COVER -> MY GLASS HOUSE
If you mean to bring about legal, non-violent political change and restore representative democracy to the United States, your best strategy is to vote for Pat Buchanan or Ralph Nader in the 2000 Presidential election. Now that you've gotten up off the floor, I'll explain why.
I believe that there are three rules of dissidence for any successful political reformation:
- As Frederick Douglass said: "Agitate, agitate, agitate." We are not going to win in our opposition to a system which believes in its institutional longevity unless we are committed to eroding it over the long haul. We are like the ocean beating against a rock.
- Take a page from dissidents against other entrenched systems: the enemy of my enemy is my friend. (More on this below.)
- What may seem misguided tactically can often be a brilliant strategic move. Live to fight another day.
All right, Class, I know a lot of you are wondering how the Publisher of the G21 could possibly encourage people to vote for Pat Buchanan. It's simple: a vote for Pat is a vote against the plutocracy. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
There are multitudinous reasons why Mr. Buchanan and I, or anyone else at the G21, would never sit at the same table. BUT there are some issues about which we agree. One of those issues is that globalization needs to be harnessed. If he pulls right-wing votes away from the Fat Cat-financed campaign of the Smirking Shrub, count me all for it.
But let's get down to why I think there's a rationale for voting Nader or Buchanan in this election.
LISTEN UP! The only way to bring down the Corporate-sponsored Democrat-Republican political hegemony in this country is to legitimize parties more responsive to Average Working People. That is the essence of dissidence and agitation. (See Rule One above.)
In case you missed this factoid: Pat Buchanan, as the presumptive nominee of the Reform Party, is going to get $12.5 million in Federal matching funds (our tax dollars that we checked off on our tax forms) based on the Reform Party's performance in past elections.
Why is this? BECAUSE when Ross Perot ran those couple times he managed to garner enough DISSIDENT votes to make the Reform Party a "national party" even by the trumped up rules of the Federal Election Commission.
Starting to get my drift? Ralph Nader doesn't have to win this election. But if you vote for him this time, if more than 5% of the electorate votes for him in this election, the next Green Party Presidential candidate becomes eligible for millions of dollars of funds in the 2004 election. (See Rule Three above.)
At this point, if you're a thinking person --- and I know you are or you wouldn't have read this far, or even frequent this site --- you're probably asking how I could advocate a policy which would undermine the goals of the Democratic party, the party that is *supposed* to be for leftist causes.
The Reader's Digest version of my answer is simple:
I have constantly advocated, over the last ten years, for a political organization that consistently supports the interests of the poor and the working people of this country. It should be clear by now that the New Democrat machine built up by the Clinton-Gore Administration has consistently sided with the rich against the rest of us. They have transformed the Democratic party into the second Corporate party.
This is one of the reasons why the auto workers, the steel workers, and the Teamsters are having serious talks with both Nader and Buchanan. Clinton-Gore shafted Labor (and America) on NAFTA, GATT, and trade with China.
Meanwhile, more Americans fell into poverty.
More women and children became refuge in our society.
Forget the platitudes of high-priced, "feel good" campaign advertisements on television for a second. Forget the flowery speeches. ARE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY BETTER OFF TODAY?
I'm just asking you to believe the evidence of your own eyes.
How can this system of money-run politics be changed? I've been asked this question before.
My answer hasn't changed: WE NEED A TRULY REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY. The first step is to support those candidates who support US.
You DO NOT have to vote for the corporate candidates. A vote for them is a wasted vote. A vote for a dissident candidate is building a future for all of us.
As many of you know, there are contributors to the G21 who are disappointed that Jesse Ventura did not chose to run this time. Picture this: the Green or Reform parties pull in 10 - 15% of the vote this election. That makes them eligible for federal funds in 2004. Jesse declares for either party because he has a war-chest which makes his run for the White House viable against the money machines.
This is not just dreaming. This is practical, long-term political strategy, as opposed to tactics.
Think about it.
THINGS THAT BOTHER ME THIS WEEK
1. Determining if relocation is a good option, and then deciding where I want to live for the next few years.2. The Writer.
3. The sense that it's time for a shake-up of our format again.
4. Budgetting out the time to implement enhancements to the magazine.
Thanks for coming back this week.
"Work like you don't need the money,
"Love like you've never been hurt,
"Dance like no one is watching..."
Rod
ROD AMIS has published this magazine since 1990. It first appeared as a hardcopy 'Zine. In March, 1996, he launched it here on the Web. Rod was a Contributing Editor at Suite101.com, where he wrote the " 'Net Publishing" feature. His work has been featured in the San Francisco Bay Guardian Online, NRV8, and at WebLab's Reality Check site. Rod was also a contributing writer on technology for Faulkner Information Services.
Rod was a columnist for the Andover News Network, where he wrote over two hundred articles on web design and development issues. He was also principal writer and Editor for IT Manager's Journal, where he reviewed technology issues weekly. His opinions on the Info Age began appearing on MethodFive's HYPER technology newsletter in March. 1999. He became the Managing Editor for Electronic Mail/Newsletter Publications at Andover.net at the end of February, 2000.
Our Editor does listen!