July 29, 2004
It's a Beautiful Day?
Interesting choice of song to follow Kerry's speech (I think he did it--I think he sold it--but I missed the beginning so I'll have to watch video to decide).
Do people actually look at the lyrics to these songs before they pick them? (Does it matter?) It's a mixed bag here:
See the world in green and blue
See China, right in front of you
See the canyons broken by cloud
See the tuna fleets clearing the sea out
See the Bedouin fires at night
See the oil fields at first light
And see the bird with a leaf in her mouth
After the flood, all the colors came out
July 28, 2004
Is Charisma Problematic in Politics?
Later today, after below about wanting a Democratic leader with charisma, I encountered a good critique of charisma in politics. Media critic John Powers has just put out a new book, Sore Winners (And The Rest of Us) in George Bush's America. He was on Fresh Air today to talk about it with Terry Gross, and the conversation turned towards political magnetism and why we might want to think twice about it.
Obama
I didn't plan ahead of time to tune into the Democratic National Convention. So am surprised to find myself watching for the past two nights. What am I looking for?
As someone who's planning to vote for "anyone but Bush," rather than Kerry in particular, I realize that at least in part, I'm looking for some indication that there are Leaders amongst the Dems who are going to speak truth to the current imbalanced power. Who are going to emanate enough self-assurance, intelligence and charisma to at least have a chance of drawing the factions in this country back into civil conversation. Who think that "united states" is actually a pretty cool idea.
(It's great to soak in the Gore-Carter-Bill Clinton verbiage, but these are not people I'll have opportunities to vote for ever again.)
Why look for it here? Because my crowd, however numerous or not, the ironic, the mostly-unaffiliated, the "I-care-and-maybe-I'm-political-but-I'd-never-get-involved-in-a-political-party" types, may have no where else to look for a while. There is no chance of a third-party candidate being viable at the national level in time to restore the U.S. as on of the kids in the world sandbox, to steer energy policy towards liberation from fossil fuels, to re-establish policies that are going to help the poor and let the middle class continue to exist, and to give reformist elements in the Republican Party (McCain, REP America) time to revitalize their own arena.
Which brings me to Obama. Who could fail to be moved, listening to this man's words last night, seeing him connect with the crowd? This was why I was watching the convention. I nearly cried. I thought, move to Illinois and work for this man.
kos (at DailyKos, natch), with his usual intelligence, dissect's the Right's Wednesday-morning quarterbacking attempts to co-op Obama. They must be shocked to realize they've got someone to worry about:
"The reason Obama has put the Right into a quandry is that he exposed, in one masterful performance, every caricature the Right has of liberalism. He affirmed our belief in government's ability to make life better without conjuring up images of "welfare queens". He affirmed the right every American has to believe in the god of his or her choice, or no god for that matter, without making it a public matter. He affirmed the beauty of multiculturalism, that we are more than white, black, Asian, Latino, or anything else, without feeding the fiction that we all want a balkanized country. He affirmed that unity is an American value, while dividing Americans based on sexual orientation or race is not. "
July 27, 2004
Bill (and others) in Boston
Sat downstairs tonight, watching the Clinton's speeches with Jane, who supplied a nice Canadian red.
It seems like during the last four years, I have been more in need of alcoholic fortification than ever.
Fortunately for me, this is not saying a lot, since I seldom finished even a bottle of beer in college.
All the speeches dwelled a little more on detail and less on sweeping inspiration than I expected this early in the convention. I guess you don't waste opportunities to propagate memes in the networked age.
I didn't expect to feel anything other than curiosity at the tactics of the speeches, but was happily surprised: finally, the leaders of the Democratic party are staking out their territory and calling the current administration what it is: extremist, untruthful, interested mostly in giving more power to the powerful, more money to the very wealthy.
Still, I'm not sure I'm inspired, yet. More like: relieved.
Al Gore:
"...I also ask tonight for the consideration and the help of those who supported a third party candidate in 2000. I urge you to ask yourselves this question: Do you still believe that there was no difference between the candidates? Are you troubled by the erosion of America’s most basic civil liberties? Are you worried that our environmental laws are being weakened and dismantled to allow vast increases in pollution that are contributing to a global climate crisis? No matter how you voted in the last election, these are profound problems that all voters must take into account this Nov. 2."
Jimmy Carter:
"Truth is the foundation of our global leadership, but our credibility has been shattered, and we are left increasingly isolated and vulnerable in a hostile world. Without truth, without trust, America cannot flourish. Trust is at the very heart of our democracy, the sacred covenant between a president and the people. When that trust is violated, the bonds that hold our republic together begin to weaken.
"After 9/11, America stood proud, wounded but determined and united. A cowardly attack on innocent civilians brought us an unprecedented level of cooperation and understanding around the world.
"But in just 34 months we have watched with deep concern as all this good will has been squandered by a virtually unbroken series of mistakes and miscalculations.
"Unilateral acts and demands have isolated the United States from the very nations we need to join us in combatting terrorism...recent policies have cost our nation its reputation as the world's most admired champion of freedom and justice.
"What a difference these few months of extremism have made. The United States has alienated its allies, dismayed its friends, and inadvertently gratified its enemies by proclaiming a confused and disturbing strategy of preemptive war. With our allies disunited, the world resenting us, and the Middle East ablaze, we need John Kerry to restore life to the global war against terrorism."
Hillary:
"Being a Senator from New York, I saw first-hand the devastation of 9/11. I visited Ground Zero right after we were attacked. I felt like I was standing at the Gates of Hell. I hope no American ever has to witness a sight like that again. That tragedy changed all of us. I know it changed me. And every day now, as a mother, as a Senator, and as an American I worry about whether we are acting as wisely as we can to protect our country and our people.
"Last week, the bipartisan 9/11 commission issued its report. It was a sober call to action that we ignore at our peril. John Kerry understands what’s at stake. We need to fully equip and train our firefighters, police officers and emergency medical technicians, our first responders in the event of a terrorist attack.
"We need to secure our borders and our ports, as well as our chemical and nuclear plants. We need to reorganize our federal government to meet the new threats of these times. We need to make sure that homeland security is properly funded and that resources go to the areas at greatest risk."
Bill Clinton:
"...the Republicans in Washington believe that America should be run by the right people - their people - in a world in which America acts unilaterally when we can and cooperates when we have to.
"They believe the role of government is to concentrate wealth and power in the hands of those who embrace their economic, political and social views, leaving ordinary citizens to fend for themselves on important matters like health care and retirement security.
"Now, since most Americans aren't that far to the right, our friends have to portray us Democrats as simply unacceptable, lacking in strength and values. In other words, they need a divided America.
"But we don't."
July 24, 2004
Checking in
Sorry not to have posted more in recent days. Full work schedule (good!) and getting outside on bicycle and in kayak (summer!).
Right now: in San Francisco. Have just done two days of very engaging scenario building with some Worldchanging colleagues and about a dozen invited guests.
Starting August 27, four of us from Worldchanging--co-founders and editors Alex Steffen and Jamais Cascio, plus contributors myself and Jon Lebkowsky--will be guests at the open-to-all WELL conference inkwell.vue, riffing on models, tools and ideas for building a better future. C'mon by.
July 07, 2004
Civil Disobedience Criminalized
Word that the Greenpeacers arrested in the Pennsylvania clean air action have been charged with felonies under federal terrorism laws:
For decades, Greenpeace protesters have been climbing tall structures and hanging banners from them. Once they come down, after having had their say, they typically have been charged with minor offenses and received minor penalties. All that changed June 24, 2004, when federal prosecutors charged peaceful and nondestructive protestors of the Bush administration's air pollution policy with violating laws meant for terrorists.
...
They were charged with two federal felonies under laws that make it illegal to "knowingly and willfully damage or attempt to damage the property of an energy facility" or "attempt to cause a significant interruption or impairment of a function of an energy facility." It would be the first federal prosecution under this law. They were also charged with four state misdemeanors, three state felonies, and conspiracy. Greenpeace says they neither damaged the plant nor interrupted its operation.
Link to full Society of Environmental Journalists article.
This is the criminalizing of civil disobedience. By this measure, the Boston Tea Party was a terrorist act, rather than "the greatest act of civil disobedience of the 18th century," as I recently heard it described on Liberty! The American Revolution on PBS.
(Yes, I was actually watching PBS. Sort of. From the other room while I typed.)
