There is much to be learned from this election (no matter our perspective):
1) Democracy relies on active engagement and participation
2) Voting is not enough--its just the bare minimum of democratic participation
3) For liberals/progressives this shouldn't be a time of mourning and for conservatives this shouldn't be atime of celebration--we have to step up and say to our country, our localities, our neighbors, our fellow citizens... what can we do to make this a better place, a better nation a better world. Our nation is facing a serious democractic crisis--and it won't be solved by quit acceptance or celebratory high-fives--no matter our perspectives/worldviews we should be concerned about our democractic process and the deep divisions within this country.
4) Think movement--elections are not the end of our political involvement. A groundswell of people voicing their concerns and active democratic engagement with the system is what will make systematic changes.
Time to revisist the civil rights movement, the workers movements, the suffragettes, stonewall, 1968, even the conservative revolution (as a progressive I think we have a lot to learn from them--not to imitate, but at least to understand their appeal and methods), etc... elections never truly brought about these changes, people raising their voices, not afraid to speak their minds and organizing to address social injustices... this is what wins hearts and brings about true change!
This appeal to fear and panic will only last so long--what will fill the vacuum that will appear?
4) Can we ever again doubt that our electoral system is not seriously flawed? Ask yourself why neither the republicans or the democrats want to change our voting system (and the multi-million dollar campaigns)? Once again think "systematic" change!
5) Count every vote! Why would this be unamerican or unreasonable? Count every vote! Isn't this what we would demand of Afghanistan or Iraq in their elections? Count every vote! Even if it takes two weeks. Count every vote. We can spend the time discussing the problems with the system. Count every vote!
6) What do you think? We must hear from everyone!
6 comments:
Great focal points. The question you pose in #4 is, as always, the telling question and unpredictable as ever.
I'm still lost in trying to logically interpret the results. The numbers say something about this country and how the undercurrent that was considered far right even to conservatives just a decade ago is now approaching the center (in the thoughts of over half of the people that think it is important to vote in this country.)
Particularly, this time around, I can't stop shaking my head in disbelief that so many Americans voted to support the incumbent after what has happened in the last few years. I feel there is something intrinsicly wrong in the way I've been thinking about this whole thing. Am I missing something in the analysis? Is it really as simple as it's being reported in the press?
I'm the first to say we need to apply your #3 immediately, but as I say this, the results of this election (including the Senate races) have me reconsidering what so many people have been telling me all along: Democrats will continue to divide themselves on every major issue and Republicans will continue to rally around these - and that this is due to the inherent nature of the two parties in these times and will continue to shape the course of our country and it's role in the world.
I feel the fool to have believed that sanity would override the basic thinking of at least a percentate of the part of voting America that absolutely loves the incumbent, but the numbers show absolutely no signs of this.
Apparently, while I wasn't looking, "sanity" has been redefined by MILLIONS and MILLIONS of people - incredible. I'll get over it eventually (probably sometime in 2008.)
Thanks for the great post.
Cal and his human who is under threat of chronic neck pain as he refuses to stop shaking his head.
Somehow the post was listed as anon. by tech. mistake. I am, as always, Cal the Wonderdog.
P.S. Say "cheers" to Yoshi for me
Good post.
The conservatives didn't grab power overnight. It was a process that took close to 30 years and involved a lot of work and organization.
I've been in a seething rage most of the day, but I know the time for action begins now.
A couple ideas. We need to learn to engage people who vote Republican. A lot of their concerns are the same as those of progressives, but for some reason, they've been sold on the Republican plan.
I think one of the problems is that progressives talk a lot with other progressives, but not nearly enough with the people on the other side.
Secondly, we need to find a way to deal with the corporate media that is so instrumental in shaping public opinion. I don't know how to do this, but I know it must be done.
Great post, Thivai. A nice breath of rationality amidst some very base, destructive emotions roiling up inside of me.
All sorts of things are zinging around in my noodle: that I had suspended a belief that elections in this country are rigged, and feel wholly validated in this belief after this fiasco; that Kerry conceded before all the votes are counted, and especially before all his "legal operatives" could determine the true breadth of disenfranchisement across the country; and that, when all is said and done, I am determined to stayed centered within myself as time goes on, to continue an inner engagement that will better prepare me for whatever is to come, whether as an activist, an artist or just another bubba scrambling to get by.
We need to remember that total power corrupts totally. These hooligans are consolidating themselves atop the power pyramid in this country. When they begin to implode within their own putrid matrix of corruption, it will be a much cleaner demise than if "we" were directly involved. I agree with Thivai that democracy means much, much more than voting. It means that we continue to organize, to support one another, to envision a better world, and to find happiness in our individual circles of kindred friends, families and loved ones. We'll come out looking a lot better than the wingers will.
Outreach, yes. But not by giving in on "social" issues for the sake of appealing to the current majority. Rather, by engaging in a serious and sustained counter-hegemonic project aimed at creating a new majority. A daunting task? Absolutely. But that is exactly how the right wing achieved the power they now enjoy and abuse.
Richard Rorty is wrong: for progressives to accomplish anything substantial and sustainable, we need movements, not just campaigns.
Thanks everyone for your responses.
One extra thought is developing for me... the essential problem as I see it is the corporate media and continuing consolidation. It isn't that our message is too complicated or intellectual or harsh--its that no one hears what we have to say. Oh, yeah, we do get our voice out there, but it drowns in the onslaught of conservative/neo-liberal soundbites.
I teach introductory first year university writing courses. My classes are very political and from the first day I let it all hang out. I tell my students that we should all recognize our biases (in order to be better writers and understand our positions--also so that we can recognize the bias of other authors). I outline my own perspective and background--clearly, honestly, and encourage them to do the same. I reassure them that being a radical doesn't mean that I am dangerous and even etymologically describe the orgins of the words. I tell them that my opposition doesn't mean that I want to destroy my country, instead it is rooted in my love for this absurd place and a desire for it to live up to its democratic beliefs.
We talk and they talk--I listen and encourage them to listen to other views--I respect and engage with their opinions--even those that make my toes curl--encouraging the participants to learn how to critique ideas on their framework--keeping my own critiques along those lines (which is a powerful critique).
What I'm saying? These students come in stating that their parents warned them about crazy radical professors like me... Their earlier education never prepared them for the ideas I present them with--methods of questioning truth, history, authority/expert-opinions, and memory/representation... Their media backgrounds never encouraged true media literacy...
In the course I don't sugar-coat what i have to say. I don't change the language of what I say to disguise my purpose (although I consider how I frame it and seek parallels to their daily lives). I call bullshit when I see it and encourage them to do the same when they see it. These are very conservative students in the middle of the bible belt at a big-state university.
They are often initially resistant to the message, but they learn it. Some of the biggest smiles I've had were when I ran into students a year or two later and they complain about my politics and then look me in the eye and say "I've never been able to watch the news in the same way again" or "every time I hear that I say 'But what about...'" Now I don't achieve miracles, I know that my students are on the fast track--but we aren't seeking miracles, we just need to inform people about some truths as we see it and get them to give us a fair opportunity to be heard. To get them to start thinking "but what about..."
The problem is how do we reach people to get them to hear our message.
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