[Peace-discuss] Issue Groups

Mon Jul 6 12:38:39 EDT 2015

Carl,

Are you suggesting that AWARE, as an issue group, would be better off 
disbanding and joining our efforts with the Green Party?

On 7/6/15 11:03 AM, C. G. Estabrook via Peace-discuss wrote:
> We should be clear what "we don't need a political party, we need 
> issue groups” means today in C-U.
>
> The Urbana Liberals (for lack of a better term) are deathly afraid 
> that the reconstitution of the Prairie Greens as a political party 
> will mean that it will offer candidates for the seats currently 
> occupied by Scott Bennet and Carol Ammons.
>
> And of course it should. Once those two refused to vote against the 
> pro-war pro-racism SB1761, promoted by the Israel lobby, it was clear 
> that the PGreens (and AWARE) can’t support them and be consistent with 
> their principles. Bennet & Ammons will "go along to get along" with 
> the neoliberal (and neocon) domination of the major parties, rather 
> than oppose them.
>
> But if a political party can be turned away from what political 
> parties do - run candidates - the threat is averted. “Issue groups” 
> don’t run candidates.  —CGE
>
>
>> On Jul 5, 2015, at 3:14 PM, Karen Aram <karenaram at hotmail.com 
>> <mailto:karenaram at hotmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>> David Green, please send me your email address as for some reason it 
>> has disappeared from my address book. Obviously someone doesn't want 
>> us talking. :)
>> Good article, appropriate.
>>
>> When Stuart made his comment at our Piketty group meeting last week, 
>> to the effect that "we don't need a political party, we need issue 
>> groups." It perked my interest and I wrote to him after, asking what 
>> he was referring to because I thought it a good idea if in relation 
>> to "advisory" to our representatives, using the Carol Ammons 
>> abstention of the BDS bill proposed, as an example of why we need this.
>> Stuart said he was actually just referring to AWARE and CUCPJ, Sierra 
>> Club, etc. In discussion by phone with him yesterday, I again raised 
>> the issue, saying that while I do think we need a political party to 
>> unify, though supporting good candidates of other parties is 
>> necessary, nonetheless perhaps advisories from within the 
>> constituencies of representatives is valuable. Stuart replied that 
>> Carol already has some but that we can discuss it.
>>
>> I am in particular referring to a "foreign policy" advisory group, 
>> made up of the four of us, because I recognize that many of our 
>> representatives are focused on domestic issues, and there is as Karen 
>> M. L. pointed out last week, a lot of negotiations, and compromises 
>> taking place.
>>
>> My own experience is that real democracy relies upon many people 
>> being involved to counteract the "wealthy lobbyists" and the party 
>> platform pressure, so perhaps this is something we can and should 
>> consider.
>> If one of us is not interested then please suggest someone you think 
>> would be worthy and interested.
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Date: Sun, 5 Jul 2015 16:54:17 +0000
>> To:peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net 
>> <mailto:peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
>> CC:davidwilson44444 at gmail.com <mailto:davidwilson44444 at gmail.com>
>> Subject: [Peace-discuss] Fw: Review of the 4th of July Parade
>> From:peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net 
>> <mailto:peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sunday, July 5, 2015 9:16 AM, Christopher Evans 
>> <caevans2 at hotmail.com <mailto:caevans2 at hotmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>     *WHAT'S THE FREQUENCY, KENNETH?*
>>     by Local Yocal
>>
>>     CHAMPAIGN COUNTY- We all get it. On the Fourth of July, we give
>>     thanks for the heroic sacrifices our soldiers have made to
>>     protect our freedom. You can't argue with that lullaby.
>>
>>     Still,... watching the soldiers in uniform wave at us during the
>>     parade, it's hard to muster any pride over the 10-year adventures
>>     into Iraq and Afghanistan. Can anyone point to the
>>     accomplishments Iraq and Afghanistan have been? The 9-11
>>     terrorists appear to have spawned an Orwellian endless war
>>     draining our treasury of trillions of precious tax dollars that
>>     could have been our healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. The
>>     enemies shift to keep the thing stoked. We're fighting the
>>     Taliban, right? Or is it Al Queda? No wait, there's a new Super
>>     Team now, right? It's called Isis? Or is it Isle?
>>
>>     We honor those who serve and protect, who don't mind showing off
>>     the fancy equipment our tax dollars paid for. The armored trucks,
>>     the confident police officer performing amazing circles on his
>>     motorcycle while wailing his siren, the all-white color guard
>>     marching handsomely down the street with shiney old-fashioned
>>     rifles still carries the allure of a simpler, bygone day when
>>     we're no. 1.
>>
>>     You cannot wave at a politician without a smirk of disbelief that
>>     all is well. The fifth largest economy in the United States, the
>>     nineteenth largest economy in the entire world; which is
>>     Illinois, is about to have its government shut down because the
>>     Governor wants to reduce worker's compensation. It was fitting
>>     that the giant air balloon floats sponsored by two of the
>>     big-money-bag entities in town, /The News-Gazette/and Busey
>>     Bank,...deflated during the parade route and the cute, lovable
>>     character sagged and fell over.
>>     An economic sign of things to come?
>>
>>     Champaign County has a significant number of its citizens living
>>     in poverty. The Illinois Statistical Analysis Center lists
>>     Champaign County as having 40,484 people living at or below the
>>     poverty line in 2013, putting our poverty rate the third highest
>>     in a state of 102 counties. Watching the sweating kids of the
>>     high school marching bands, the mind wanders to the fearful
>>     prospect of what the job market is like for a high school
>>     graduate. Or how much money you need to pay tuition, room, and
>>     books for those qualified to attend a college.
>>
>>     The die has been cast. Champaign County is selling its land to
>>     out-of-town investors to build the real estate (using out-of-town
>>     employees) needed for a new wave of wealthy international
>>     students attending the prestigious university. Locals need not
>>     apply.
>>
>>     And here is where the police step in. Protecting the precious
>>     campus from the invaders to the North of University Avenue has
>>     been perfected for decades now at The Police Training Institute
>>     that our police resemble a military unit. Police have adopted
>>     racial profiling enforcement of The Drug War. Cameras will be on
>>     and every move will be tracked. The court system punishes poor
>>     and African-Americans swiftly and heavily as possible.
>>
>>     Police are soldiers now. Anything can happen. Dylann Roof and
>>     Adam Lanza have proved that beyond a reasonable doubt. The parade
>>     was probably discussed as a possible target, so no police walked
>>     the parade. There were no friendly appearances from Sheriff
>>     Walsh, Chief Cobb or Chief Connolly.  They were probably
>>     stationed at a designated command central headquarters
>>     coordinating crowd patrol.
>>
>>     It's hard to look at police nowadays in the midst of this year's
>>     round of publicity regarding police behavior. Across the 18,000
>>     police departments nationwide, 3 citizens are killed every day by
>>     the police. Most of the slain people are unarmed, most are
>>     African-American. We have The Toto Kaiyewu Slaying, and The
>>     Kiwane Carrington Murder to remind us how jumpy police have
>>     become toward African-Americans. The police presence at the
>>     parade tests your faith as to whether these guys are really on
>>     our side. Like wishing Big Bird was real, you want to hope police
>>     are the good guys. Another newspaper arrives to say different.
>>
>>     Fourth of July in Champaign County, (as will be the case with the
>>     Champaign County Fair,) is a stark reminder that this is a
>>     segregated culture and those in charge with money will decide
>>     what our culture will be. Few churches entered a float in the
>>     parade, few civic clubs, and fewer still were grassroots
>>     movements of people advocating for a better America. The parade
>>     leaned toward a show of force.
>>
>>     A four year-old walked off the curb and joined the parade with
>>     the Green Party.
>>     A flicker of hope remained.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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