Jun 9, 2023·edited Jun 9, 2023Liked by The Permanent Occupy
I can go along with progressive action to get progressive candidates elected and thus progressive policies into law. But faulting any elected official for not immediately running against a sitting President is naive at best. If anyone in office declared a run for President against a sitting President, it would be political suicide. You really shouldn't overlook that.
I get that too many politicians are backing a presumptive nominee, because that is politically expedient, but it truly angers me that corporate media & the establishment is pretending there is a presumptive nominee and thereby making it so. It is extremely anti-democratic, and it actually stifles debate and the free-flow of ideas!
What might be fascinating will be to see Marianne, RFKJr, and Dr West on a stage debating the issues! Including an Independent candidate like Dr West would go a long way in moving the Overton Window & for people to get behind something like your plan.
I truly do believe, even though Independents are a non-party, I still think we should organize a primary for Indy's, if anything to keep ghost candidates off the ballot, and thus to unify the votes in general elections.
From how I read this, I believe us to be on the same page. You call it a 'primary' and I just leave it to those attending their district's town hall to decide on their own candidates between themselves. A local town hall gathering can conduct their own selection process in any form that works for them. If people were organized (as I advocate for them to be) we could facilitate a large voting bloc in the POTUS/VP races. The key for all the options is to organize the people - unifying them so they can make all the political decisions
I honestly don't think spontaneous town halls that would select candidates would work. Humans, especially the ones that call themselves Independents, would self organize slightly less often than cats herding themselves.
I don't know about Williamson, but I believe RFK Jr is trustworthy. He is also intelligent enough to see things clearly, strategic enough to collaborate with enemies when necessary to achieve goals and courageous enough to defy even the most deadly and entrenched deep state agencies.
His intelligence and strategic skills (from being an attorney) often result in nuanced positions that come across as wishy-washy to those who want simple black-and-white answers. How can he threaten to "remove" the DNC when he is seeking its nomination?
I would suggest what we're really asking for is reform-- an end to superdelegates, a DNC bylaw-level commitment to abide by the will of the voters and a redoubled effort to end e-voting and make sure every state has secure, verifiable, fair elections with hand-marked paper ballots, tight chain of ballot custody, etc. Such constructive commitments/requests will raise the candidates standing in the eyes of voters who share our concerns about the corruption of the DNC, yet may still be wary of completely replacing/rebuilding the DNC as perhaps a too "destructive" approach.
The biggest problem is how are we to believe anyone, no matter what they say, after we've been sold out these past 8 years? After listening to and reading RFK Jr in many interviews and his books, I feel convinced that he will be a very different politician from what we've become accustomed to. He'll be more like the JFK and RFK of old.
I support your idea to confront the candidates with the history of how we've been Bern'ed in the past, and demand a more tangle commitment to avoid repeating that experience. I hope we can agree on a list of reforms/demands that is doable and workable for candidates in the situation they're currently in, seeking the nomination of an existing DNC.
Thanks for reaching out. I'm happy to discuss this more. My substack, btw, is at martintruther.substack.com
It really does boil down to trust. It is at rock bottom levels.
I wrote this article because I hope these 2 candidates can rise above the trust issue and address it. So they can win.
As for being able to denounce the DNC while running in their primary --- the DNC has defied every rule of democracy - they made it a dirty game. We need to defend ourselves.
Working on the next article which presents an doable approach for everyone to participate in their government (direct democracy and locally driven). An action call to organize the people because that is what we have to do to free ourselves from what we currently have.
I like where you're going with this-- direct democracy and locally driven. You might like this plan for using ballot initiatives at the state level (direct democracy that exists today, at least on the books) to unite progressives around issues instead of personalities.
THanks Martin. WHere I am going with my proposed action plan, is that everything gets decided through direct democracy (which is what ballot initiatives are). Politicians are only put in-place to represent the wishes of the people - not the wishes of their parties or themselves. Basically, the people rule - the politicians are their employee. :o)
I can go along with progressive action to get progressive candidates elected and thus progressive policies into law. But faulting any elected official for not immediately running against a sitting President is naive at best. If anyone in office declared a run for President against a sitting President, it would be political suicide. You really shouldn't overlook that.
I get that too many politicians are backing a presumptive nominee, because that is politically expedient, but it truly angers me that corporate media & the establishment is pretending there is a presumptive nominee and thereby making it so. It is extremely anti-democratic, and it actually stifles debate and the free-flow of ideas!
What might be fascinating will be to see Marianne, RFKJr, and Dr West on a stage debating the issues! Including an Independent candidate like Dr West would go a long way in moving the Overton Window & for people to get behind something like your plan.
I truly do believe, even though Independents are a non-party, I still think we should organize a primary for Indy's, if anything to keep ghost candidates off the ballot, and thus to unify the votes in general elections.
From how I read this, I believe us to be on the same page. You call it a 'primary' and I just leave it to those attending their district's town hall to decide on their own candidates between themselves. A local town hall gathering can conduct their own selection process in any form that works for them. If people were organized (as I advocate for them to be) we could facilitate a large voting bloc in the POTUS/VP races. The key for all the options is to organize the people - unifying them so they can make all the political decisions
I honestly don't think spontaneous town halls that would select candidates would work. Humans, especially the ones that call themselves Independents, would self organize slightly less often than cats herding themselves.
Cornel West has arrived on the scene.
He turned on the lights so we can find where we all meet up.
I am going there. We will leave the light on for you.
I don't know about Williamson, but I believe RFK Jr is trustworthy. He is also intelligent enough to see things clearly, strategic enough to collaborate with enemies when necessary to achieve goals and courageous enough to defy even the most deadly and entrenched deep state agencies.
His intelligence and strategic skills (from being an attorney) often result in nuanced positions that come across as wishy-washy to those who want simple black-and-white answers. How can he threaten to "remove" the DNC when he is seeking its nomination?
I would suggest what we're really asking for is reform-- an end to superdelegates, a DNC bylaw-level commitment to abide by the will of the voters and a redoubled effort to end e-voting and make sure every state has secure, verifiable, fair elections with hand-marked paper ballots, tight chain of ballot custody, etc. Such constructive commitments/requests will raise the candidates standing in the eyes of voters who share our concerns about the corruption of the DNC, yet may still be wary of completely replacing/rebuilding the DNC as perhaps a too "destructive" approach.
The biggest problem is how are we to believe anyone, no matter what they say, after we've been sold out these past 8 years? After listening to and reading RFK Jr in many interviews and his books, I feel convinced that he will be a very different politician from what we've become accustomed to. He'll be more like the JFK and RFK of old.
I support your idea to confront the candidates with the history of how we've been Bern'ed in the past, and demand a more tangle commitment to avoid repeating that experience. I hope we can agree on a list of reforms/demands that is doable and workable for candidates in the situation they're currently in, seeking the nomination of an existing DNC.
Thanks for reaching out. I'm happy to discuss this more. My substack, btw, is at martintruther.substack.com
It really does boil down to trust. It is at rock bottom levels.
I wrote this article because I hope these 2 candidates can rise above the trust issue and address it. So they can win.
As for being able to denounce the DNC while running in their primary --- the DNC has defied every rule of democracy - they made it a dirty game. We need to defend ourselves.
Working on the next article which presents an doable approach for everyone to participate in their government (direct democracy and locally driven). An action call to organize the people because that is what we have to do to free ourselves from what we currently have.
Thanks for the feedback Martin. Appreciated
I like where you're going with this-- direct democracy and locally driven. You might like this plan for using ballot initiatives at the state level (direct democracy that exists today, at least on the books) to unite progressives around issues instead of personalities.
https://open.substack.com/pub/martintruther/p/voteruprising-a-diy-direct-democracy?r=dxzre&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
THanks Martin. WHere I am going with my proposed action plan, is that everything gets decided through direct democracy (which is what ballot initiatives are). Politicians are only put in-place to represent the wishes of the people - not the wishes of their parties or themselves. Basically, the people rule - the politicians are their employee. :o)