Green(er) on the other side?
I have been following (and agonizing over) the decline and fall of American democracy over the past 6 years along with the other writers (and most readers) of Scatablog. I wish I had the advantage of retrospect: is the passage of the grab 'em, hide 'em, fry 'em bill in the Senate the truly decisive step? Has Caesar now crossed the Rubicon (or the Mall)? Beer Hall Putsch, anyone? I don't know for sure.
What I am wonderng about is the notion that supporting the Democratic Party is the best, let alone the honorable, course of action for those of us still loyal to the Constitution and Jeffersonian democracy, and who want to resist and roll back the neo-fascist takeover of our government. If we are truly convinced that the strong language of "fascism" is appropriate here, and if we are equally convinced that the Democrats as a collective whole are not willing or able to recognize that, let alone energized to struggle strenuously against it, then it is probably time to find a coherent party of opposition. We need a party that is unambiguously loyal to America, to its Constitution and to the "better angels of our [nation's] nature", as Lincoln once said in a different context, that is to our historic commitments to the rule of law (domestic and international), habeas corpus, human rights, freedom of speech and association and religion, and so forth. Is the Democratic Party that party? Not in New Jersey apparently.
I once lost a German friend who had joined the Green Party at home, around the time of Reagan's election. I told him I thought the Green's interests were too narrow. My daughter and son-in-law in Maryland are Greens and vote that way. I know, I know: Gore would have won the election, if not for the Greens and Nader. But that was then. And even then, the Democrats were losing focus from my point of view (dare I say "our point of view"?): the Al Gore of 2000 is not the Al of 2006, who at least has rediscovered his better angel, I reckon.
I am not saying I am about to go Green. I am not sure if they are exactly the party of alternate choice. But I think I am willing to consider them. The success of Democratic Party may seem like the best opportunity, in the short-term, to turn things around. But there are many indications that they are not able to win enough elections, nor really to constitute a clear alternative. Where do I go from here?
What I am wonderng about is the notion that supporting the Democratic Party is the best, let alone the honorable, course of action for those of us still loyal to the Constitution and Jeffersonian democracy, and who want to resist and roll back the neo-fascist takeover of our government. If we are truly convinced that the strong language of "fascism" is appropriate here, and if we are equally convinced that the Democrats as a collective whole are not willing or able to recognize that, let alone energized to struggle strenuously against it, then it is probably time to find a coherent party of opposition. We need a party that is unambiguously loyal to America, to its Constitution and to the "better angels of our [nation's] nature", as Lincoln once said in a different context, that is to our historic commitments to the rule of law (domestic and international), habeas corpus, human rights, freedom of speech and association and religion, and so forth. Is the Democratic Party that party? Not in New Jersey apparently.
I once lost a German friend who had joined the Green Party at home, around the time of Reagan's election. I told him I thought the Green's interests were too narrow. My daughter and son-in-law in Maryland are Greens and vote that way. I know, I know: Gore would have won the election, if not for the Greens and Nader. But that was then. And even then, the Democrats were losing focus from my point of view (dare I say "our point of view"?): the Al Gore of 2000 is not the Al of 2006, who at least has rediscovered his better angel, I reckon.
I am not saying I am about to go Green. I am not sure if they are exactly the party of alternate choice. But I think I am willing to consider them. The success of Democratic Party may seem like the best opportunity, in the short-term, to turn things around. But there are many indications that they are not able to win enough elections, nor really to constitute a clear alternative. Where do I go from here?
posted by ChiTom | 11:04 AM
2 Comments:
Unfortunately, a second liberal party will insure Republican control for most of the millenium. Remember what John Anderson the liberal Republican did to Jimmy Carter. Also remember that most Democratic reps and senators did, in fact, vote against the bill -- even if they did, and I agree, chicken out miserably on really launching the right fight. Bill Clinton may have done some conservative things (coming off 12 years of Reaganism) to grab the middle ground back, but his administration was light years better than this one -- and very, very different -- more progressive taxation, minimum wage, the biggest attempt ever at universal health care, general friendliness towards unions (as in the benign tolerance of the successful UPS strike, end of the 1981 flight-controllers black-ball). Gore's would have been completely different, too, and in my opinion, while he has found a vehicle to make an impact, there is not the slightest difference philosophically between Gore 2000 and Gore 2006. The fight is not with the Democrats as the only viable source of institutional resistance to right-wing dominance, but with those who are controlling the political machinery of the party. They have no clue how to plan strategy that will give Democratic lawmakers cover for acting courageously.
I think I'm with KISSweb on this, but I can certainly empathize with ChiTom.
SusanG, at DailyKos has a somewhat different take on the same theme:
This torture bill ... I'd call it a line in the sand but for the fact that there have been so many lines in the sand in the past six years there's no sand left. We're down to bedrock now, folks, and it ain't pretty. But then, I'd always assumed we never expected it to be. Frankly, I always thought it would come to this. This and far, far worse.
But that's why I thought we were here, to rebuild and retake control of a political party, not abandon it. After all, who's got the power? Ask Howard Dean. We've got the power.
This is democracy, people. Seize it. Take control. Grab hold of the Democratic Party and shake it until it the weak fall out and only the strong are left. Get fighters and warriors for justice and true statesmen and women in office. Isn't that why we are here? Isn't it?
This republic is bigger than this despairing moment. This democracy, as many generations have witnessed, is worth sacrificing for, is worth dying for. It's hard to see it at this dark and humiliating point in our national history, when our Congress has tossed away some of our most fundamental rights, but we are lucky -- yes, I said lucky -- to have been born at a critical time in history, lucky to be participants in the great, unfolding pageant of this nation. Even at this very dark time, we are blessed. Whether we believe in a divinity or not, we have either been chosen - or the times chose us - to be the bearers of the standard for this country's ideals.
Just a small reminder here: We are actors, not audience, in our civic life, unlike previous generations.
My grandmother couldn't even vote, for pete's sake, until she was 42 years old because her mind was considered too itty bitty and frilly to comprehend the great issues of her day. Some of our grandparents and great-grandparents were other people's property, the equivalent of cattle. Some of our grandparents had their land seized and were imprisoned because of their ancestry a mere six decades ago.
But not - as of yet - us.
WE are the spine we are looking for. WE are the heart, the soul, the courage of this country. WE are the Democratic Party, not Mary Landrieu or Ben Nelson or Frank Lautenberg or Jay Rockefeller. Those representatives serve at our will. They are our servants, not our masters. And WE are Americans who are, to put it mildly, about three galaxies beyond outrage, as well we should be.
So when we've ...flushed the fresh shock of yesterday's legislation out of our systems, when the betrayal and grief and outrage give way to the urge for fierce and united action ... it will be time to find a candidate who stands for what we believe in and GIVE. Give money, give time, give expertise. Hit the streets, hard. Wailing, if you must, but goddamn it, hit them. Go to another district. Hell, go to another state if you have to and put in the time. And if this set of netroots candidates wins and it turns out they don't come through for us, kick them the hell out in the next election. We'll do it over and over and over again until we get it right, if that's what it takes.
That's what democracy looks like: messy and unpredictable and sometimes slow and often heartbreaking and LOUD ... but man, it's a beautiful construct and we are lucky to have it. It is OURS. This country is OURS. We will not lie down and we will not go quietly.
Get over to the Act Blue netroots candidates page and read some bios. Volunteer time. Give some bucks. Grieve with dedication, grieve with focus, grieve with fierce resolve. It's time to kick some ass for democracy.
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