In These Times

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• • 25 Jan 09
  • 11:40 am

  I think the questions that Brociner raises are important ones, but I don't entirely agree with his answers. Brociner says that the left wisely put aside its purist tendencies in order to get Obama elected, and that it should continue to leave them aside in order to get things accomplished. I agree with the first assertion but have reservations about the second assertion. Yes, it was wise to unite behind Obama during the electoral period. It is in the nature of elections to force coalitions; we have a wide diversity of viewpoints but relatively few candidates have any possibility of winning. …

  Posted to Moving Forward Without Dogma

• • 12 Sep 08
  • 9:58 am

  Sirota is a great writer, but here is a point that he has not stated explicitly enough: Patriotism is another word for NATIONALISM. That whole business about "U! S! A! Num! Ber! One!" is an ugly part of our culture. Even Obama, who surely knows better, is forced to keep saying "America is the greatest country on earth" because otherwise he has no chance of getting elected. Greatest at what? Imperialism, I guess. Ionesco's play "Rhinoceros" seems to be out of stock at the local bookstores, so I guess I'll have to order a copy. Someday I hope to see national …

  Posted to Country First

• • 12 Sep 08
  • 1:07 pm

  Alpaig, I don't know if David reads the comments on his articles, so I'm going to take the liberty of responding for him. I think his position is similar to mine: The Democrats are not blameless, but the Republicans are not worse. And electing Democrats will not solve our problems, but at least it will reduce the rate at which new problems are being created. Ultimately it is up to us, the Movement, to solve those problems. Have you read his book, THE UPRISING ? It's a great book. Among other things it paints very clearly the love-hate relationship between the …

  Posted to Country First