Sunday, November 07, 2004

A Non-ABB Take on Electoral Fraud

“Call the cops, I see a robbery in progress
Lunatics about to steal the show”
-"Steal Da Show,” Nelly



“Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.”
-Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” (Act 2, Scene 2)

I must admit, it is somewhat amusing to watch the Kerrycrats and ABBers desperately scrambling to find a reason why their boy fell short...why the American public rejected their undeniable logic. With Ralph Nader no longer available as a handy scapegoat, the predictable cry of “fraud” is in the air. As Mort Sahl once said: “Liberals feel unworthy of their possessions. Conservatives feel they deserve everything they’ve stolen.”



However, it’s not hard to imagine that the 2004 presidential election was ripe with fraud (a fraudulent, un-elected president and a fraudulent liberal)...and those who recognize that JFK2 would be greenlighting the assault on Falluja with as much zeal as Dubya shouldn’t completely dismiss the entire issue of stolen elections as moot. After all, short of a revolution in the next decade or so, isn’t it an interim hope to witness a true radical/progressive candidate on the ballot and in the debates and—dare I say—occupying the White House (or least the Halls of Congress)?

To read the complete article, please click here:
http://www.pressaction.com/news/weblog/full_article/mickeyz11062004/

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Posted on 11/07 at 01:09 AM
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Saturday, November 06, 2004

Keir Neuringer

Keir Neuringer Share
Posted on 11/06 at 11:47 AM
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Post-Election: What's next for dissent and protest?

“Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.”
—Haile Selassie

In my last article, I mentioned Lucy Gwin, editor of the disability rights zine Mouth, who once told me she believed the greatest gift that could ever been given to the American people is the permission to disobey.

I also opined that we should consider that permission long granted...but what to do with it?

Let’s start by accepting that most standard tactics have been rendered impotent...dissent has undergone immense commodifiction. If we were to believe our TVs, buying a Chevy is a revolutionary act (I’m being serious).

Let’s continue by also accepting that looking to “leaders” (whether that be a Kerry or a Chomsky) is a dead end. Let’s move past the old New Left and create fresh opportunities and methods better suited to our current needs and circumstances.


Arundhati Roy says:

“Governments of today have learned to deal with (protest). They know to wait out a demonstration or a march. They know the day after tomorrow, opinions can change, or be manipulated into changing. Unless civil disobedience becomes real, not symbolic, there is very little hope for change.”


When should we exploit our newfound permission to disobey and how? Here’s one answer to that dangerous question...from the all-purpose quote machine himself, Mahatma Gandhi:

“Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him. Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to a control over his own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to self-reliance for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melting away.”

Want something more tangible? Fully aware that the slightest hint at a plan or suggestion is likely to be greeted with mockery, disdain, and outright hostility, I’ll post some of my musings next week.

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Posted on 11/06 at 09:14 AM
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