[PAA-Discuss] Money, politics, and the Green Party

Thu May 5 17:38:57 EDT 2011

How about if we participate in a different way?  Those of us who are
informed among the tens of millions who are not, just us.  If we resist yet
participate in a different way, I am certain that we would see vastly
different people elected and vastly different policies.

I agree with you that Blacks get absolutely nothing for their votes--that
didn't just start with Barack Obama.  Not voting yields the field to the bad
team.  Why not say, OK, we're going to play by our rules this time.  Just
imagine if we had 1 million Black voters, and 1 million White voters, and 1
million Latino voters to say no Democrat or Republican will get my vote.
Period.  And we strategize and actually elect some people and kick some
incumbents out.

Why concede the game by not getting ready for the fight?  I am absolutely
certain that if we fielded a good team with an innovative coach, we could
win, too.  The other side fight for their values and because they know how
to fight and are willing to change in order to carry out the fight, they
win.  That's what Obama represents.  Their tradition of cooptation and
change--not ours!!!

I think the values that we believe in are too important to allow the bad
guys to win all the time because we're not willing to try something
different, something new.

Now, if I still didn't believe that it is possible to elect good people to
office and that there is utility in them being there, then I would agree
with you to withdraw.

On Thu, May 5, 2011 at 5:18 PM, Ron and Kris Graham <
graham2639 at mindspring.com> wrote:

>  *Yeah, Cynthia, but blacks turned out in droves to vote for Barack Obama
> and that vote got them absolutely nothing. Send a stronger message to the
> powers that be by not voting. If people in their millions refused to
> participate in this sham we call an electoral process, that act alone would
> send a clear message that the people will not be duped any longer. The ONLY
> way we are going to get the kind of world we want is to make it ourselves,
> and that does not have to include voting.*
>
> * *
>
> *Thanks for your comments. Even though I don’t agree with them, I have all
> the respect in the world for you. By the way, Ron and I DID vote for you and
> Rosa in the last election. We just don’t intend to vote again.*
>
> * *
>
> *Kris and Ron Graham*
>
> *Houston**, TX***
>
> * *
>  ------------------------------
>
> *From:* HQ [mailto:hq2600 at gmail.com]
> *Sent:* Thursday, May 05, 2011 11:59 AM
> *To:* graham2639 at mindspring.com
> *Cc:* donald cook; PAA
> *Subject:* Re: [PAA-Discuss] Money, politics, and the Green Party
>
>
>
> Not voting leaves the machinery of governance all to them without even a
> fightback option.  Imagine if Blacks had said, we don't want to vote and
> participate in the sham.  Would we be better off?
>
> On Thu, May 5, 2011 at 8:24 AM, Ron and Kris Graham <
> graham2639 at mindspring.com> wrote:
>
> *Yeah, Don, but according to George Reiter at Mangos the other night, any
> monies donated right now would go to pay off the lawyer fees incurred by the
> Green Party as a result of the lawsuit filed by the TX Democratic Party. The
> monies will not be going to purchase fliers, set up a campaign office or
> anything else typically associated with a political campaign. The answer to
> our problems does not lie within the political system, Don. Voting for
> somebody in an alternate party is not going to change anything. I’ve come to
> that conclusion. *
>
> * *
>
> *First, we, in our millions, are going to have to drive out the people who
> have put this nation and the rest of the world in such jeopardy. Then, we
> are going to have to form coalitions of people who want another way and who
> are willing to work together to achieve that new way.*
>
> * *
>
> *Voting is a waste of time, Don, and I won’t be participating in the sham
> any longer.*
>
> * *
>
> *Kris*
>
> * *
>  ------------------------------
>
> *From:* donald cook [mailto:zenblews at hotmail.com]
>
> *Sent:* Wednesday, May 04, 2011 10:31 PM
> *To:* HCGP discussion; discuss paa; Code Pink; Code Pink
> *Subject:* [PAA-Discuss] Money, politics, and the Green Party
>
>
>
> The Selling of the President 1960, as I believe the book was called (please
> correct me if I am mistaken), marked the public acknowledgment of the use of
> Madison Avenue advertising techniques in American Political campaigns, and
> was an eye-opener for many in 1961.  The so-called Founding Fathers no doubt
> failed to realize the ability of money to manipulate present
> day corporate media when they set up a republic in which only propertied,
> white, non-slave, males could vote.  Some of them would certainly have been
> relieved to learn of the media-organizing power of money these days.  A
> political party without money is pretty nearly a party without power in this
> country, now.
>
>
>
> And of course the Supreme Court over the last 35 years or so has not
> helped, declaring money the equivalent of Free Speech in the 1970's, and
> just a little over a year ago determining that corporations can make direct
> political contributions, just like real people.
>
> Well, rest assured that no capitalist corporate money is coming the way of
> the Green Party.  What we have to sell - positions on the issues that
> support the people, not the rich and the corporations - the corporations
> ain't buyin', and the GP is, therefore, unable to purchase time from the
> corporate media.  This leaves the GP with the obvious two pronged hope that,
> as things get worse in our plutocratic democracy, the people will discredit
> the corporate media more and more and turn to an alternative media
> uncorrupted, or not as badly corrupted by the corporations, and that, while
> unable to fundraise on the scale of the Duopoly, the ever increasing number
> of discriminating people who realize the importance of supporting the
> non-corporate party will begin donating.
>
> We are in a better position than we have ever been before in Texas.  The
> Green Party of Texas has survived ten years of incredible austerity, we are
> guaranteed ballot access through 2012 and we are in a good position to
> extend that after 2012, and in our poverty (and endurance) we have learned
> to stretch a dollar and be more cost effective than any other party.  We
> don't need as much money as the Duopoly, but some money would help . . . you
> know, until we can effect the separation of corporation and state.
>
> Tomorrow, Thursday, May 5, 2011, at 8:00 pm at Bohemeo's, 708 Telephone
> Rd., Houston, TX, there will be Benefit for the Green Party.  You may enjoy
> either the three musical acts, or help us figure out what needs to be done
> and how we can best do it in a special, extra meeting of the planning
> session we call G3.  The suggested donation is $10, but no one will
> be turned away.  And if you want to donate more, that's okay, too.
>
> *And* if you want to donate but you cannot make it to Bohemeo's, feel free
> to go to txgreens.org or hcgp.org and make internet arrangements.  If you
> prefer paper and ink, make it out to the Harris County Green Party and mail
> it to me at 7954 Glenheath, Houston, 77061.  Call me if any questions.
>
> -- Don, 713-705-5594
>
>
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> --
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> Silence is the deadliest weapon of mass destruction.
>

-- 
http://dignity.ning.com/
http://www.enduswars.org
http://www.livestream.com/dignity
http://www.twitter.com/dignityaction
http://www.myspace.com/dignityaction
http://www.myspace.com/runcynthiarun
http://www.twitter.com/cynthiamckinney
http://www.facebook.com/CynthiaMcKinney
http://www.youtube.com/runcynthiarun

Silence is the deadliest weapon of mass destruction.
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