Comments on: Zinn on Election Madness http://providencedailydose.com/2008/02/21/zinn-on-election-madness/ News/Arts/Culture/Nightlife/Nonsense/Obscurities Sat, 06 Sep 2008 23:01:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Will Emmons http://providencedailydose.com/2008/02/21/zinn-on-election-madness/#comment-2524 Will Emmons Fri, 22 Feb 2008 23:42:52 +0000 http://providencedailydose.com/2008/02/21/zinn-on-election-madness/#comment-2524 I believe the phrase is: "One foot planted in the system, one foot planted in the street." I believe the phrase is: “One foot planted in the system, one foot planted in the street.”

]]> By: Ariel Werner http://providencedailydose.com/2008/02/21/zinn-on-election-madness/#comment-2523 Ariel Werner Fri, 22 Feb 2008 22:44:42 +0000 http://providencedailydose.com/2008/02/21/zinn-on-election-madness/#comment-2523 Well, Will, I'm touched that you think I can straddle the line between social justice and political debauchery! Isn't that my life's goal? Anyhoo, for more "Change ain't enough" fodder, check out this article, "When Change Isn't Enough: Seven Steps to Revolution." (http://alternet.org/democracy/77498/) Later this weekend indeed. Well, Will, I’m touched that you think I can straddle the line between social justice and political debauchery! Isn’t that my life’s goal? Anyhoo, for more “Change ain’t enough” fodder, check out this article, “When Change Isn’t Enough: Seven Steps to Revolution.” (http://alternet.org/democracy/77498/)

Later this weekend indeed.

]]> By: Will Emmons http://providencedailydose.com/2008/02/21/zinn-on-election-madness/#comment-2520 Will Emmons Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:37:13 +0000 http://providencedailydose.com/2008/02/21/zinn-on-election-madness/#comment-2520 And I love Ariel. It seems that you have good and critical reasons for being as involved in Mr. Obama's campaign that makes sense. I'm definitely voting for the guy if I ever get around to getting my absentee ballot business figured out. However, I think that there are a lot of progressive activists and just like progressive people who are getting wrapped up in Obamania without thinking about what Hope and Change actually mean. Despite a campaign that's running rhetorically to the center, he's certainly better than Hillary in every respect that I can think of off hand in the amount of time it takes to comment on a blog. I think there's also something to be said for punishing family that ushered the bills in your talking about as well as NAFTA and welfare reform. THAT BEING SAID I think it's important for progressives to put their agenda out there and not merely trust the candidates they support to follow through with that agenda without organizing around it and making a stink over it. I don't think this is as big an issue with someone like Ariel, whose on about social justice organizing all the time, BUT <i>we have to be careful</i>. I also hate to see the life sucked out of the organizing work Zinn talks about once every four years. Ariel, I think there's something I might see you at later this weekend. And I love Ariel. It seems that you have good and critical reasons for being as involved in Mr. Obama’s campaign that makes sense. I’m definitely voting for the guy if I ever get around to getting my absentee ballot business figured out. However, I think that there are a lot of progressive activists and just like progressive people who are getting wrapped up in Obamania without thinking about what Hope and Change actually mean. Despite a campaign that’s running rhetorically to the center, he’s certainly better than Hillary in every respect that I can think of off hand in the amount of time it takes to comment on a blog. I think there’s also something to be said for punishing family that ushered the bills in your talking about as well as NAFTA and welfare reform. THAT BEING SAID I think it’s important for progressives to put their agenda out there and not merely trust the candidates they support to follow through with that agenda without organizing around it and making a stink over it. I don’t think this is as big an issue with someone like Ariel, whose on about social justice organizing all the time, BUT we have to be careful. I also hate to see the life sucked out of the organizing work Zinn talks about once every four years.

Ariel,

I think there’s something I might see you at later this weekend.

]]> By: Ariel Werner http://providencedailydose.com/2008/02/21/zinn-on-election-madness/#comment-2513 Ariel Werner Fri, 22 Feb 2008 17:02:52 +0000 http://providencedailydose.com/2008/02/21/zinn-on-election-madness/#comment-2513 I love Howard. I love Will. BUT, I think I disagree on this one... I had resigned myself to steer clear of candidate/presidential politics and focus on what I see as our generation's most pressing civil rights issue: prisons. But here I am, totally immersed in the thick of the primary mayhem. It seems impossible to avoid getting involved. How can I, when I realize that one candidate introduced 112 separate criminal justice reform measures as a State Senator, while the other sat by while her husband ushered in the devastating Crime Control and Law Enforcement Acts of 94 and 95? How can I sit silent while one candidate talks about reforming the death penalty, while the other neglects to mention that her husband's Plan Colombia is still, currently, dropping pesticides on non-coca plants and PEOPLE in Latin America? It seems like getting involved in this race will directly affect the issue nearest and dearest to my heart (not to mention the War, lobbyist control of government, and, well, everything else that is totally screwed right now.). I love Howard. I love Will. BUT, I think I disagree on this one… I had resigned myself to steer clear of candidate/presidential politics and focus on what I see as our generation’s most pressing civil rights issue: prisons. But here I am, totally immersed in the thick of the primary mayhem.

It seems impossible to avoid getting involved. How can I, when I realize that one candidate introduced 112 separate criminal justice reform measures as a State Senator, while the other sat by while her husband ushered in the devastating Crime Control and Law Enforcement Acts of 94 and 95? How can I sit silent while one candidate talks about reforming the death penalty, while the other neglects to mention that her husband’s Plan Colombia is still, currently, dropping pesticides on non-coca plants and PEOPLE in Latin America? It seems like getting involved in this race will directly affect the issue nearest and dearest to my heart (not to mention the War, lobbyist control of government, and, well, everything else that is totally screwed right now.).

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