caucus99percent

free-range politics, organic community

The Inside-Outside Strategy

One of the persistent failings of what passes for "Left" organization in this country is that it has no inside-outside strategy. When the Democrats finally tell the "Left" that it has nowhere else to go, and asks said "Left" the magic question: what are you going to do about it, vote for Republicans? -- that is where said "Left" will appear not to have prepped any answer at all, and quite on purpose.

The Antiwar Movement Must Not Go Back To Sleep During The Biden Presidency

 On Saturday, members of the administrative committee of the United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC), on which I serve, spoke on a webinar about the importance of building and strengthening the antiwar, anti-imperialist movement during Biden’s presidency. UNAC was founded during the summer of 2010 as it became clear that the antiwar movement in the US was faltering under the nation’s first black president. Peace groups allied with the Democrats were reluctant to criticize the president and donations declined as people wrongly assumed the new Nobel Peace Prize winner was pro-peace.

It wasn't a landslide, but it's still a decisive victory for the leftist candidate over the neoliberal one.

I’ve been binge reading James Hornfisher’s and Ian Toll’s books

on war in the Pacific theater during WW2 and

an odd thought has occurred to me:

Pearl Harbor was the worst

defeat suffered by the

Empire of Japan

in its entire

history.

The

real

losers

of the 2020

presidential race

may not be the Republicans.

First up, maybe not truly zombies, but did this headline (emphasis on head):

Scientists jump-start two people’s brains after coma

‘STRATCOM chief claims nuclear war with Russia or China a ‘REAL POSSIBILITY,’ says US can’t assume ‘strategic deterrence will hold’’, 6 Feb, 2021

“The head of US Strategic Command is warning that nuclear war with Russia or China is “a real possibility,” pointing to “destabilizing” behaviors of America’s rivals. He also claims the Pentagon is not “stuck in the Cold War.”

“There is a real possibility that a regional crisis with Russia or China could escalate quickly to a conflict involving nuclear weapons, if they perceived a conventional loss would threaten the regime or state,” STRATCOM chief and Vice Admiral Charles Richard wrote in the February issue of the US Naval Institute’s monthly magazine.

Keep in Touch

This theme occurred to me for a couple of reasons. First, I wonder about the long term social consequences of our year long (so far) pandemic experience... no hugs, no handshakes, no kiss on the check nor pat on the back...just distanced digital dialogue with NO Touching! This is not a natural human condition. And secondly, I wonder what has happened with so many C99 voices who are no longer participating. I'm concerned about several of our old members. For example, Mark from Queens disappeared about the time COVID hit NYC. Eyo has health issues and hasn't been around in a while. Hecate, NC Tim, and and so many others who used to write here no longer are around. We know OPOL, Ek, and River Lover passed on to the other side. We all can see our community shrinking. I really wonder why.

JtC suggests some of us offend one another causing departure. It puzzles me that rational folks here (who we have come to know) have such thin skins that they leave when someone's opinion differs from theirs. Perhaps it is the stress of these odd COVID times that has people oversensitive? I don't know, but it sure seems bizarre to me to bail on C99's mostly evidence based discussions when journalist like Julian are being tortured for telling the truth about US war crimes, alternate media is being throttled, and rational evidence based conversation is non-existent on MSM. We need C99 now more than ever IMO. So, how can we not only maintain, but build, our community?