, in fact, even win the support of women afterwards.
The Democratic party was ruined after eight years of Clinton/Gore. Clinton raised record funds for the 1996 election, and when he had money left over he didn't give a dime to congressional democrats. Clinton screwed over Dick Gephardt because Gephardt might have been able to defeat Gore in the 2000 primaries.
The Democratic party has now become a duplicate of the republicans. In no way can it be said that they stick up for the rights of the poor, working people, women, gay people, black people or anybody other than big corporations. The democrats have no reason to exist, and will soon cease to exist unless they go through a structural adjustment and purge the republicans in their party. This will only happen if the democrats lose in a big way.
So, don't waste your vote on Gore, he's going down in flames. You'll feel almost as dumb as people who voted for Nixon in 1972 felt. Vote for Nader and join the growing movement for social change, and you'll be on the side that's winning.
Here in Tompkins County, the Green Party has a much larger presence on the ground than either the democrats or republicans. In fact, the only sign I've seen of the republicans are some signs for Rick Lazio for senator and an office out by the commercial strip.
Bush and Gore expect to win this election by television, so they're making no effort to activitate the population. In the post-Kennedy age, the role of the president is to be a political neutralizer. The aim of the game is to win the race with the fewest number of votes.
The Gore campaign has bullied a few labor unions and feminist groups to speak out, but Bush doesn't care about having an off-television voice. This is why the Bush supporters are so silent. They don't exist.
People who are voting for Bush are voting because they hate Gore. People who are voting for Gore are voting because they hate Bush. Bush and Gore don't step up and say "I'm a great guy, you should vote for me" rather they step up and say that you shouldn't vote for that other guy. Both Bush and Gore are aiming for a political absolute zero.
Bush will probably win because he's a more perfect zero. What kind of Republican proposes the first-ever legislation to restrict CO2 emissions? What kind of Republican has no position on affirmative action? What kind of Republican says he "supports a culture of life" (opposes abortion) but admits that "we're going to have to change a lot of minds before we can get there?"
Unfortunately, most of us Nader people aren't high tech, so a lot of them think that http://www.votenader.org/ is hot stuff.
I disagree with the idea, however, that the author is sick of politics and wishes the election season would end. What the movement learned in 1968 was that it isn't enough, possibly isn't even desirable to have state power. The Green Party got a student elected to city council here in Ithaca and he's been crushed, domesticated and turned into a Democrat by the old ladies, wives of real estate speculators, who currently run the town.
To get real change, the people need to be mobilized and put constant pressure on public leaders. People are sick of globalization and the economic boom and they're fighting back... You can read the latest at
http://www.indymedia.org/
The Nader campaign is building a Green Party that is going to get in the face of elected officals and corporations.
If you want to see more reduced emission vehicles, vote for Ralph Nader and other Green Party Candidates. We're the only force in American Politics that gives a damn about the environment. Even if Nader can't win, he's sending a message to the democrats that they'd better listen to the left if they want to win, and, the Green Party is building a movement that is going to put pressure on politicians at all levels, no matter who wins.
If you believe in Nader, voting isn't enough. Bush/Gore is spending millions of dollars on television commercials that have been donated by corporations (and even foreign governments!) The only way that Nader and the Green Party can get a message out is by grassroots organizing. If you call your local Green Party, they'll welcome anybody who wants to help with open arms. There's no more enjoyable way to spend a Saturday than to put on a party button and talk with people about politics. Most people are delighted when they find that a political party has sent somebody out to talk to them and listen to them.
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Never mind the environmental problems, such as global warming -- now that half the north pole is going people are starting to realize that it's no joke. What about the "environmental crisis" that the mass media perpetuated on our culture? Teachers can't educate kids in schools because they're burnt out on TV. Most of us are going to die in a nursing home because family structures have been destroyed by college educations and corporate jobs that move us around the country and the world, and the television set that raises children instead of their parents.
We got into this mess because the decision makers in our society make decisions for their own personal good, not the public good. We can only get out if the people take power back. Because we're on the edge of an economic and ecological crisis which is only going to get worse if we do nothing, I think "the establishment" will find itself in a weak position and will have to let us win.
Needless to say, a lot of activists are getting involved these days, both in things like the protests that have happened in Seattle, Philadelpha, LA, Boston and Saint Louis, but also in more "square" things like the Nader campaign. If you'd like there to still be a planet to live on, you should get involved too.
Here in New York State, we have Hillary Clinton running for Senate against Rick Lazio, a Republican. There also a number of minor candidates, such as Mark Dunau, our Green Party candidate (native new yorker, organic farmer) as well as libertarian, independent and right-to-life candidates.
The League of Women Voters produced a nice brochure which, on one side, had procedural information about how to vote -- even the complicated stuff like how to get an absentee ballot. On the other side they have answers that Senate candidates have for three questions.
Turns out, the major parties hate the LWV, so they refused to answer the questions. You see, the LWV believes in democracy, the LWV wants people to vote, while the major candidates want you to stay home. The LWV made the critical mistake of allowing John Anderson in the 1980 presidental debates. As a result, the major parties formed the bipartisian Comission on Presidental Debates, which refused to let Ralph Nader or Pat Buchanan participate. To make their pamphlet, the LWV had to copy answers to the question off the major candidate's web sites.
Starting with Carter, the Democratic party has been infiltrated by Republicans. The real role of Gore is to hide the fact that the Democratic party no longer exists. A vote for a major candidate is a vote of confidence in a political system that is deteroriating rapidly.
A Green Party activist, I'm voting for Ralph Nader. Still, I think Reynolds and Harry Browne have a lot of good things to say and would be a great choice of you believe in him. Remember that, even if you like Gore or Bush, you can do a lot more than voting. Call up your local campaign, put a sign in your lawn, volunteer to sit at a table and pass out literature. There is a lot to do every election season, and every campaign welcomes volunteers. It makes a difference, and it's one of the most fun things you can do.
Organizations like NOW are saying that women should vote for Gore. Never mention that Clinton raped a woman in 1979 and got away with it. Never mind the dangerous message that women will send by voting for their successor, telling women and men throughout the country than men can commit rape and get away with it, in fact, even win the support of women afterwards.
The Democratic party was ruined after eight years of Clinton/Gore. Clinton raised record funds for the 1996 election, and when he had money left over he didn't give a dime to congressional democrats. Clinton screwed over Dick Gephardt because Gephardt might have been able to defeat Gore in the 2000 primaries.
The Democratic party has now become a duplicate of the republicans. In no way can it be said that they stick up for the rights of the poor, working people, women, gay people, black people or anybody other than big corporations. The democrats have no reason to exist, and will soon cease to exist unless they go through a structural adjustment and purge the republicans in their party. This will only happen if the democrats lose in a big way.
So, don't waste your vote on Gore, he's going down in flames. You'll feel almost as dumb as people who voted for Nixon in 1972 felt. Vote for Nader and join the growing movement for social change, and you'll be on the side that's winning.
Here in Tompkins County, the Green Party has a much larger presence on the ground than either the democrats or republicans. In fact, the only sign I've seen of the republicans are some signs for Rick Lazio for senator and an office out by the commercial strip.
Bush and Gore expect to win this election by television, so they're making no effort to activitate the population. In the post-Kennedy age, the role of the president is to be a political neutralizer. The aim of the game is to win the race with the fewest number of votes.
The Gore campaign has bullied a few labor unions and feminist groups to speak out, but Bush doesn't care about having an off-television voice. This is why the Bush supporters are so silent. They don't exist.
People who are voting for Bush are voting because they hate Gore. People who are voting for Gore are voting because they hate Bush. Bush and Gore don't step up and say "I'm a great guy, you should vote for me" rather they step up and say that you shouldn't vote for that other guy. Both Bush and Gore are aiming for a political absolute zero.
Bush will probably win because he's a more perfect zero. What kind of Republican proposes the first-ever legislation to restrict CO2 emissions? What kind of Republican has no position on affirmative action? What kind of Republican says he "supports a culture of life" (opposes abortion) but admits that "we're going to have to change a lot of minds before we can get there?"
Unfortunately, most of us Nader people aren't high tech, so a lot of them think that http://www.votenader.org/ is hot stuff.
I disagree with the idea, however, that the author is sick of politics and wishes the election season would end. What the movement learned in 1968 was that it isn't enough, possibly isn't even desirable to have state power. The Green Party got a student elected to city council here in Ithaca and he's been crushed, domesticated and turned into a Democrat by the old ladies, wives of real estate speculators, who currently run the town.
To get real change, the people need to be mobilized and put constant pressure on public leaders. People are sick of globalization and the economic boom and they're fighting back... You can read the latest at
http://www.indymedia.org/
The Nader campaign is building a Green Party that is going to get in the face of elected officals and corporations.
If you believe in Nader, voting isn't enough. Bush/Gore is spending millions of dollars on television commercials that have been donated by corporations (and even foreign governments!) The only way that Nader and the Green Party can get a message out is by grassroots organizing. If you call your local Green Party, they'll welcome anybody who wants to help with open arms. There's no more enjoyable way to spend a Saturday than to put on a party button and talk with people about politics. Most people are delighted when they find that a political party has sent somebody out to talk to them and listen to them.