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Saturday, June 22, 2013

FORWARD MARCH, PROGRESSIVES!

While anybody can read news (and God and my wife know how much news I read!) still, in the corner of southeastern Pennsylvania where I reside, things remain relatively quiet. The only ongoing fight with which I'm involved is the anti-fracking campaign of Food & Water Watch.
But I know, and I know you know, there's a lot more to do if we progressives want to be organized enough by this time next year to be fielding candidates at all levels from local to federal. One progressive trait which is, in my opinion, decidedly unhelpful is our tendency to build 'silos' within which we carefully stay. This is a time when many more of us need to be building a network of support and communication between those 'silos'. We need to reach out to other progressive organizations as we also look for possible candidates for all those offices--candidates who'd rather do the leg-or carwork of actual physical campaigning across their districts rather than selling themselves for BMCC (Big Media Campaign Cash) and, who, ideally, have a strong sense of identity quite apart from political office. People like that are usually not as buyable as those just ready to be bagmen for the highest bidders. You listening, Mister Speaker?
One thing we need is a way to find out how many other progressives are in our vicinity and also next door in all directions. Once we know this, then we must establish connections in all directions and begin to create a common plan of action depending on our local circumstances.
The network/campaign which I seek to build will run on such connections between people. Remember, the other side has the megabucks. What We The People have is us--the people--and the connections between us! If such a network and campaign is to take shape to which big money may be irrelevant (and, I hope, will prove largely impervious to big money) on what else can it be based but such person-to-person-to-other-persons-connections? That's why finding and forging these connections in a sort of nationwide 'weave' is so crucial.
A good place to start might be if a website exists for progressives in our respective states. If there isn't one, let's see what we can do about setting up one. Also, let's experiment with low-cost alternatives to high-priced media as to reminding people to vote, for whom to vote and why. Now is the time to see what each and all of us can do as per the purging of megabucks from our political processes!
Many of you already see the need for such a new organization and are already on it. Many thanks to those of you who see that; keep up the good work of spreading the news and picking and encouraging promising candidates for (fill in the blank). A big part of our work will probably be encouraging others to ask questions they may not have thought of before and taking it from there. Forward march, fellow progressives!