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It seems that almost everything I've read over the past week or two extols the "triumph" of the Democratic party's victory in the mid-term elections. Even the hard-left blogs and sites are at best rather silent and/or conciliatory.

Not so fast! Although even I feel a certain relief that the American electorate (or at least two-thirds of it) has backed off a bit from the current administration, I think a certain cautionary note is totally in order.

First, and most obviously, the Democrats in the Senate and the House have done little, if anything, to effectively challenge the Bush administration. There has been some rhetoric, but all too often speeches on the floor excoriating the Republican policies have been followed by votes in favor of Republican policies and actions. Although the Democrats have regained a majority in both chambers, none of the incumbent Democratic Members or Senators who have consistently voted with Bush were unseated by more left-leaning challengers.

The Democrats gained power almost entirely by simply saying they were "anti-Bush". We still don't know what they are "for". Even worse, recent statements by Howard Dean and several newly-elected Democrats, to the effect that they will let Bush have his war for the next two years is both saddening and enraging. Does this mean that the Democrats will not move against any other Bush policies? What about tax cuts for the wealthy, the USA PATRIOT Act, habeas corpus, constitutional matters like free speech, political prisoners and other critical issues?

It is my conviction that the Democrats will speak more forcefully against many Bush policies, but the rubber meets the road only when they bring these issues to the floor in the form of specific legislation and then vote on them.

Moreover, there is a built-in weakness in the new Democratic majority. That is that it is just barely over fifty percent. President Bush will very likely veto everything that comes his way. That will require a two-thirds majority in Congress to make the legislation law. It will matter more what the Republicans do than the Democrats say. Although it is accurate to think that many sitting Republicans may distance themselves from the President (he is no longer an asset to either side of the aisles), to think that there will be enough votes to end and roll back the neoconservative gains of the past six years is unrealistic.

It is entirely possible that the Democrats will not repeal crucial anti-democratic laws because in many ways those same laws benefit them. The Democrats have a very good chance of winning the White House in 2008. That Democratic president, however, is likely to be a conservative. If that President is Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, John Kerry, or any other Dem front runner, he or she would enjoy the enormous power transferred to the Executive by Bush. Democrats have little history of opposing a president of their own party, regardless of his/her fundamental political stance. And in truth, the Democrats have themselves rarely met a war they didn't like, lest they be accused of being "soft on defense".

For at least four years, we have heard cries for "a return to the old America". But which "old" America to we seek? The Clinton years, when the poor's social support system was emasculated and we relentlessly bombed Yugoslavia? The Carter years, which witnessed the rise of the Trilateral Commission, a doomed Middle East policy, an aggressive US arms buildup, and the unraveling of the Democratic Party? All hope is lost, at any rate, of a rollback to LBJ's or FDR's social programs.

One positive outcome of the Bush years has been the re-emergence of the "true" left, which has been moribund, voiceless, and wandering for decades. We are a potential force for fundamental change in our politics and culture. But history shows that this segment of the Left tends to become more marginalized when the Democratic Party has been in control. Whereas anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, anti-war, pro-socialist voices have been actively considered during this "neoconservative revolution", it is doubtful that the Democratic Party elite will have much patience for it. The Democratic leadership's calls for bi-partisanship, a slow, "reasoned" withdrawal of our beleaguered forces in Iraq, and continued support of neoliberal "free-trade" globilization are dominant.

The American Left, rather than being vindicated in the just-passed election, has once again failed itself. We (for I am one of us) have squandered the best opportunity to gain power we've had in many years. Instead of finding common cause and unity among the fractionalized parties, institutions, and "sects" on the Left, we chose to put much useless effort into things like "reforming" the Democratic Party under Howard Dean, simplistically focusing on whether Bush is crazy or not, demanding the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld, and trying to get at the truth about who outed Valerie Plame (it was, in essence, Robert Novak).

Without a Leftist movement unified by values and principles driving positive change toward a a truly democratic society, our voices shouting for ending US imperialism, redefining our foreign "national interests", achieving economic equity for all, challenging corporate fascism, and non-aggressively supporting peace will all go unheard, except by us in our own echo chamber.

This "Left" of which I speak must answer some hard questions. Are we truly antiwar, or just anti-this-war? Are we really willing to sacrifice the comfort that the capitalist system has given us? Do we any longer have the skills and heart it will take to bring the Left together and form a true and effective Third Party alternative? Can we build a tolerant spiritual movement to absorb and/or replace the intolerant religious fanaticism that still grips much of the country? Do we have a clear strategy to return our military home from hundreds of bases to be a truly defensive force? How will we disband the military-industrial-academic oligarchy; return stolen land to the people; create a really representative, accountable government; prioritize our objectives and actions intelligently, refusing to be held hostage by issues subordinate to the long-term goals of the movement?

So many questions. So much work. So little time.

[also posted at P! and American Samizdat]

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] Diversion and deceit may not be the primary reasons that The Doubleduh-Cheney Gang keeps us in Iraq, but clearly the war is great cover. If you read Part 3 of this series you learned, I hope, that the smog of war does veil the continuing neocon march toward its real goal: the destruction of the United States. In this light, we can see that 9/11's effect was not primarily to allow The Gang to invade Iraq, although it certainly did that. Once there, however, they have benefited from the war's ability to mass-capture the attention and energy of those who might otherwise effectively organize against militant globalization. Leave it not to the Left, but the jingoist, ultra-paranoid militia-types like The Minutemen to see the point . . . [more at P!]

A central question in all politics, albeit one that is seldom even recognized let alone effectively addressed in more privileged progressive (broadly defined) spaces, is who exactly are "we"? Who composes the collective subject pushing for change in a given instance, and how in practical terms is that collectivity constituted? What are the political implications of our answers to those questions? What might we wish to try and do differently?

Often in our semi-conscious dealings with the questions of "we", we forcibly...

(Continued here at A Canadian Lefty in Occupied Land.)

I'm on the verge of having this story published that is set in the context of a teacher discussing with his students what an inarguable nightmare Bush and his enabling Republicans are. Most of the students are portrayed by people of notoriety so it has a lot of humor despite how infuriating it is. I'm sending it out to like-minded people to help get the buzz going. Hopefully the following samples of praise I've received for it, along with an excerpt, will intrigue you enough to put this on the top of your to-do list. If you're averse to opening attachments from strangers you can access it from my yahoo group UndoBush where the preface and corresponding political cartoon are: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UndoBush/ http://www.geocities.com/hail111mary/The_Switch.doc

"I was blown away by how brilliant it is." --Dell Long, B.B. King's former PR manager

Holloway begins his book not with the word but with the scream.

He writes:

In the beginning is the scream. We scream. When we write or when we read, it is easy to forget that the beginning is not the word, but the scream. Faced with the mutilation of human lives by capitalism, a scream of sadness, a scream of horror, a scream of anger, a scream of refusal: NO.

This is an important beginning. I like many...

(Continued here at A Canadian Lefty in Occupied Land.)

not everything blair has done has been bad, this protest has too many aspects to it; we should be protesting against only the ones that really matter, such as iraq

Your threats are so undemocratic. Keep your tone for your wife, whom I presume you batter. And if she is dead then I know why. I'll be happy if you remove my account from this progressive sheet.

I am sure most of you have been to a musical performance where the sound level is gradually increased without you even realizing it in order to prepare you for the main event. I call it the concert theory. Looks like it can be applied to other arenas as well.

The further the administration drops in the polls the more threatening the rhetoric around dissent becomes. The statements Donald Rumsfeld has been making are a few decibels higher these days.

For instance: Rumsfeld had this to say on America's moral superiority and blameless innocence in world affairs.

Rumsfeld:

"Can we truly afford to return to the destructive view that America — not the enemy — is the real source of the world's troubles?"

The message here is clear. The act of self-examination, of either self or your country is destructive to America.

This article is about the link between Mind and Social / Environmental-Issues. The fast-paced, consumerist lifestyle of Industrial Society is causing exponential rise in psychological problems besides destroying the environment. All issues are interlinked. Our Minds cannot be peaceful when attention-spans are down to nanoseconds, microseconds and milliseconds. Our Minds cannot be peaceful if we destroy Nature.

Industrial Society Destroys Mind and Environment

Subject : In a fast society slow emotions become extinct.
Subject : A thinking mind cannot feel.
Subject : Scientific/ Industrial/ Financial thinking destroys the planet.
Subject : Environment can never be saved as long as cities exist.

Emotion is what we experience during gaps in our thinking.

To sign the statement below, already signed by over 9,000 individuals and over 100 organizations, go to http://www.porcuba.org/index.php?lang=2

"As a result of the communication of Fidel Castro on his state of health and the provisional delegation of his responsibilities, high ranking U.S officials have formulated more explicit statements about the immediate future of Cuba. The Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez said that 'the moment has arrived for a true transition towards a true democracy' and the White House spokesman Tony Snow said that his government is 'ready and eager to provide humanitarian, economic and other aid to the people of Cuba', as was recently reiterated by President Bush.

"Already the 'Commission for Assistance to a free Cuba', presided over by the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, pointed out in a report issued in June 'the urgency of working today to ensure that the Castro regime's succession strategy does not succeed' and President Bush indicated that this document 'demonstrates that we are actively working for change in Cuba, not simply waiting for change'. The Department of State has emphasized that the plan includes measures that will remain secret 'for reasons of national security' and to assure its 'effective implementation'.

Last Monday evening, I watched an atrocious programme on Islam, 'What Muslims Want', on Dispatches, C4 (UK) with that pompous idiot, John Snow. Frankly, even as a non-Muslim I found it not only offensive but full of perversions and assumed truths.

Stuff like this is sheer disinformation propaganda by the British Secret State, 'psy ops' as practised by the CIA. Yet this is the kind of poison that is being incessantly churned out by the Mainstream Media which, no doubt, is receiving directives from the secret state and MI5 so to do.

This made me think deeper on the question of public brain-washing through the media (particularly tv).

Although difficult to prove, I believe there is definitely a conspiracy between the State, MI5 and the Mainstream Media (MSM) to produce a never-ending stream of disinformation through, for example, TV programmes such as the C4 Snow Dispatches programme, in order to brainwash the public into believing State propaganda.

ACT NOW and sign the petition
WWW.FIRSTFREEDOMFIRST.ORG

The founders of our nation believed that all Americans should have
the right to worship according to their own beliefs, or not to
worship at all. So strong was their commitment to religious freedom
that they enshrined it in the first sentence of the Bill of Rights.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

This constitutional guarantee is often known as the "first freedom."

Religion is a deeply personal matter. Americans must be free to
practice their religion without coercion. Government exists to
provide for the general well-being of all people, and its workings
must be independent of specific religious doctrines. Simply put,

I am pleased to announce a new Carnival of Community Campaigns. This carnival aims to promote blogging as a method of building and publicising the causes of small community groups, battling against political and corporate power. It will bring together the best posts from local groups, bringing local activism to an international audience. The homepage of the carnival is here: http://humantide.blogspot.com/2006/07/carnival-of-community-campaigns.html - please send your suggestions in soon!

Below is a statement/petition on the current situation in Palestine being circulated by Britain's Palestine Solidarity Campaign. It is currently being forwarded to British public figures, organizations, trade unions and others who are asked to sign it. The British Palestine Solidarity Campaign has asked sympathizers in other countries to undertake similar initiatives in their own countries. The British initiative has already received considerable support. Here is the text of the British statement:

Emergency in Palestine

The Israeli government's behavior at present is to be comdemned. The failure of our government to speak out against Israel's oppression of the Palestinian population is complicit with those actions of the European Union, the United States and Israel. It is in effect a coordinated attempt to collectively punish the Palestinian people for electing a government of which they disapprove .

It's great to be here, and to announce two great new progressive blogs: The Save The Ribble Blog is a campaigning blog - using blogging as a new technique in community activism to defend the local river from rapacious development plans that include building a barrage in our ecologically significant river, and building over 4000 houses on land that is both greenbelt and floodplain, and is currently used for farming, football, cricket and by allotment holders. My more personal blog is Humantide here I develop my ideas on a variety of subjects, all relating to the problems of being human in the 21st Century, in the context of social division, war, poverty and environmental destruction. Sav

Crossposted from the Republic of T.
If you're a regular reader of my blog, or just happened by from another link, I have a favor to ask of you. I need you to make a phone call for me. The number is 202-224-3121, and the phone call actually isn't just for me. It's for my family, and for thousands of families like mine.

You see, the phone number above is for calling your Senator. Tomorrow (Monday) the Senate will start debating the Federal Marriage Amendment. The amendment would effectively make families like mine second class citizens by constitutionally denying even the possibility of accessing right's and protections that you and your family probably take for granted. Here's a brief rundown from an email sent by the Family Pride Coalition.

At long last, the warning cry about the Bliar's dangerous state-of-mind and foreign policy is being picked-up by the media. Significantly, the recently-leaked Sawyer memo and its implications come first from Dubai and Pakistan , ie Asian countries with a rather different perspective on what New Labour's arrogant John Reid assumes to be the world community.

Apropos the double-talk currently emanating from the quislings in 10 Downing Street, Hannah Strange, London's UPI correspondent ends her Iran report by observing that, "For now, the government appears to be performing a diplomatic balancing act, attempting to dispel fears of a rush to war while simultaneously preparing for it."

Jack Straw, the Brits' Foreign Secretary, keeps denying that the USUK imperial coalition has any intention of using military force against Iran. Meanwhile his fuehrer, Bliar, swaggers across the world-stage, this time to New Zealand and Australia, to chivvy-up the Anglo-Saxon alliance and muster more support for his 'Clash of Civilizations' against Islam.

Let's see, now. According to Britain's caped-crusader, what we are in is a 'war against terrorism', a struggle to defend our 'traditional values' and our 'special relationship' of 'shared values' with our mighty cousin, the USA. Perfect Orwellian newspeak that doesn't bear to be examined in any detail.

The saga of the four Christian peace activists taken hostage by the Iraqi Resistance several months ago, one of whom was killed by the captors, and three of whom were recently “freed” by “coalition” forces under highly suspicious and mysterious circumstances, is a study in the interconnections and the complicity between imperialist propaganda and media distortions.

The media expect the former captives to be grateful to the “coalition” forces. What, exactly, are they to be grateful for? Are they supposed to be grateful to the ultimate causes and creators of their suffering, not to speak of the suffering of millions of Iraqis?

The media have offered a false paradox: Opponents of war have been freed by soldiers. But there is no paradox here. As long as there are wars, there will be active opponents of war, who themselves are more likely than the average non-participant to become a victim of war. Hence providing an opportunity for the warmongers to “rescue” them and try to justify the unjustifiable. Had there been no war on Iraq, would any of this have happened?