[Peace-discuss] A Dystopic Strategy?

Thu Nov 11 14:06:31 CST 2004

Thanks for your response, Phil, but I really don't see your points. 
People snooping on government is not the same as government snooping on 
people, although one could argue this at greater length. I don't 
believe we have here an instance of the golden rule.  As for "evil 
designs", I'm not using the word "evil" theologically. Perhaps I could 
have used instead the words "bad",  "mischievous",  "disastrous", 
"harmful, "malignant",  "murderous", etc. Would that have improved 
things?

The whole thing was somewhat tongue in cheek, but not totally.

Mort

On Nov 10, 2004, at 6:50 PM, Phil Stinard wrote:

> Fantasies are fine, Mort, but publicly (and personally), I find such 
> strategies troublesome.  My guiding principle is that I wouldn't treat 
> someone in a way I wouldn't want to be treated.  Privately (and 
> impersonally), I wouldn't recommend that someone advertise the fact 
> that they were doing it.  I find the following especially troubling:  
> "At critical moments leaks could be given out to disrupt their evil 
> designs."  Evil designs?  Are you serious, or tongue-in-cheek?
>
> Bottom line to Paul:  If your sister and brother-in-law are open about 
> what they're doing, and the Republicans know what they're doing, then 
> maybe they can make a postive change in the Republican party.  My 
> parents were Republican, and I used to be Republican once, when I was 
> young and carefree.  (Guilty pleasure:  I voted for Gerald Ford.  My 
> following votes were Anderson, Mondale, Dukakis, and Clinton.  What 
> can I way?  I had a long childhood.)  I didn't have the patience to 
> try to effect a change in the Republican party, but maybe your family 
> does.
>
> --Phil
>
>> Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2004 22:05:13 -0600
>> From: Morton K.Brussel <brussel4 at insightbb.com>
>> Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] A Dystopic Strategy?
>> To: "Paul M. King" <pmking at uiuc.edu>
>> Cc: peace-discuss at lists.cu.groogroo.com
>> Message-ID: <B90D8D82-32CD-11D9-81F3-000502314E22 at insightbb.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
>>
>> Hi Paul,
>>
>> Interesting letter. I've been  fantasizing recently about the
>> possibility of infiltrating the Republican (and Democratic) parties,
>> ultimately leading into the executive branch and other government
>> agencies. There is a need to penetrate the cloak of silence and 
>> secrecy
>> which exists there so as to confront and destabilize them. This would
>> require committed activists willing to join the two party politics and
>> work to gain the confidence of their leaders; moles. We could then 
>> play
>> the same tricks on them as they play on us. At critical moments leaks
>> could be given out to disrupt their evil designs. I feel we need spies
>> on our own government. Your sister and her husband thus have an idea
>> which could be a step in this direction, although their motives are
>> somewhat different.
>>
>> Just a thought.
>>
>> Mort
>>
>> On Nov 9, 2004, at 1:25 PM, Paul M. King wrote:
>>
>> > [I'm interested in hearing what others think about these
>> > tactics. My sister and brother-in-law are thoroughly
>> > frustrated and are thinking about joining the Republican
>> > party. I'll forward your thoughtful replies to them. Thanks.
>> > ..:: paul king]
>> >
>> > ---- Original message ----
>> >> Date: Sun, 7 Nov 2004 11:25:12 -0700
>> >> From: "Tom Corbet" <tcorbet7 at comcast.net>
>> >> Subject: RE: [Peace-discuss] fun with maps
>> >> To: "'Paul M. King'" <pmking at uiuc.edu>
>> >>
>> >> Dear Paul,
>> >>
>> >> My spouse is considering a rather interesting move to counter the
>> >> evangelical movement in this country; he may join the
>> > Republican party.
>> >> I'm not very good at stating his rationale(s) for possibly
>> > doing this, so if
>> >> you're interested in details you would need to ask him.
>> > Basically, it's
>> >> like infiltration, hoping to bring the Republicans to their
>> > senses that they
>> >> have many, many party members who don't like the political
>> > evolution they're
>> >> witnessing and want a return to more moderate positions...
>> > interesting
>> >> concept.  I think all the appalled Democrats and Republicans
>> > who can't bear
>> >> the polarization of this country and the threat of a legal
>> > theocracy
>> >> emerging, should ban together and form a party called
>> > REDEMption.  I suspect
>> >> if something like this solidly developed, maybe at least a
>> > few big political
>> >> names might be persuaded to join, like McCain, Chaffee,
>> > Obama, Feingold,
>> >> etc.  I'm sure this idea has been floated many times through
>> > the years - now
>> >> is the time to act.  After all, the Republican party had it's
>> > birth in the
>> >> 1850's, when the country was so deeply divided on slavery, in
>> > order to
>> >> provide a moderate, centrist position - hence President
>> > Abraham Lincoln.  If
>> >> it worked once, it can work again.  I'm sure a party like
>> > this wouldn't be
>> >> as liberal as I would like it, but it's a hell of a lot
>> > better than the
>> >> political "Inquisition" that is now taking shape.
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > Peace-discuss mailing list
>> > Peace-discuss at lists.cu.groogroo.com
>> > http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/cgi-bin/listinfo/peace-discuss
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Peace-discuss mailing list
> Peace-discuss at lists.cu.groogroo.com
> http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/cgi-bin/listinfo/peace-discuss
>