American Broadside

Political Action on January 20th

A democratic society works only if the focus of the government is on the wellbeing of all its citizens, not just a few. In the U.S. this is no longer the case. Inhuman businesses have greater rights than the average person and the Bush administration wants to add to those rights and protections with things like the Tort Reform bill.

For years, going back before the Bush administration, we have seen Business exercise its power to the detriment of the common person. As time has gone by, the arrogance of Business Leaders and governmental servants has grown as their power has spread.

It is now time to openly resist this rot and January 20th is the day.

The following is an email that I received today. It speaks for itself.

On Thursday, January 20th, President Bush will be sworn into office for another four years. There are numerous protests scheduled for that day. The biggest will be in Washington, D.C. There will also be local protests in every major city throughout the U.S.

But not all of us will be able to participate in these protests and demonstrations. However, there is a more meaningful protest planned for that day that EVERYONE who opposes the war in Iraq CAN participate in.

Please join me in: Not One Damn Dime Day - Jan 20, 2005.

Since our religious leaders will not speak out against the war in Iraq, since our political leaders don't have the moral courage to oppose it, since Bush is wasting 40 MILLION dollars on his inauguration party...while the soldiers have inadequate armor and too few of them to create or maintain peace in Iraq... (and we're accused of being stingy in disaster relief) .

Inauguration Day, Thursday, January 20th, 2005 is "Not One Damn Dime Day" in America.

On "Not One Damn Dime Day" those who oppose what is happening in our name in Iraq can speak up with a 24-hour national boycott of all forms of consumer spending.

During "Not One! Damn Dime Day" please don't spend any money. Not one damn dime for gasoline. Not one damn dime for necessities or for impulse purchases. Not one damn dime for nothing for 24 hours.

On "Not One Damn Dime Day," please boycott Wal-Mart, Kmart, and Target... Please don't go to the mall or the local convenience store. Please don't buy any fast food (or any groceries at all for that matter).

For 24 hours, please do what you can to shut the retail economy down.

The object is simple. Remind the people in power that the war in Iraq is immoral and illegal; that they are responsible for starting it and that it is their responsibility to stop it.

"Not One Damn Dime Day" is to remind them, too, that they work for the people of the United States of America, not for the international corporations and K Street lobbyists who represent the corporations and funnel cash into American politics.

"Not One Damn Dime Day" is about supporting the troops. The politicians put the troops in harm's way. Now 1,300 brave young Americans and (some estimate) 100,000 Iraqis have died. The politicians owe our troops a plan - a way to come home.

There's no rally to attend. No marching to do. No left or right wing agenda to rant about. On "Not One Damn Dime Day" you take action by doing nothing. You open your mouth by keeping your wallet closed.

For 24 hours, nothing gets spent, not one damn dime, to remind our religious leaders and our politicians of their moral responsibility to end the war in Iraq and give America back to the people.

Please share this email with as many people as possible.

posted by Les @ 6:14 AM 0 comments

A New Year, A New Beginning

Okay, so that vote is in and finalized. P.T. Barnum summed it up when he said, "There's a sucker born every minute." I think old P.T. also said something like, "I've never lost money by under-estimating the taste of the American people."

Nuff said.

2005 is, as they say in sports, a building year. It's a year to send the scouts down to the minor leagues to find the talented neophytes that can be groomed for the Bigs.

There is one significant difference however. In 2005, the scouts are coming up from the minors to see if there are any players in the Majors worth cultivating.

The Democratic National Committee has, for at least 8 years, failed to deliver a viable liberal/progressive message to the American people. Instead, the DNC has provided a shallow and timid approximation of the liberal dream. What the DNC has supplied has been a bloodless, nay-saying shadow of what once had been a roaring populist lion.

In mid February, the DNC meets to elect a new Chairman to run the party for the next 4 years. This person will be responsible for setting the political agenda and philosophical tone of the party as well as directing vast human and financial resources. The new leader of the Democratic Party has an historic challenge.

In practice, the United States has a two party system. However, there is no guarantee what parties will make up that dynamic duo. The Democratic Party faces the serious possibility that it will fragment, sending its human and financial resources to the Greens and Independents, as well as new parties. In the past, other parties have faded or metamorphosed into something distinctly different.

The upper Midwest, has traditionally been the birthing place for populist parties, splinter groups with short lives but powerful legacies: honest government, protecting small people from big business, social responsibility.

The DNC has the opportunity to elect a leader that will harness that history and power. The DNC will also need to reform its internal structure and open its membership to average Americans, not keeping it restricted to the moneyed elite. Surprisingly, Minnesota is one of only a few states that has a truly permanent Democratic Party organization. In addition, Minnesota DFL'ers elect their representatives to the DNC, again a rarity. These are two important reforms that the DNC must mirror. Building permanent state organizations in very state and opening the DNC membership to ballot.

If the new DNC Chair is unable to make these changes, and many more, the Democratic party will begin to unravel and usher in a period of political ferment that we haven't seen since the early 20th century.

posted by Les @ 8:15 AM 0 comments