Another call for a Portland meetup

Detroitmechworks is organizing this. Here's the initial essay

http://www.caucus99percent.com/content/portland-area-c99-meetup-august

We're talking about Aug. 13th. Anyone interested? If so, reply here or at DMW's essay.mount-tabor.jpg

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Damnit Janet's picture

Hola, I'd love to attend or drop by but so not sure of any of our work schedules. Too much is up in the air right now - and not all of it is bad. Much is mostly just stuff with my son, the more indy he becomes - the more support and footwork is involved.

But I will try to make it. Just didn't want to add any days or chime in because I have zero clue about what is coming up.

So many tell me: "there's a light at the end of the tunnel."
Me: "Yeah, I know. A fucking train."

Biggrin

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"Love One Another" ~ George Harrison

shaharazade's picture

of this tunnel. I sure would like to have a meet up with you in person and others here from the PNW who are hip to the jive. Hard to schedule but at some point I hope you have time to meet and get to know the c995'ers in Portland who are willing and able to at least take on these fuckers on locally, state, nationally and globally. Plus I like you a lot and would not mind at all getting to know you in person. Yeah a fuckin train coming at you full speed ahead.

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Damnit Janet's picture

I think the last time was at the Workers rally regarding Wisconsin. My daughter was with me and being flanked by photographers for her "Obama! The New War Criminal" sign.

I'd love to meet up. End of the month is better for me. Saturdays are great. Just this first half of the month is cuhrazy. Good and bad.

I'd like to think there will be more and more meet ups. Possibly meet up every other month. So that we can pass around ideas and share.

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"Love One Another" ~ George Harrison

Borkrom's picture

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shaharazade's picture

Wisconsin workers rally and once at the big OWS march. I have some pictures of you and your lovely daughter and BOHICA from the OWS march and rally. End of the month sounds great.

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SmartAleq's picture

Then again, I have quite a bit of anxiety so it would depend on the circumstances and my mindset but there's nothing else that would preclude my attendance. Wink

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"Nothing's wrong, son, look at the news!" -- Firesign Theater

JekyllnHyde's picture

I'm in Washington, DC and have only been once to Portland, OR. The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful part of the country and in a class of its own.

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A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma

detroitmechworks's picture

I'm sure that we can agree on a better time for everyone if this is inconvenient.

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I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

shaharazade's picture

the best thing we can do is make real life community part of our online activism. Coalitions start at this level. Local is global and in the end community is where we can get together and reconcile community with politics.

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Damnit Janet's picture

@shaharazade
I love how you think!

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"Love One Another" ~ George Harrison

Bisbonian's picture

Kayaking with a friend on the 13th. Keep these up, though...some time I am going to drop in on you folks.

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"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

Damnit Janet's picture

One day we should do a meet up and paddle along the Tualatin or some other river. Biggrin

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"Love One Another" ~ George Harrison

SmartAleq's picture

Did a nice day's paddle on Estacada Lake today, it was lovely!

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"Nothing's wrong, son, look at the news!" -- Firesign Theater

that day. Sad

If the meet-up happens, post a report?

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"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." --Jiddu Krishnamurti

detroitmechworks's picture

So far, looking like it will be smaller this time, but that's still fine with me.

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I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Big Al's picture

but I'm still not voting for Jill Stein. That might disqualify me.

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detroitmechworks's picture

I promise to keep my proselytising to a minimum.

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I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Stein's designated VP pick, Ajamu Baraka?

www.ajamubaraka.com/about

www.ajamubaraka.com

I'd never heard of him before, but I am seriously impressed with his anti-violence, anti-imperialism chops from what I've learned about him and reading his writings since Stein made the announcement today.

If you're still committed to not voting, you can always spend your time at the meet-up agitating to get others onto your anti-imperialism project - and brainstorming ideas how to grow the movement in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Gotta start somewhere.

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Only connect. - E.M. Forster

Big Al's picture

(IPS). IPS has a pretty interesting background and even more interesting ties, including the Clintons and Leon Panetta. A lot of lies and misinformation involved in describing IPS though so it touches some nerves in places, i.e., "Marxist, communist, socialism". But the Clintons?

I don't know much about him other than what I learned this morning with a little research. Sounds pretty good on the surface but there are those damn ties. Everybody has ties. I'm going to have to find out more. IPS gets money from foundations, like the Ford foundation. I can't verify that now, it was mentioned in an article I saw. But when the Heritage Foundation rails on IPS that makes the picture murky. Founders were from Harvard and U. of Chicago. I've had it with Harvard and the U. of Chicago.

Saw Stein also considered Hedges, Flowers and Zeese from Popular Resistance and Occupy fame. Baraka has also written on PR and Counterpunch. On the surface he looks good. But are we dealing with just more of the same professional activist, staying within certain boundaries and making certain compromises to perpetuate their gig, keeping the people from getting too frisky situation? I don't know yet, I've had my issues with Flowers and Zeese in that regard, such as highlighting a raise in minimum wage instead of radically reforming or changing the political system. And now of course they've all switched from Bernie to Stein and the Green party. Hey that didn't work, let's try this one.

But it won't change my mind, I'm committed to the idea of changing this political system and believe playing in it perpetuates and supports it. So I can't. Morally. At least not right now. Whether I vote for Stein or not absolutely does not matter one bit. So I might as well veer off.

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Borkrom's picture

Big Al, I want change as well, but what do you propose or plan to make the change to our political system? This is not a smart ass question or me trying to be a jerk. Seriously, what are you proposing or planning to do to make changes to the system? I do not care who you vote for, but care about what you think can make an impact to the system?

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Big Al's picture

IMO (I was instructed to say that whenever I speak) there are a number of things we can do. Gene Sharp's list of 198 nonviolent actions for a revolution pretty much includes anything and everything people can do. I think we have to reject this political system, or at least a lot of people need to join together to do it. That has to be the first step, "this system is broken and we need a new one, now." Until enough people can get together and decide on that first step, the next steps don't really matter.
We could do something as simple as demand a referendum system. But we can't even get enough people behind that. So I don't think we can radically change the political system, the whole country is going to have to go down the tubes first, probably. If we can't change the political system, we can't change anything.

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Damnit Janet's picture

get rid of this delegate and super delegate stuff. Electoral College?? Throw that out, too.

Everyone can vote. Everyone can only vote once. Paper ballots and all counted. None of this closed primary crap.

Seems pretty freaking simple right?? Biggrin

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"Love One Another" ~ George Harrison

Borkrom's picture

I appreciate your insights and welcome them, just trying to figure out how best to proceed after this election cycle- I am still voting in this one. We need to have open and candid discussions (listening, understanding and without name calling) to figure out how to fix this broken system. Your feedback is something to consider and think about going forward. Thank you.

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shaharazade's picture

it qualifies you as are a great reality check for me. You keep me from falling into fictitious partisan politics that are delusional and that I know damn well are just empty pockets full of hope and delusion. I laughed out loud at Jill Stein' VP pick. The Oregon contingency here seems on the whole to be more skeptical of the whole circus.

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Big Al's picture

I'm hoping for a speedier solution.

Would be good to meet you in person. It appears you and Shahryar are quite the interesting couple.

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I'm 'way Down South in Dixie - far too long a hike for me.

Wishing all of you who do make it the best.

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Only connect. - E.M. Forster

gulfgal98's picture

I think nearly 3000 miles might be a wee bit too far for me. I hope you all are able to get together. Meeting up is fun. I met with the Florida group and the Asheville group.

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Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

Borkrom's picture

My family is with me (relocated from Indianapolis, IN), so I will note this event on my calendar. However, I am not sure if I will be able to make it.

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Borkrom's picture

My family is with me (relocated from Indianapolis, IN), so I will note this event on my calendar. However, I am not sure if I will be able to make it.

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Granma's picture

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earthling1's picture

I'll be there.

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.