tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18497138.post114735790877867224..comments2024-01-22T03:02:52.051-08:00Comments on California Greening: Factions are not just a Green thing.Weshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15684763427526399228noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18497138.post-1147825364947301232006-05-16T17:22:00.000-07:002006-05-16T17:22:00.000-07:00It would appear that on this issue it has become b...It would appear that on this issue it has become beneficial that Greens, like myself, requested that the Ventura plenary be postponed and not violate our bylaws.<BR/><BR/>Now, you and any others will have sufficient time to recruit candidates for the GPUS delegate seats.<BR/><BR/>You see, Wes, we Greens for Democracy and Independence (GDI) are not about forcing our ideas disproportionately on other Greens. We want real democracy and independence from the major parties.<BR/><BR/>I am less likely to be elected to the delegate seat if we have more candidates and fuller representation, I admit. I will gladly reduce the probability of my being elected in order to realize an optimal form of internal democratic process.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18497138.post-1147795604493428362006-05-16T09:06:00.000-07:002006-05-16T09:06:00.000-07:00Steve, Let me ask another question? It appears tha...Steve, <BR/>Let me ask another question? It appears that, after the next Plenary, it appears that of 13 GPUS Delegates, eight will be members of GDI. Do you define that as proportional? If so, as proportional to what? On what basis?Weshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15684763427526399228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18497138.post-1147766259349590082006-05-16T00:57:00.000-07:002006-05-16T00:57:00.000-07:00Allow me to clarify, Wes.You wrote of Christine To...Allow me to clarify, Wes.<BR/><BR/>You wrote of Christine Todd Whitman's OpEd piece about the lack of meaningful discourse. I thought it was interesting that she would 'dis' the PR spinning, sophistry and acrimony of pluralistic politics and then hypocritically take a top position with the nuke industry PR org. In other words, she loses her credibility when she becomes the very thing that she has previously criticized. I guess the money was too good to pass up?!?<BR/><BR/>Whitman also loses credibility from the Green POV since she is the former EPA chief and is now a PR hack for the nuke industry. That is the reason why I also brought this up.<BR/><BR/>Again, to clarify: Christine Todd Whitman has NO credibility on enviro issues or on her comments about political discourse.<BR/><BR/>The next issue you bring up is the one of geography vs likemindedness as it pertains to political representation. If geography happens to correlate on particular issues with likeminded folks, then by happenstance it is an okay reason for representation. However, there is much info from the field of political science that clearly shows the best way to provide optimal representation is by grouping voters by like mind instead of artificial geographic boundaries.<BR/><BR/>The Green Party advocates stronger representation and that leads us to supporting proportional representation systems over our current weak representation system.<BR/><BR/>Hope this helps clarify.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18497138.post-1147756550944702822006-05-15T22:15:00.000-07:002006-05-15T22:15:00.000-07:00I am not sure which statement Whitman made that yo...I am not sure which statement Whitman made that you find interesting. I find it interesting that you avoid the point of the post and take off on another tangent to criticize Whitman for something else rather than to comment on the fact that she see that nature of politics today is to encourage fational divisions, whether in the Green Party or any other.<BR/><BR/>So, then to take your case, if I were supporting something, along with 6 million others from Massachusets, then where is my power. <BR/><BR/>You seem to dislike geographic districting. Still, geography is the biggest determining factor for local problems, and I still agree with Tip O'Neil that "all politics is local." Who cares the most about the California Delta, resodents of Lathrop or of San Juan Capistrano? Who cares more about agricultural inspections at the border, residents of Fresno or of San Francisco?<BR/><BR/>Given a system with intelligently defined bio-regions and multi-seat elections, then maybe proportional representation will deliver answers to my problems. <BR/><BR/>The latest edition of Hich Country News has a short <A HREF="http://www.hcn.org/servlets/hcn.WOTRArticle?article_id=16261" REL="nofollow">OpEd </A> called "Take a blockhead to lunch." It is about the same thing, the self-righteous, conformity demanding nature of political discourse today.<BR/><EM>We keep hearing that civic life these days is deeply polarized, and it is. Why is that? Because we fundamentally disagree on the basic issues, or because we’ve let shouting, blaming and scapegoating become the way we do politics? Is it because our beliefs clash at their very core, or because the frenzy and fear purveyed by our crassest media and worst politicians have made us desperate for a set of beliefs and like-minded people to cling to, however incomplete or flawed they may be?</EM><BR/><BR/>Try it some time.<BR/><BR/>(Sorry, HCN is not totally free. But everyone should subscribe anyway.)Weshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15684763427526399228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18497138.post-1147752328635918192006-05-15T21:05:00.000-07:002006-05-15T21:05:00.000-07:00It is interesting that Christine Todd Whitman woul...It is interesting that Christine Todd Whitman would make that kind of statement considering her recent acceptance of the job as a PR hack for the nuclear power industry.<BR/><BR/>http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/apr2006/2006-04-24-10.asp<BR/><BR/>The last thing that I want to see the Green Party become is something that Christine Todd Whitman would approve of!<BR/><BR/>One of the key reasons for the forming of Green parties worldwide is our opposition to nuclear power. This is one idea that 'factions' have not formed over. Until now, Wes?<BR/><BR/>Supposing that you agree with her and advocate for nukes -- and I do not know that you do -- you should have the right to do so within the party and be represented in proportion to your numbers of likeminded Greens.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com