Activist Wednesday: The Haps
Posted on: January 18, 2012
Stuff is happening out there, people. Let’s take a look and see what we see!
Third-Party Candidates Abound. One of the most full of awesome is Green Candidate Jill Stein, a woman who has been mentioned by more than one person here on the blog, so here’s some more about her. She sounds quite wonderful, actually – a physician who proposes to fight for single-payer health care, economic justice and women’s rights. In a nice bit of irony, she actually followed the correct procedure to get on the ballot in Washington, D.C., whereas some of the Republican freeloaders – er, I mean, SERIOUS Presidential Candidates!!!111!!! – did not.
If you want to really be surprised, and amazed, check out this site where all the third-party candidates are listed. There’s even a Prohibition Party, fuggawdssake!
I also dig Rocky Anderson of the Justice Party. I seem to remember that a few years ago, this was one of the names I favored for a third Party. I still think it’s a great name. It’s obviously just starting up, but I think it has potential.
Occupy Congress Has Launched. I look forward to the next phase of Occupy with a mixture skepticism and hope. Here are some details from the press release.
January 17 at 9 amCapitol Hill
Washington, DC—On January 17 Americans from across the nation and the world will assemble in the shadows of a broken system to participate in real democracy.
At 9 am on the opening day of Congress, Occupy Congress will convene for a day of action against a corrupt political institution. Actions include a multi-occupational General Assembly, teach-ins, an OCCUParty, a pink slip for every congressional “representative” and a march on all three branches of a puppet government that sold our rights and our futures to the 1%.
This is an illegitimate system. Around half of the nation’s population doesn’t participate in electoral politics. More than 6 million Americans who want to vote are disenfranchised, including the entire populace of the District of Columbia. There is consensus that we are on the wrong track and that our “leaders” do not have our interests at heart.
All “elected” officials bought their way into gerrymandered seats with Wall Street money. These bankers’ henchmen have shown themselves both unwilling and unable to take on the tremendous, systemic issues in our country, our place in this world.
In the face of this endemic corruption, the Occupy movement is about organizing locally to discuss and change these problems from the ground up. We came to show the 1%’s Congress what democracy looks like.
I couldn’t agree with this sentiment more.
Yes, things are happening, and although I am often ranty about how slooooooowly they are happening, I think that I have not been patient enough in my presious postings. The fact is, we Americans are learning to protest in the age of FaceBook and Twitter and the Internet. Our forefathers and foremothers in the 60s did not have these tools at their disposal. (Imagine how powerful an MLK or RFK or JFK Twitter feed would be!) There is very little precedent for a modern American protest movement. The blueprint isn’t there. So, we are trying different things, different ways and means, to create some energy and movement around the idea of the 99%, which is something people of all political stripes can get behind.
Somehow, somewhere, I think I may have found some optimism again. Let’s keep an eye on the various groups that continue to bubble and steam out there, like the ones on our blogroll. Maybe one will fire our collective imaginations, as we watch the electoral circus with horror and disgust. Maybe enough of us will join together to scream “ENOUGH! We’re not going to take this anymore!” that the top 1% will have to stop terrorizing and killing us with Austerity. Maybe Hope will stop being a sick joke and regain its true meaning again.
Stranger things have happened.
This is an open thread.
7 Responses to "Activist Wednesday: The Haps"
January 18, 2012 at 9:30 am
And rats…we missed the strike against Internet Censorship. Here’s the link so you can contact your Congresscritter.
http://americancensorship.org/
January 18, 2012 at 12:05 pm
I signed from a site I got after clicking on the Google black tape….
Just sent some wool mittens and ear covers made from 2nd-hand wool sweater fabric (aka “boiled wool) to occupiers in Rochester NY. I should make a headband/earcover thingie for my mechanic relative who now works in driveways as he lost his indoor job…
January 18, 2012 at 1:03 pm
What I would be afraid of if I were a banker or top 1%er would be a real backlash that would raise taxes on me as a means to get me back under control.
The recent ruling by the supreme court that prohibits foreign corporate and individuals from making political contributions muddies the water because no one has answered the question of what is a US Corporation?
Multinationals may find themselves on the outside of the American Political Process. Coca Cola GE International Banks we are looking out for you!
January 18, 2012 at 1:21 pm
@3 – Well-done, Sharon! Glad to see you’re still participating and checking us out. 🙂
@4 – Very interesting comment, Fuzzy. I would say that if they are making all their profits overseas so they don’t have to pay our taxes, then they shouldn’t be considered American corporations. Something tells me they wouldn’t agree though. 👿
January 18, 2012 at 9:18 pm
Jill Stein has her site down today in protest against SOPA. One more reason to like her. I might even put up with her overly green thing considering other things she stands for. See, I just can’t get behind a woman who works against women, thus I couldn’t support people like Bachman, et al. But when a woman says she will defend women’s rights, and their equalilty, and also fight for single pay, what’s not to like? I guess I may not stay home after all.
January 18, 2012 at 10:53 pm
@ 5 & 6 I hope she is on my ballot in November! If not will just write in Hillary Rodham Clinton….
Comments are closed.
The Widdershins 
January 18, 2012 at 9:02 am
Some decent reporting on Occupy DC from, of all places, the WaPo. All was peaceful until someone threw something over the White House fence. 😯
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/handful-of-protesters-arrested-during-occupy-congress/2012/01/17/gIQAjGgO6P_story.html