Tweet
As some of you may have read, Mason did a good job setting up a starting point for a Progressive Party platform here. It seems people liked the platform points, but there was some debate on the name. I don’t know, maybe we’ll name it Ripley or something.
If you’re good with this, then it’s time to get started.
I was hoping there was going to be an alternative to this but currently I don’t see any.
Everything’s already been said about the Democrats and the Progressives in that party. Nuff’ said.
It ain’t enough. I’m sorry Democratic Party, it ain’t you, it’s me. I expect more than a blue version of Bush 43.
So, I’m ready to start work on building a Progressive Party. And I can’t do it by myself.
I can dedicate 10-14 hours per week.
Needed are:
Planners
Website developers
Organizers
Marketing
I’m sure we’ll figure this out as we go
If you’re interested in volunteering, my email address is mad.hemingway@googlemail.com .
Lets get started.
46 Comments
I like Ripley. I think the Progressive label, unfortunately, has become too tainted this past year. And don’t get me started on Coffee.
Although: “If you can’t sleep at night, it’s not the coffee, it’s the bunk!”
You’re right. We’ll probably need an Orwellian-type name that means the opposite of Kill the Bastards.
Paging Jon Stewart. Paging Stephen Colbert. Drs Stewart and Colbert, please contact the FDL Front Desk.
What is it that so called ‘progressives’ have against getting involved with the Green Party?
Their platform certainly seems more than adequate.
Logically, it would make sense to use the leverage they already possess and build upon it.
There seems to be a lot of people ready to start/join a new progressive party. Instead of a hundred disjointed efforts, perhaps it would be best to start a list serve and encourage people to start talking through email before putting together platforms or structures. If multiple lists are formed independently, they can be merged.
How about the Conscientious Party?
I agree that a new party is needed. And I agree with most of the platform posted by Mason. But I would suggest a slightly different starting point.
1. Mason’s suggestions largely recapitulate the Greens. That’s worthy, but I don’t think it will ultimately succeed in altering the U.S. political landscape.
2. There’s currently a chasm between many progressives and the working class. Many of the progressives posting online these days are relatively affluent or come from relatively affluent backgrounds. Many progressives feel that they speak for working people, but actually hold attitudes that are slightly contemptuous of working class people (just witness the last federal election). The Tea Party folks do speak the language of working people, which has (unfortunately) allowed them a measure of success. We need something analogous from the Left. Someone just has to light the match.
3. The level of discontent with the current crop of politicians is at a historic high (in polls). That affords an opportunity.
4. Women have been thrown under the bus. I’ve seen a call for a Lysistrata Party elsewhere on FDL.
5. There are many groups of people posting online (at various sites) who have very similar Left political beliefs and values and who could be brought together. Doing this would require looking past our differences (e.g. old wounds from the last election). We could either stay mired in past differences (which many folks can’t seem to let go of), or find a new way forward.
Some of the blogs/people I’m thinking of: FDL, The Confluence, Chris Hedges, Sam Smith, Paul Street, etc.
Here’s a link to a blog piece that I think is worth reading:
http://cannonfire.blogspot.com/2009/12/progs-paradox-class-and-health-care.html
I would like to see a party based on
1. Principals before personalities
2. Straightforward honesty – long absent in politics.
3. Anti-corporatism
4. Respect for working people – and acting for the economic interests of the working class.
5. Women’s rights – including the right to choose.
6. Protecting the environment and combating global warming.
Some excellent points… I wrote that post about the Lysistrata Party and I was most definitely not raised middle class. So I overcompensate with grammar and syntax.
The working class has also been disenfranchised, especially its men. As have the working poor. It’s a pretty slippery slope these days between the middle class and the working poor. Best to find ways to collaborate.
Damn, I always misspell “principles”.
Principles before personalities.
For a slightly Orwellian name – I saw somebody toss out the suggestion of “Alliance” elsewhere. How about “Alliance for Democracy”.
I’m not sure how you come to the conclusion that “the Alliance” is “Orwellian.”
I think it sounds strong. With a dash of mystery.
As I think about this more, I think a core feature needed for success is not just what the party stands for in terms of political positions, but how it functions and whether it represents integrity.
If it’s perceived as just another conventional political body, it will gain little traction.
Progressives United Party? or Progressive People United? I still like the word, progressive, because from that movement come most of the ideas. United also adds something.
Why not the Green Party? They exist already.
I keep asking the same question and no one will provide an answer so I guess this is all just an exercise in imagination.
Kryolux made some interesting comments based on years of involvement with the Greens and it wasn’t very complimentary. Just one person’s opinion of course, but sounded pretty well considered.
Look, you need to bring in people. The American people are opposed to the corruption more than they are opposed to anything else and they are opposed to corruption more than they are in favor of anything else. AND WITH GOOD REASON. So, call it the Constitutional Party. Take the patriotic high ground. Bring in Kucinich, bring in Nader, bring in Ron Paul. This would scare the shit out of the Democrats and Republicans more than anything. If you don’t learn how to scare the shit out of the establishment, you will fail.
There’s already a Constitution Party.
eblair has a point. I don’t favor Constitutional Party because the name has too much right-wing resonance. And I don’t care much for Ron Paul.
But the disgust with corruption (and the feeling that the governing don’t have the consent of the governed) is a force that should be recognized.
The great bulk of the population is feeling anxious every day – losing ground all the time, or see where it’s going to happen.
Yet a lot of progressives seem disconnected from this.
Also, someone I was just speaking to (earlier today) commented that there’s too much smug self-righteousness on the part of certain progressive (from more privileged backgrounds). This would be an impediment in connecting with the working class.
I don’t think that “constitutional” is right wing. I think it is American.
People are working 24/7 to co-opt and marginalize progressives overtly and covertly. The elites want a narrative where all tea baggers are racists and all progressives are dangerous conspiracy theorists who just sit in the back seat and whine. What Jane did with Norquist scares the shit out of them. You need to do that 100 times over or you will fail. I don’t like Norquist, and I don’t know that much about him, but there are MILLIONS of people who own guns and vote conservative but KNOW that when it comes to looking out for the American people, Republican=Democratic=Corrupt. You need to reach out to them. As for the tiresome snarky progressives who worship at the feet of Rachel Maddow, they need to wake up. It is 2010, post-modernism is so 90′s. They need to get overthemselves and their absurd belief in their own superiority and start reaching out to fellow Americans on the common ground of fighting corruption.
There is either the Green Party or I heard of an alliance starting that involved the California Peace and Freedom Party, the Vermont Progressive Party, and a few others. I am not sure though.
Yes, that is why I think that “the Alliance’ is a good umbrella term to define all the various groups resistant to corporatism.
I checked that out, joined a listserv for it, and it seems to be part BS and all going nowhere. Don’t bet on it.
And wrt the Green Party, I don’t see a reason to start a third party that’s very, very similar to them. If a lot of people are really serious about joining the Greens again or for the first time, that large amount of new members and party activists could be enough to change the party. If you don’t believe me (and trust me on the point that it’s not the same as taking over the Democrats, because the Greens are small enough to be a party pretty open to change, except for a few people who would be resistant), just take a look at a campaign I’m working on in Philadelphia. A working class union organizer is trying to revive the Philly Green Party through a run for state legislature. He only needs about 10,000 votes to win and he’s serious about it. I’m not just pimping his campaign, I think he’s an example for anyone interested in this – http://hughgiordano.com
What about “Revolutionary Party?” I suppose that name would be jarring to many who remember the 60s…
But, still in a lot of ways, we’re right back where we were in the late 18th Century. There is a distinct lack of representation.
I left and watched the vote for mandatory private insurance come to America in the guise of an Insurance industry bailout and then watched Archer / House (flipping back and forth).
ubetchaiam & rossi – @3, 10, 14 – As far as the Green Party, first, from my own personal experience they aren’t very responsive when calling or emailing. But, I’m willing to listen to them if they do respond. Second, they’ve been around a long time and they should be pulling larger % of the vote than 4%. The Greens seem to have a perception problem among the public.
affinis – @6, 7 – the article you linked to is absolutely correct. The Dems are serving the corporations that gave them money, not the people who voted for them. Ok, so we got 1 vote for Ripley and 1 vote for Alliance for Democracy.
I’ll catch up on comments on Monday.
Call it the Progressive Socialist party. Everyone already thinks we’re Dirty fucking hippies anyways. So at least with the “socialist” part, we’ll get a lot of media attention. It’ll probably be bad news, either that or the media would ignore us anyway. All corporate propaganda.
Although frankly, since we’re playing by the rules of the game, I’m pessimistic we’ll make much headway. Look at how the media has given Meg Whitman so much free airtime (both positive and negative) but her rivals Tom Campbell and Steve Poizner are but leaves in the wind. Now she’s got name recognition. A progressive party like ours would be like Dennis Kucinich at the Presidential debates, ignored.
So you are kidding. So what is your preference? Do nothing?
yeah i was kidding about the name. I’d support any progressive third-party whatever it’s called. just really pessimistic about its ability to get enough traction. I wasn’t kidding about the media part and I think it will be a huge issue for us in getting our message out.
I just think you should appreciate the real common ground that is opening up.
Jackson Browne.
Merle Haggard.
As for the media, they need to be called out and have their patriotism questioned because they are a cancer eating away at the body politic and making discourse impossible. They are quite unpatriotic and they need to have that shoved in their fucking faces whenever possible. Nine companies destroying America. (Jackson Browne hits their bullshit on the head.)
Can’t beat that. But the true leverage here is always going to be $$$$. Sadly I think that until you form a significant revenue stream to someone, you sit at the end of the counter.
Well you know the old saying:
“Money doesn’t always bring happiness. People with ten million dollars are no happier than people with nine million dollars. – Hobart Brown”
I was thinking of some points for framing the issues:
1. Jobs vs War ($1.5 trillion annually)
2. Single Payer Healthcare vs Bailouts for Bankers & Insurance Companies ($2 trillion)
3. Primary & Secondary Education vs Corporate Handouts ($1.5 trillion)
Y’know, a trillion here and a trillion there, it adds up.
In addition to Mason’s platform, I think these are good points too:
1. Publicly-Owned Community Banks
2. Eliminating Federally Elected Politicians’ Pensions and Benefits
Macpibbles,
If Obama can pass Romneycare, we can do anything. I’m thinking a new political party might qualify for some funds under the National Recovery Act. Y’know, bringing democracy to America and all that.
Why not call it the Conservative National Security Party?
We’d have a very conservative attitude toward military adventurism, this would in large part greatly assist in improving our national security, and we get to have a gloriously obtuse name that if successful might cause right-wing activists to rebrand, perhaps as fascists.
A stroke of genius with some dark humor. Gotta love it.
ubetchaiam – I like the Greens. They represent my perspectives much more than the Democrats.
But I think there are two potential issues. 1. Insufficient appeal to the working class in the Green Party, and 2. As MadHemingway alluded to, it’s a known brand that’s already somewhat marginalized. A new party, arising in the current environment among disaffected Democrats, might have a better shot (though I could be wrong about this).
The one thing I envy about the US Green Party is ballot access.
The curse of access is the third party tag. But I think that even while we lost Kucinich in the home stretch, a visible comeback would go a long way to reinforcing the durability of the message. The teabaggers took a hit here. I say bless the most unswervable candidates with cash and keep making noise, the war is still young.
“1. Insufficient appeal to the working class in the Green Party, and 2. As MadHemingway alluded to, it’s a known brand that’s already somewhat marginalized. A new party, arising in the current environment among disaffected Democrats, might have a better shot (though I could be wrong about this).”
I don’t know where the idea of no appeal for the working class comes from but it isn’t accurate.
Of course it’s been ‘marginalized’ given our corrupt two party system that has stacked the deck against all other parties.
The real bottomline is that those who wish to start a new party are seemingly oblivious to the hurdles invovled in getting on a ballot AND staying there.
And reply to GCD707 at 29: I was briefly the treasurer of my local Green Party; yeah, it’s frustrating because of the rules and emphasis associated with true consensus but the real bottomline is I’m a lousy politician. And that might have been the case with the person referenced.
What I know for a FACT is that the hurdles associated with ballot access are best overcome using the leverage others have already provided.
And that the more participation there is by new green Party members, the chances are much greater for internal change of the Party than with either the Dem’s or Rep’s.
I’m going to post the url for this entry/thread at a couple other sites to encourage crosstalk.
We need a new and fresh brand. How about the Rose Party?
This is the updated Mission Statement.
The Rose Party recognizes that our
mother Gaiaplanet is an interconnected living system of which we are a part; that all humanswho live on Gaiaare created equal with equal rights to life, liberty, education, employment, independence, dignity, freedom of worship, and the pursuit and enjoyment of happiness; and that all humans have a duty to protectGaiaour planet from the ravages of global warming, war, and rapacious corporate greedand destruction. We reject all violence and war and we dedicate ourselves daily to following the Golden Rule inallour interactions withGaia, herall life,forms,andincluding each other, no matter the nation in whichwherewe live, the language we speak, or the religion we practice.We choose the rose as our name because it emphasizes the yin or feminine part of ourselves as it unfolds revealing ever greater inner beauty and it symbolizes rebirth and resurrection, which is what we are doing out of the ashes of the Democratic Party.
The red rose symbolizes social democracy
or socialism; the white symbolizes German non-violent resistance to Nazi rule; and the blue is portrayed in literature and art as symbols of love and prosperity to those who seek it.We dedicate ourselves daily to practicing the Golden Rule with love, peace, acceptance, respect, and non-violence.
How about The PLU? (Peace Love and Understanding). We’d already have a theme song, one a heluva lot cooler than “Don’t Stop”!
The Rose Party, mmmm, I just don’t see males lining up to join. I get that you want to convey the environmental piece, Mason, but PLU (or some such) does that without the risk of appealing to one gender more than another.
PLU could also stand for People Left, United. I agree with fflambeau @ 9 that “United” adds something, and I also think an acro sounds more resolute. “What’s your party?” “The PLU.” Got a nice ring to it, no?
Not to mention the double-entendre of People Left (i.e., left behind). Those left behind have now united, you bastards, and we WILL be heard!
I find it rather guttural and can’t help but associate it with PU, as in stinks, or Pacific Lutheran University.
I imagine that the name will be selected democratically, however, so your idea may prevail for the reasons you expressed.
For ease of reference, here are the 50 planks.
War and International Justice
Because the Cold War is over and terrorism is best handled by law enforcement agencies cooperating with each other, we pledge to do the following:
1. Abolish and criminalize acts that are intended to interfere in the internal affairs of foreign nations;
2. Abolish the use of assassination squads and prosecute people who have engaged in those activities;
3. Declare an end to the Global War On Terror (GWOT) and;
4. Repeal the Authorization to Use Military Force;
5. End the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan immediately;
6. Withdraw all of our troops from foreign countries and bring them home immediately;
7. Close all military bases in foreign countries;
8. Oppose all future wars and reduce the size of our armed forces to a level reasonably required to defend our homeland from attack;
9. Treat terrorism as a law enforcement problem and assign the primary responsibility for solving it to the FBI;
10. Repeal the Patriot Act, the Military Commissions Act, and the recently passed Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (2008);
11. End all domestic spying and wiretapping unless it complies with the Fourth Amendment, the Title III Electronic Surveillance Act, and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (2000);
12. Abolish the Central Intelligence agency;
13. Repudiate the use of torture for any purpose;
14. Release all prisoners seized as part of the GWOT who are not scheduled to be tried in federal court and release the ones who are acquitted;
15. Abolish the use of military tribunals;
16. Abolish the Department of Homeland Security;
17. Appoint an independent prosecutor to commence a federal grand jury investigation to determine whether probable cause exists to indict, and if so to prosecute and convict members of the Bush and Obama administrations, including the President and Vice President of both administrations, their various Attorney Generals and lawyers in the Office of Legal Counsel at the Department of Justice, for violating and covering up violations of provisions of the Geneva Convention and the laws of the United States regarding initiating aggressive wars without justification in Afghanistan and Iraq and the conduct of those wars by the United States military and all of its various private subcontractors, the Joint Special Operations Command, and the Central Intelligence Agency, intentionally and recklessly slaughtering innocent men, women, and children, kidnapping, detaining, torturing, and murdering innocent people;
The Financial Crisis, Economic Justice, and Creation of a Consumer Protection Agency
18. Establish, respect, and recognize the right of every person to a job so they can afford to house, clothe, and feed themselves;
19. Abolish corporate socialism and the too-big-to-fail doctrine.
20. Enforce antitrust laws and breakup any business entity previously deemed too big to fail.
21. Reimpose Glass—Steagall.
22. Outlaw predatory, fraudulent, deceptive, and usurious bank practices and establish a national Consumer Protection Agency and authorize it to promulgate and enforce regulations.
23. Government must spend money to create jobs and put people back to work repairing infrastructure such as highways and bridges following the model established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression with the Civilian Conservation Corps before engaging in deficit reduction strategies.
24. Establish and maintain a nationwide network of high-speed railroad transportation that connects with municipal light rail transportation systems.
25. Promote clean and safe alternatives to fossil fuel consumption and nuclear energy plants
Health, Education, Social Justice, and Civil Rights
26. Reject free market capitalism theories as predatory, destructive, and a threat to human freedom, happiness, and survival.
27. Enact single payer healthcare for all.
28. Permit drug reimportation without penalties so that consumers in the Unitrd States no longer are required to pay more for drugs manufactured in the United States than consumers in foreign countries.
29. Abolish the antitrust exemption for health insurance companies.
30. Reaffirm Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to choose whether to abort a pregnancy.
31. Reaffirm the separation of church and state.
32. Reaffirm, create, and support public schools.
33. End the use of government vouchers to attend private schools.
34. Keep religion, religious beliefs, and religious practices out of public schools and affirm the supremacy of science over religious beliefs like creationism.
35. Support and fund scientific research.
36. Reaffirm that all humans are created equal, prohibit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual preference, handicap, or religious belief, and provide equal opportunities for all.
37. Abolish human trafficking.
38. Abolish the death penalty.
39. Abolish the War on Drugs, declare amnesty for everyone convicted of a non-violent drug offense, release every such person whose liberty is restrained by such a conviction, expunge all such convictions, and restore civil rights.
40. Declare drug addiction to be a health problem and treat it accordingly.
41. Legalize the possession and use of all drugs, tax their sale, and apply up to 50% of the revenues to drug treatment with the remainder to the general tax fund of the states.
Global Warming
, Gaia,and an Environmental Bill of Rights42. Recognize that our planet is an interconnected living system that we have a duty to protect from rapacious corporate greed and destruction.
43. Establish a bill of legally enforceable rights for the environment.
44. Establish, maintain, and fund a guardian ad litem system so that the environment is provided with legal representation in all legal proceedings to protect her legal rights.
45. Accept that global warming, are the most serious problems we have and commit to solving them.
46. Develop and adopt strategies designed to eliminate human behavior and practices that injure and threaten our existence, such as global warming, habitat destruction, and species extinction.
47. Expand our system of national forests and parks and prohibit individuals and corporations from exploiting natural resources located within their borders.
48. Create or expand existing parks within city limits for beauty, recreation, and bicycle paths.
49. Establish green pedestrian zones that prohibit motorized traffic within commercial downtown areas of cities and provide bus or light rail transportation to nearby parking areas.
50. Promote small is beautiful and energy self-sufficient strategies.
Although I did not include this as a plank, I’m not fond of the Federal Reserve and think we’d be better off if we abolished it and replaced it with a government owned national bank that controls the money supply and prints money.
I’m not a fan of privately owned central banks like the Federal Reserve and the World Bank.
I know a lot about economics but eCAHNomics obviously knows more and I’d like to get her input on this issue as well as her ideas for the economic policy planks.
Mason, thanks for the 50 point platform. I’ll be in touch with you.
The Green party has been coopted from within by Democrat appeasers who prioritize the success of the Democratic Party over the success of the Green Party.
Thanks for all the comments.
I’ll report back as things move forward.
I expect 2010 will be dedicated to getting the foundation in place.
Three things I can say for certain is:
1. We will accept no corporate donations.
2. Our base will be working people and the issues that face them.
3. Our party will not be politics as usual. I aim to use a Government 2.0 approach which is disruptive to the status quo.
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”
Albert Einstein
FREE AMERICA
REVOLUTIONARY (DIRECT) DEMOCRACY