Wednesday, May 21, 2003

Liberty and Justice for All Over at Rayne Today (which I only really discovered this week) the 2004 election campaign has begun. Man-oh-man, has it begun. Now that's what I'm talking about! Rayne's "Create-a-Meme" project looks to harness the energy and creativity of us all into a concentrated grass-roots political front against Bush & co. We're brainstorming slogans, themes, and stories. We're drawing up timetables and plans. It's exciting. Please check it out. My "meme" contribution so far far is: Liberty and Justice for All. It's simple. It's already in our national patriotic lexicon. It addresses civil rights and equal protection. I think it's a winner. What do you think? As for a broader thought, I believe that we really need the issues of the left, the language of the center, and the imagery of the right, all rolled up into a charismatic package. It wouldn't hurt to put together a progressive wing of the media that could get its hands dirty, leaving the candidate's hands nominally clean, like the right has. For now, I guess we're it. Got an idea? Throw it in the pot! It's stone soup time, baby! 10:17:42 PM    Put your John Hancock right here!

Follow the Power With more bombings in the middle east over the past week, it was again highlighted that the real divisions and alliances in the world are not along the lines that appear on the surface. In Israel/Palestine, we miss the point if we accept at face value that the conflict is between Israelis and Palestinians. The real fault lines lie between those who want peace, and those who want conflict. When another suicide bomber blows his wad (and yes, the sexual imagery is intended) in an Israeli city, who benefits politically in Israel? When the Israeli army bulldozes Palestinian houses, or blockades Palestinians away from their jobs, or shoots Palestinian kids, who benefits politically in Palestine? All over the world, (and here at home,) we need to look past the bullshit and posturing and rhetoric on the surface. We need to look deeper and trace the flow of power. If we don't start perceiving the real patterns, we'll never solve anything, because we'll never understand anything. 8:04:11 AM    Put your John Hancock right here!