“I think it’s time that we seriously considered the possibility that American politics are irrevocably broken. How will we, the progressives, the lefties, the liberals, the activists, the anti-war radicals, and all the other energized souls of America reshape this country in order to advance the progressive agenda from outside the body politic?” Shamaniac, blogging on Sister Shakespeare
This quote from yesterday’s Madman in the Marketplace diary, Bowing to the Inevitable: Why the Democratic Party Fails Its Base, stirred a lot of discussion. The general consensus seems to be that we have reached (passed?) a point of political bankruptcy in this country with both parties answering to the same corporate masters and not to the people they are supposed to represent. Short of giving up, the question is: what can we do about it now?
There’s more….
I suggested creating a Roundtable at BooMan to discuss the problem, brainstorm ideas and come up with possible actions. Some structural questions we should consider before we attempt to put this together:
—-How many of us would actively participate in such a group?
—-Would someone volunteer to be its moderator?
—-How often would the group meet online?
—-Should we extend invitations to people from the “other side” of the political spectrum who are frustrated with so-called conservatism to join us at the outset, or later on, or not at all?
The goal, as I see it, would be to determine how we can best use our time, energy and money toward moving a progressive agenda forward given the current political realities. Many of us are completely frustrated by the Dems’ consistent capitulation on matters of principle – think: Patriot Act; Iraq War Resolution; “Count Every Vote”; Gonzales; and now Roberts and Miers, to name just a few. I for one believe that their actions and inactions deserve a lot of the blame for where we are today. I agree with Meteor Blades – the Democratic Party has let us down. However, I’m not ready to give up entirely… yet. Some questions to ponder:
—-Is it time to move forward without the Democratic Party in general?
—-Are there current democratic members of Congress in whom we still have faith? If so, who are they and can we work with them in some way?
—-Given the structural obstacles for third parties in this country, do we think a separate party organization is a logical alternative? If not, what is?
—-What about the Progressive Democrats of America approach of trying to change the party from within and from the bottom up?
—-What grassroots, non-party activities might be effective agents for change?
—-Can we create a cohesive movement out of the many splintered netroots groups that have sprung up over the past few years? Is the blogosphere part of the problem or part of the solution?
There are so many questions. I could go on and on. What questions would you like to see addressed? Do you think this would be a worthwhile endeavor or just more spinning our wheels?
Are you willing to participate?
[NOTE: I’ll be back later tonight to read and respond to any comments/suggestions]
PS I would be grateful if someone would be willing to give me a brief tutorial in using HTML for diary creation, or point me toward something I can look at for directions.