[Peace-discuss] Mr Smith Goes to Washington

[n.dahlheim at mchsi.com]

Hey Neil, thanks for defending me on this point.  I am glad someone sees that my view on this matter is 
not one of utter despair.  Bill, if you really feel I shouled be kicked off the listserv I think you are one 
whose committment to progressive values and freedom of speech should be questioned.  I sometimes get 
carried away with my frustration with the current direction of society, and so my vitriolic diatribes 
sometimes reveal that emotion quite strongly.  But, I think my voice is important and its contrarian 
position is good.  I don't think we should ignore the goings on in Washington DC, but I strongly feel that 
spending a lot of energy on political activism there is most certainly counterproductive.  Going more local 
is the only way to address the political-economic crisis this country faces.  And yes, we have enshrined the 
corporations with too much power---playing their game on their turf simply won't work for us in the long 
run.  Thanks.
            Nick


----------------------  Original Message:  ---------------------
From:    "Neil Parthun" <lennybrucefan at gmail.com>
To:      "Bill Strutz" <bill.strutz at gmail.com>
Cc:      peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Mr Smith Goes to Washington
Date:    Fri, 13 Jul 2007 23:10:02 +0000

> Um, I think he is saying that corporate power can be resisted by
> establishing local communities and local economies rather than acquiescing
> to the power and economic influence of multinational corporate power
> interests.
> 
> So, I see it being far from bending over.  It is a different paradigm to the
> one of trying to reform corporate interests to make them more "humane".  I
> am not making any value judgments but rather just pointing out the reality
> of his philosophy.  One person can not realistically believe that they can
> take down the entire power structure to which they are opposed and it will
> only bring disappointment, anger and eventual burn out to believe that would
> be possible.  However, limited work within the local community to begin
> transferring it to something more manageable, more humane and more
> sustainable is indeed a possibility.  By doing things such as that, the
> paradigm has a possibility of shifting not only in the local communities but
> in the rest of the nation/world as well eventually.  After all, all politics
> is local.
> 
> Don't mourn, organize!
>                     x Neil x
> 
> You can't really be strong until you see a funny side to things.
> [ken kesey, 1935-2001]
> 
> Keep your blood clean, your body lean and your mind sharp.
> [henry rollins, 1961-]
> 
> Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must
> make that attempt.  That's morality, that's religion.  That's art.  That's
> life.
> [phil ochs, 1940-1976]
> 
> Neil Parthun || lennybrucefan at gmail.com || http://publici.ucimc.org
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