Okay so I received this email from Our Revolution
(crossposted on Reddit)
Here's the key passage:
The first and most immediately critical part is to beat Trump in November and stop the rise of American fascism. We must take that momentum to 200 pivot counties throughout the Midwest — places that voted for Barack Obama in 2012 and for Donald Trump in 2016 — and flip them back because if Trump wins in November, all the progress we’ve made will be in jeopardy.
We’re already doing that in states like Wisconsin, Ohio, and Michigan by showing the true impact of Trump’s broken promises and demonstrating how our ideas will bring back jobs, eliminate income inequality, and achieve justice for all of us.
with the obvious conclusion:
That is why we must come together and elect Joe Biden.
Wait. Our Revolution's mission, now, is to win Joe Biden's election for him? According to whom?
I've already written several pieces in Caucus99percent (here's one) revealing why this is a fool's errand. Joe runs his own campaign just fine --he gets a lot of money from billionaires, puts out a lot of platitudes, doesn't tell people he's planning to implement austerity, and by all means he doesn't show thimself in public. He's going to let The Donald destroy himself. It's been working great so far. It should be a cinch if the debates are canceled.
What I'd like to know is, what do the Our Revolution rank and file think of this great waste of time, trying to push "not Trump" over the finish line when it's likely to backfire and when the prime mover of success for "not Trump" is Trump himself, and nobody else?
Oh and just love the "strategy." Do you think they'll be spending the next four years apologizing for President Biden because "the Republicans are worse"?
And what does the Our Revolution top slice think it's going to do about the expected forfeiture of power coming up after Biden's expected victory? Remember that, under Obama, the Democratic Party ceded all branches of the Federal government, 12 governor's seats, and 900+ state legislative seats to the Republican Party. Do they think they'll be able to stop a repeat performance?
This is obviously more about who Our Revolution proclaimed themselves to be rather than anything about Joe Biden. Our Revolution was the movement that proposed an alternative to voting for neoliberal Democrats cycle after cycle. What happened?
Footnote: you don't see the REAL resistance, never mind the Democrats, cowering in terror at Trump's "fascism." Here's why.
Comments
evening cass...
the delusion that voting for evil is somehow necessary and useful is going around. i was disappointed to hear it from cornel west's lips today when i checked out a piece about the brand new party convention on the hill's rising this morning.
They all need to be asked --
Since "voting for the lesser evil" came off so badly the last nine times you tried it, why do you expect some sort of spectacular success this time around?
The ruling classes need an extra party to make the rest of us feel as if we participate in democracy. That's what the Democrats are for. They make the US more durable than the Soviet Union was.
We don't even know who will replace Biden
but I'm getting the same stuff in my mails.
Often with "$50 would really help" or "Free gift!"
Makes it easy to block a bunch of senders.
Oft misattributed summarization of that behavior
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
Rita Mae Brown
be well and have a good ne.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
@joe shikspack The video starts off
The video starts off saying " . . . The People's Party, a party free of corporate money and influence".
Unfortunately, I think the emphasis was not put in the right spot in that comment. She means "corporate money and (corporate) influence" but I suspect the party will be "free of corporate money" and as a result will also be free of "influence".
I think with political parties these days (and probably for millenia) money talks and high ideals and aspirations walks.
If money talks and high ideals walk,
and that is inevitable, given human history showing innumerable examples of it, we might as well forget about politics. Because unfortunately, the people with money are fine with biosphere death. They're OK with a planet that can support 1/2 billion people. Which means that the other 6 1/2 or 7 billion who will be alive once the planet gets to that point are going to be compost along with 80% of the other species on the planet. It also means that human civilization will be done, so whoever remains alive will probably live in bunkers in a Mad Max-style world. And that's if they don't decide to celebrate getting rid of all the "useless eaters" with a nuclear war before the climate makes the biosphere collapse.
Pragmatism, at this point, is death. It's too bad that so many of the truly powerful are psychopaths.
"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
compost
this seemed far out 50 years ago
They booted
the Houston organizer because he's not a total anti-gun nut, so they lost me completely.
Gee, I wonder if their advice to our founding fathers would have been no guns to fight the British?
C99, my refuge from an insane world. #ForceTheVote
Biden will put
the dimwits you’re sleep and we’ll be worse off. They’ll keep their eye on Herr Drumpf. In the other hand, I’m hoping our October surprise is a new leader.
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
I asked our local chapter to endorse third party candidates
who were actually revolutionary, not some insincere neoliberal incrementalist who happened to have a “D” next to their name. I told them to take my name off their fundraising email list until they began to act like actual revolutionaries.
Of course I got crickets in response, but at least their nauseating fundraising stopped.
You can’t mount a revolutionary challenge with a status quo Party.
“ …and when we destroy nature, we diminish our capacity to sense the divine,and understand who God is, and what our own potential is and duties are as human beings.- RFK jr. 8/26/2024
Incrementalism --
deserves all the death blows it gets.
https://caucus99percent.com/content/lets-stop-being-progressives
The ruling classes need an extra party to make the rest of us feel as if we participate in democracy. That's what the Democrats are for. They make the US more durable than the Soviet Union was.
I'm in favor of incrementalism
In the forward direction. Not in reverse.
Watched Kenosha news on WGN tonight. Gov. Tony Evers said he had "other duties" in response to a reporter's question as to why took four hours to come to Kenosha. What other duties? Fellating donors? He looked very bored and detached as one of his cities went up in flame. Sorry I ever donated to this unfeeling dodo. My money is on Wisconsin to go for Trump.
Illinois Gov Pritzker lives on Chicago's North Side not far from the Michigan Avenue looting and burning. I'll bet the cops couldn't stop it because they were all defending his house.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
The only way you get incrementalism of a good sort
is through first having a revolution.
The ruling classes need an extra party to make the rest of us feel as if we participate in democracy. That's what the Democrats are for. They make the US more durable than the Soviet Union was.
Violent revolution?
Perhaps. I'd like to think that human beings are better than that. That we are not as stupid like a dog that I had, who, after being chained (long chain) to a tree, wound herself around it until her collar was touching the bark and STILL kept pulling the wrong way. Sadly, that thought may be wrong also.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
It's funny how the "progressives" are into compromise
with violent elites. Y'know what's totally kewl? Voting for John Kerry in 2004 to prevent a George W. Bush re-election -- that's what's totally kewl. "Progressives" are fine with obscene military budgets, wars on the world, cops who kill people, budget cuts to social services, "free trade agreements," predatory school "reform," and pretty much everything in the American political playbook for the past forty years. What really irks them is if someone with an (R) next to their name does it. Anyone who criticized this playbook (rather than just the people with (R)s next to their name who implemented it) was accused by said "progressives" of being a "perfectionist."
Then you mention "revolution" and if your name isn't Bernie Sanders (who at this time is deep into compromise with violent elites), they're like "omigod violent revolution!" as if compromise were out of the question and as if a revolution had to be perfect to meet their high standards.
We'll try to be peaceful. Double standards anyone?
The ruling classes need an extra party to make the rest of us feel as if we participate in democracy. That's what the Democrats are for. They make the US more durable than the Soviet Union was.
Can't think of any non-violent poltical revolution in history.
Yes, Gandhi was non-violent, but there were plenty of Hindus and muslimsa in India at that time who were not.
Ditto with MLK.
To what extent did the violent help or hinder the non-violent? I'm only sure that I don't know.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
That was always my problem with Our Revolution.
They and Brand New Congress and Justice Democrats always struck me as being useless ventures that drew in a bunch of good people.
"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
"More and better..."
Same here, I've been skeptical about those organizations since they were announced and they've proved me right. This People's Party seems like a neat idea, but we'll see what happens.
Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.
From a marketing standpoint,
"I'm a People" isn't going to cut it.
Isn't there a skilled wordsmith out there that can come up with a functional name for a new party on the left? I'm not good at that sort of thing, but even "The New Deal Party" is much better than People Party.
It’s better than “Justice Democrats” though.
that one always made me cringe. And the logo they had (have?) that looked like a knockoff Marvel superhero movie? Ugh.
The People’s Party sounds a little too Cold War era commie to me.
Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.
Yeah, "Justice Democrats" was bad too
As is the "Peace and Freedom Party" and "Working Family Party." "Green Party" was slightly better, but green got trashed soon enough, and "I'm a Green" became a bit too hipsterish, (The right-wing hasn't done any better in naming its new political parties.)
The requirements for what would work aren't that difficult to discern. A word with a positive connotation and not particularly well defined as much of anything. More like an empty vessel that can filled with things that are attractive now and can change as life moves on. Like, oh I don't know, Republican, Democrat, and to a lesser extent Libertarian.
The average Joe/Jane Republican may cite "we're a Republic," but has no idea what that means. Average Sue/Sal Democrat may spout "Democracy," but have been a-okay with DNC and/or state parties fixing the primary elections. What cuts it for Joe/Jane is guns, god, anti-abortion, tax cuts, etc. Once upon a time, Sue/Sal could cite a laundry list of public policies that informed their choice to be Democrats, but that list got shorter and short as Republicans and Democrats crossed off items on their list, and now it's down to 'kumbaya' and 'Trump evil.' Both are mostly oblivious to the changes in principles that both parties have undergone in the past 150 years.
That logo looks
more like a militarized fascist symbol. They can't do better CG than that? Ugh! Rec'd!!
Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.
What a great sig you've got! Clever.
"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 understand the desire to rid the country of trump.
I just happen to disagree that electing Biden will make any difference. It is meaningless which bought and paid for dimwit leads a government that will do the exact same crap as trump and will do absolutely nothing to help real people who actually need help. They, of course, understand. They just don't fucking care. Like everyone else, it's a paycheck. Revolution my ass.
I can't remember when I last didn't begin the day deleting email after email from political spammers. Obama's latest scam.org showed up the beginning of this week, Democratic Strategy something something, who cares, looking for $$$. I really enjoyed unsubscribing so I didn't stop with them. I'm certain I'll get to unsubscribe the Our Revolution scam tomorrow. I haven't read any of it in a long time. Like Obama it was a bunch of pretty words devoid of actual meaning or real intention. It's time to send them off too.
"Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now..."
It's not as if we can elect Biden.
Trump is electing Biden, by being an idiot. We couldn't even nominate Bernie Sanders. What we can do is elect downticket candidates.
As for Our Revolution, we are better off infiltrating it and getting its members to join the Movement for a People's Party. The MPP branch in Los Angeles has already defected. Let's get the others to do so as well.
The ruling classes need an extra party to make the rest of us feel as if we participate in democracy. That's what the Democrats are for. They make the US more durable than the Soviet Union was.
That sounds like a very productive plan, Cass.
Certainly better than fighting the impossible. Working on the local level must be more conducive to actually influencing change. Thanks for your work.
That is how the Republicans built
their dominance in so many states. That is the only way to beat the machines.
Our Revolution had lots of great people. Bernie and those who built his organization were sincere. I hate seeing it dismantled by the mindless beat Trump at any cost crowd. That is one mistake Bernie won’t step back from. He’s at least honest and consistent even if it is the one huge difference I won’t accept from him.
Bernie was never going to be president and I think we would have been set back further if he had been or was to be president. His legacies are an honorable lifelong fight for the little people and was going to be the organization that would carry on after him. An organization may eventually rise from what he started but it isn’t Our Revolution. It doesn’t seem to me to be worth the sacrifice but it is his to make. He’s a lot better at this than I could ever dream of being. Now it’s up to people younger to carry on. Let’s hope they do.
"Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now..."
What are they talking about?
What progress?
The few additional members of Congress that don't toe the Obama-Biden-Clinton line? As some were elected despite Trump in the WH (and to the best of my knowledge, none of the others lost in 2018), why would he be a greater threat in 2022?
Or do they mean national public policy? While somewhat different from Obama, both are invested in killing off as much of the New Deal as possible (same with GWB and Clinton), a return to the robber baron era.
This is why we don't like "progressives."
Because "progressivism" has become an alibi for reactionary politics.
The ruling classes need an extra party to make the rest of us feel as if we participate in democracy. That's what the Democrats are for. They make the US more durable than the Soviet Union was.
This is the question I really wish the establishment Dems would
be asked once in a while. I'd really like to know over the last two Democratic administrations, what gains do they think we have made? The closest I've ever heard to anyone getting specific is a general mention of Obamacare, which wasn't what anyone asked for. Anything else is reactionary "well, Bush did this..." sort of bad things that ignore the Democrat's complicity in whatever they're talking about.
Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.
"We"?
For them it's like the Devil in Rick and Morty. "We? This is my business. Security!"
The ruling classes need an extra party to make the rest of us feel as if we participate in democracy. That's what the Democrats are for. They make the US more durable than the Soviet Union was.
Re-name
Our
RevolutionEstablishmentThere. Fixed it.
Truth in advertising.
Is Nina Turner still in charge over there?
If not, who?
In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is declared mentally ill for describing colors.
Yes Virginia, there is a Global Banking Conspiracy!
Prez be MIA
I went to their site to see who the staff is now. I don't see Turner's name anywhere. The wiki page about them shows Turner as "President," but their own web site shows no such position. They do show "Joseph Geevarghese, Executive Director," but that's as close to "president" as I saw. There are other names listed; no Turner present.
Turner is speaking at MPP Convention 8/30
Pretty safe to interpret that as her walking away from OR in favor of MPP. She’s a force to be reckoned with, to be sure.
“ …and when we destroy nature, we diminish our capacity to sense the divine,and understand who God is, and what our own potential is and duties are as human beings.- RFK jr. 8/26/2024
Wrong Wrong Wrong.
As counterintuitive as it sounds it is a Biden victory that will mean the end of America. Trump will rant and bluster about how evil and unamerican progressives are, but except for his 15% no one will follow him. Meanwhile the clear malice and corruption he exemplifies will be there right up front for everyone to see and be repulsed by. Meanwhile if the quisling Democrats haven't already totally revealed themselves yet they will. It may be too late, but that is the path to salvation. A Biden victory will empower a committed mortal enemy. We will not be facing a cartoon villain, we will be hunted down and exterminated.
Use the 5 tools: We have morality and truth. Our opponents have money, but Trump is an inefficient and unreliable tool who refuses to use effective force against us. (just show force) Biden, (actually his controllers) knows we are an existential threat to him and his masters and already sees himself as cornered. He will resort to anything, and by anything I mean violence. Costa Gravas level violence.
On to Biden since 1973
The lesser evil is still evil.
Nazi Party: kill 6 million Jews. Lesser evilism party: we're better, we'll only kill 3 million. Ok, we'll compromise on 4 million. Incrementally, in the spirit of bipartisanship.
Abandon everything I support to support the exact opposite.
I have come to believe that the lesser of two evils voting is itself an evil stratagem created by Satan to further the cause of Evil.
My latest unsubscribe moment
Titled: "We've got two choices."
Who could have described the problem any clearer? I don't think that was the intention but well done. The rest of the message? Not so much:
Now I never subscribed to begin with but that's another issue. I sure as hell enjoyed giving them the boot. Good thing they didn't want to know why I unsubscribed. I'd have told them - to no useful purpose except outing myself as a "Russian troll".
"Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now..."