Proposal--Our Party
Okay--getting crazy for a moment here . . .
Let's organize a new political party right here starting with the people at this site.
We have a bunch of dedicated and intelligent people here, some who might have good organizing abilities. Since we're the ones discussing it, instead of just griping, we're the ones who need to make it happen.
Party Name
Call it whatever--put democracy in action right here on the site, come up with five options for a name of this new party and hold a vote. Whole groups of people seem to recoil from the terms "progressive" or "socialist" or "liberal" or "libertarian". So we need a name that hasn't been co-opted and portrayed as negative. Call it the Pail and Shovel Party, or whatever.
First order of business--let's brainstorm names, right here in the comments for this essay, and come up with 5 names that we can vote on in another essay. (Can you set up polls on this site?)
Party Organization
The general gist of the party:
1) It's national in scope, and has a short list of national goals and issues to focus on.
2) It's focused on accomplishing actual action items at the local level to effect change in the world for the better. Local chapters need to submit action items for each year and show real progress towards those goals or accomplishment of those goals. If goals aren't met or no progress is made, local leadership is replaced. This will keep the party from being co-opted by others as well.
3) The party needs to be very inclusive. The party should openly support candidates in other parties who support (or better, have demonstrated support for) our list of national goals. Doesn't matter if they're Democrats, Greens, Libertarians, Independents, or even Republicans. Of course we will run our own candidates, but we don't want this to become a sporting event where our team has to win and all others have to lose. We want to promote our policies that will help the world--period. Anybody who helps us move towards that goal should be encouraged.
4) The party needs to build a sense of community and trust. There are many parts to this.
4a) None of the current parties are trusted right now. They attack each other with lies, most of them lie about themselves, and they have big money influencing them behind the scenes. Even the Green Party isn't trusted that much for a variety of reasons--including that local chapters are ineffectual and non-action oriented with no discernible leadership. People go to local meetings (if they exist) interested, and leave discouraged.
We need to bring the community in and implement actions that actually help the local areas. Yes, come up with plans to support local political candidates and get out the vote to be sure. But also do more concrete things. Support a local business that's having trouble competing against a big name company. Neighborhood clean up efforts. Organize large efforts to have people speak up at city councils and school boards to promote our goals. Organize fund raising efforts to purchase and install solar panels on people's homes in poorer neighborhoods (maybe via a lottery system). Organize fund raising efforts to help provide assistance for local homeless or food banks. Involve the community in those efforts (maybe involve schools, religious institutions, and other local club organizations?) and advertise the results wherever possible. Make it crystal clear what was accomplished and how people and the environment was helped. Put the Party name behind it all as the overall organizer. Build a sense of inclusion and community and actions that get accomplished behind the Party.
4b) We need a party that gets noticed. This could happen in a variety of ways.
I brought up the "Pail and Shovel Party" above. This was an actual student government party (more of a joke party) that won office at the University of Wisconsin--Madison in 1978. They ran on a ridiculous platform of converting the student government budget into pennies and letting all students go at the pennies with pails and shovels to get back their fair share. They promised to buy the statue of liberty and move it to Madison, WI. And a ton of other unbelievable promises.
But, they actually came through on a lot of them. In early 1979, this appeared overnight on frozen Lake Mendota:
That fall, they populated the main hill on campus with pink flamingos:
I'm not suggesting a fake or ridiculous Party. But these are examples of memorable things that got nationwide attention with very little budget.
Our party should be Positive. Fun. Unexpected. Unusual. Memorable. Noticed. Whatever is needed to make that happen should be a part of the platform. Maybe have political candidates come out onto stage dancing at rallies. Hold a party meeting with knitting club members with a goal of making a banner supporting us that will be unfurled somewhere prominent. Use your imagination . . . come up with memorable things that people will think "I didn't expect that!"
As this world stumbles toward bad things, instead of just griping, we should face it with energy and positivity, and fun and action. People are drawn toward that sort of thing.
Final Thoughts
Let's get some good ideas for names of the party. Do it here. Do it now.
Let's start thinking about potential leadership members.
Let's meet somewhere IRL (in real life) to kick this thing off, organize, come up with a national agenda, and get some action items going.
What do you think?!? I do like jimP's idea of making our own media platform here:
but we also need political control to get good policy passed.
AntePenultimate
Comments
Away from Imperialism
When political parties are formed, the idea of Roman or Greek words are needed in order to have any sort of authority.
Democratic Party, Republican Party, Libertarian Party.
Why not use a dead Anglo-Saxon word?
How about the Frith Party? Frith is a dead word meaning "Peace".
(Coincidentally "Green" is from an Anglo-Saxon word.)
I think you're on the right track.
I think some people here are put off by the words "political party" but really, what you're talking about is more like what the Black Panthers were doing for Black people, except with an electoral arm (did the BP have an electoral arm, anybody who was alive back then?)
Thing is, without communities, time, and energy, we're not going to get anywhere. That's why I like this part of your essay:
We need to bring the community in and implement actions that actually help the local areas. Yes, come up with plans to support local political candidates and get out the vote to be sure. But also do more concrete things. Support a local business that's having trouble competing against a big name company. Neighborhood clean up efforts. Organize large efforts to have people speak up at city councils and school boards to promote our goals. Organize fund raising efforts to purchase and install solar panels on people's homes in poorer neighborhoods (maybe via a lottery system). Organize fund raising efforts to help provide assistance for local homeless or food banks. Involve the community in those efforts (maybe involve schools, religious institutions, and other local club organizations?) and advertise the results wherever possible. Make it crystal clear what was accomplished and how people and the environment was helped. Put the Party name behind it all as the overall organizer. Build a sense of inclusion and community and actions that get accomplished behind the Party.
this is why Bloomberg didn't care for Occupy Sandy.
And by the way, I don't know the name of the party, but this is the right logo. People are gonna say it's too Bernie-centric, but IMO, this is a moment, and an image, we should bring forward out of the wreckage of his campaign:
"Move over guys; your new party has landed."
http://www.redbubble.com/people/athyrius/works/21359953-bernie-sanders-2...
Take out Bernie Sanders; keep Birdie. That was an important moment, and we shouldn't allow it to be swallowed by cynicism.
For those who think that was a cult of personality moment--the Birdie did not land on Bernie, but on the sign saying "A Future to Believe In."
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Where we can, we should involve schools, churches, clubs--
but we won't find a lot of institutional support, b/c the nature of the era is that institutions are corroded by corruption. Where we can, yes, we should use them; but be prepared to have to recreate civic life almost from the ground up.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Yes, that's absolutely correct . . .
We need a different type of "political party" that is part of the community--the Black Panthers is a good example of one such organization. Or maybe an organizational type of "occupy" focused on positive efforts and generating new leaders who are viewed in a positive way.
The suggestion, which I liked
The suggestion, which I liked, actually first made me think of OWS. But, yeah, everyone needs people's parties, actually of, by and for Joe/sophine Citizen - and a Fair Vote system that works and allows small parties to grow with support.
This is from something I've just got in my inbox which I'd like, if I may, to suggest be included as a goal/promotion/platform in the US by your new party:
_________________________________________________________________________
The Liberals (corrupt bunch of wealth-oriented fatheads, but not blatantly psychopathic like the new 'Cons' under Harper, who naturally broke his promise to resign 'if the votes were not there' - I personally think it likely that the Libs are a lesser-corruption placeholder until Harper can safely be cheated back in) (edit: were seemingly) trying to weasel out of their promise to institute a Fair Vote system, which obviously won't matter under the corporate coups they'd publicly pass now if they weren't so scared of the riots which would occur... but (as I understand it) Ontario has allowed the option to go to a proportional voting system as individual areas in that Province choose. So, there's a start.
A proportional vote system is essential to democracy and that really should be part of any platform and public awareness/pressure effort.
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
I LOVE THIS!
When we find true agreement, we will access the powers of true change.
:-)
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOgd3kmaosc]
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
It's a challenging subject
Party creation, that is. A lot of what I can think of has already been done, or is a party that already exists. Like the Citizens Party. Already has a name I thought of, and its platform is already a platform that I think would have the broadest appeal, it being focused on economic and corruption issues. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_Party_of_the_United_States
There's just so many third parties (40, not including former parties), three of which are bigger (Green, Constitution, and Libertarian). Any party we come up with would be just another party on the pile, with even less recognition than the other 37 we hear next to nothing about. It just seems to me that simply making a new party is something that's been done as much as trying to change the big ones from within, and has accomplished just as much. Out of the 40 current third parties, 18 of them were created in just the past 2 decades (19 if you add the reform party founded in 1995), and a lot of them have the same/similar platforms to each other and to what we may want.
Creating another new party... I don't know. Is it really going to do us any good to be unrecognized party number 20? What if instead of party building, we strive to build a coalition of parties? Get like minded parties working together on common goals, or something. We could call it something like, "The United Coalition of Parties," perhaps. Just my two cents.
Both and.
Unless there's another structure you can think of that will allow people who are upset, disillusioned, and disenfranchised to come together. People need a place to come together--and as an anarchist, you may not like this, but some kind of sign or symbol of affiliation would be very helpful right now. People feel like this:
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GAKOLOnfV4]
afloat in space, disconnected--except in this case, there's no planet to return to because everything looks corrupt and horrible.
If we don't make a new party, we need to make something, to answer the feelings and needs of the time. Something that can, at the very least, spawn temporary autonomous zones or, even better, semi-permanent ones.
There has to be a response to this pain that isn't just commiseration.
Now, for practical political purposes, a coalition is absolutely the way to go. But the coalition must be agreed on a few bedrock ideas: it must be an anti-corruption, anti-duopoly, anti-Big Money coalition.
Coalition-building and party creation aren't mutually exclusive to me. How many of the parties focus primarily on Occupy's one demand?
It's sad how few people even know what the one demand was.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Definitely not an anarchist
I find anarchists tend to have a less reality based view of their ideals, and a more romanticized view of what a no-government world would be like. The reality is that we'll always have some form of governing body or leadership, because that's just part of human nature.
Along with the anti-corruption/duopoly/big money platforms, a party/coalition should promote the Clean Money Certification.
[video:https://youtu.be/CK1nbURRF4w]
Another idea for a coalition of 3rd parties: the "Third Party Coalition." Kinda make it so whenever someone talks about a 3rd party candidate, they increase awareness for the coalition of parties.
I'm mixing you up with someone else. Phooey!
I try to keep people straight in my head, I do...
Apologies.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
That's an excellent idea re the coalition.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
The Problem is
you'll never get a coalition of parties. For example, I've heard of a lot of infighting in the Green leadership at the state level.
And even if you did build a coalition of parties, that's still not a lot of people.
Instead of getting a formal coalition, just start our own party and support other parties where warranted. Much easier. Don't need their permission.
The coalition, in my view, would happen after
starting the party. If it's an anti-corruption party, which I'd strongly argue for, then it could reach out to other parties disenfranchised by the current corruption, and already opposed to it.
Asking permission to start a party was never in my mind!
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Isn't supporting other parties
Part of what a coalition of parties would be? Or how one would get started in the first place?
I have reservations, too.
Would you be interested in being part of a group that
focuses on doing this kind of practical work and strategic/tactical discussions?
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Of course
That's why I brought it up.
However, it's fairly discouraging so far. I specifically asked for names and only one person helped out with that (although you did promote a logo for it!).
Sorry, I wasn't clear.
In my experience, diaries with action items don't generally get a lot of love, and even those that do (in terms of numbers of comments/recs) often don't lead to a lot of people taking action.
I was proposing a continued conversation in another medium, like Asana, if I could get enough people interested.
Well, Asana actually isn't my favorite thing in the world, but it's OK for organizing action.
Marilyn said she knew of some good software for planning/organizing/taking action--I should pm her and find out what it was.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
I think Bollox Ref might be on to something.
"Our Party" is very, very good. Some people will think it's too vague, but they'll be wrong.
"Our Party" kind of sums up the whole reason for the party's existence. Put the Birdie logo with it and everyone will know what you mean.
As for getting purchase/the attention of the American people (better than other third parties have) for that we need the following:
The media plan will involve both building new media infrastructure and disseminating the message across known channels, with the additional goal of improving those channels.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Okay
That sounds like an idea. I don't know Marilyn or what Asana is, but I'll look that up. Let me know what you find out from Marilyn.
This has legs ...
I'm thinking of seeing if I can get any interest in my community for a march here, actually want it to be more like a parade, with as many people of as many colors & religions & gender/sexualities & whatever we divide ourselves with, and I wanted unifying signs for folks to carry. I thought: "Our Lives Matter" and it tickled. There would be other signs too, Black folks carrying Native American Lives Matter, Native Americans carrying Muslim Lives Matter, Muslims carrying Gay Lives Matter ... and on and on...
Fits nicely with Our Party
When we find true agreement, we will access the powers of true change.
Perhaps you already have the name in your title....
Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.
Bollox Ref, you have an eye for good branding.
Either a background in English or in marketing? Am I close to the mark? Or are you just good with words, nonprofessionally?
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Well, I've worked for a couple of life assurance (insurance)
firms, and a sales firm, in my time.
Fortunately not on the sales side. Aside from history (degree), I usually loathe writing.
Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.
Yeah
Kind of why I put it there!
I'm not real good on marketing and branding
However, the Vermont Progressive Party has very similar principles to the ones you outline:
I don't know that it is designed to be national in scope, but that is clearly a goal,
It replaces leadership through Democratic processes rather than achievement of goals, but I don't think those need be mutually exclusive.
The VT Progs are very inclusive and go to great lengths to be so.
The VT Progs have developed a sense of trust. They don't accept corporate donations, I would encourage you to read their principles
Vermont Progressives have more folks in office at the state level than any other third party. They say they have more state legislators than all other third parties combined. They allow members that are from another Party to represent the Prog Party as long as the party members agree. That said, all three State Senators were Progs first that captured the Dem nomination in the primary as well.
I think there are a lot of values and organizational attributes of the VT Prog Party that make sense on a national level. One of the issues I have with the left is that we talk about unity, but seldom speak with one voice. Let's copy what works in moving forward and not just start at square one.
I agree that this community has the potential to do something...
However, I just come here to listen to us moan and groan (including me) without doing anything about it. If some people are willing to put in a little bit of time (few hours a week) then I would be more than happy to help and join. My skills are project management (20+ years), if you give me a few good people and we have a goal then anything is freaking possible. Heck I would run for office (something small and local) but it is start. I do not want to be face of the party or movement, but I can be a decent contributing member.
Here is the thing, years ago when something was messed up in this country our forefathers(mothers) freaking did something about it. They organized, they worked, and did their damnest to make a difference. Now days we are distracted and easily discouraged. And guess what, the establishment loves this attitude and wants to keep it that way.
Therefore, if anyone wants to freaking make a difference then do something about it. (Sorry for the rant in this comment). Have a great weekend everyone.
Agreed. N/T
Wow. Yes. Thinking like this ... n/t ... for now
When we find true agreement, we will access the powers of true change.
I like it!
Keep going...
"there's something so especially sadistic about waving the flag of a country that you're actively destroying" -- Aaron Mate
I do not like the griping articles.
I have asked, a few times, "What one thing can we do?" and inevitably the comments would range all over the parametric space. This might just be the one unified action this group could accomplish: Form "Our Party" and put forth a coherent agenda for consideration.