red onion

Strategy is a new one for me. It is imperative to develop, and coordinate strategy, to take back our country.
It is imperative that many of us cooperate for certain goals, in order to accomplish this. It is imperative that we agree on a sound foundation of principle from which to idealogically move from.

I think I've found such a group. The question is: will it hold together? We're just getting off the ground (and during the holiday season at that). Two people have already threatened to quit, and I am realizing groups have to deal with childish tendenies in adults to quit the game if it isn't going their way. Another fellow in a committee meeting threatened to quite if we didn't include, eventually, the running of our own candidates under a reformed democratic ticket, or a third party ticket.

Putting aside his childish threat, this suggestion challened myself and a few others to think big. Think success. Think possibilities.

In terms of a group holding together, not so easy in a subjective universe. You've got to constantly remind people of what brought us together in the first place. Our love of the earth. Our love of each other. Our love of principled interactions with each other.

We, all of us exist in a subjective universe, and we pass judgement on others, on groups. These judgements form a solid, kryptonite wall, around our own functioning in this subjective universe, and we no longer see the other.

We must learn to transcend our internally created limitations and reach out to other groups to find the common ground.

You see, I happen to think it is possible even to cooperate with some republicans on certain issues. But that's a whole other story.

First we have to learn how to cooperate with each other.

One woman who wanted to quit our group, came into our coffeeshop yesterday and stated she was thinking of dropping out, because the group is all bread and no meat. I said simply, don't drop out, give it a chance.

It takes time to cook, to bake, the meat and bread of any organization. She's feeling frustrated like many of us are feeling. Many of us don't understand the dedication and commitment it takes to launch a group such as this.

We're in uncharted territory, many of us. We're not sure of our navigation skills, but we are going to have to apply all that we have learned in our lives to this task. Not only is this necessary, it is imperative that we organize now, and that organization take place on a local, state, then national level.

My favorite word of the day: imperative.

Dire straits is another phrase that pops into my head every now and then. It is much harder now to ignore the dire straits this country finds itself, and the world for that matter. So much in the world seems predicated on our behavior it seems. You don't need to look any further than Europe for examples of corruption in the capitalist market place; for as in Europe, as in most places in the world now, it is capitalist hegemony that determines and influences the behavior of the people, of the government. It is as though we have all been hypnotized that this is the only way.....I have news for you: the free market doesn't exist, because, in the vernacular of Janis Joplin, there ain't nothin' free my friend.

I digress. When so obviously the extremes of capitalism are showing their true, ugly face, now is the time to organize, because there will be opportunities. We must understand what will be required of us, in order to take advantage of those opportunities.

For example, there is an opportunity now to galvanize democratic supporters around the issue of election reform. Particularly African Americans. Here in New Orleans, there is quite possibly a chance to galvanize people against a new stadium for the Saints football team.

At times, we might find ourselves adopting some of the republican tactics. Actually, more like a "version" of those tactics. One tactic that we can make benign and make our own is the tactic of creating groups, with a name, around certain issues, and make them public, and gather supporters who gell on that particular issue.

For example, the new stadium that is like a shadow over this city right now. Supposedly, this idea has been all but ditched in favor of renovation of the super dome, which is costly enough in and of itself. However, the big pimple is ours and we need to keep it up. It will create jobs. However, I don't trust that these business men have given up on a new stadium.

We need to trump them. We need to form a group to oppose a new stadium. We need to discuss wether or not we support the renovation of the dome.

A new stadium though, will literally take food out of the mouths of hungry children. Public funds will pay for this stadium. The NFL isn't willing to put their money on the line for a city as poor as our's. Ironically, this means this poor city will have to pay for their own new stadium.

Guess what? We can't afford it.

And, we can't afford to not organize at this time in our personal, national and world history.