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Edited on Fri Nov-07-03 03:00 PM by DuctapeFatwa
There was a window of opportunity, almost a half century ago, for the Democratic party to separate itself, uniquivocably and forever, from the Republican party, to become the party of the people - that 75% of eligible individuals who do not vote.
For whatever reason, that didn't happen. After a few little flurries and photo-ops and vans sent down to the projects, the party settled back into its niche, that has now become familiar, comfortable, and expected, the party of "us, too, just not as much," with props to SNL :)
At this point in the nation's history, the combination of events, and the bringing to fruition the PNAC strategies, there is again a window. Not the big gaping window of the 60's with brightly painted signs pointing it out - the polarization by now is deeper, because of that betrayal, and the 75% have been made more invisible for the comfort of shoppers, but it is there.
Last night, I had an interesting conversation with an elderly gentleman, who has lived through the days of the "white" and "colored" bathrooms, through the marches, and Dr. King's speeches, and the dogs and the nightsticks and the jail cells and 4 little girls in Alabama, 4 little angels now, he lived through the rage and the hope and the disappointment, the heartbreak and bitterness too deep for words, and I sat and listened to him, in an area of a large southern city that has gone in the past few decades from country road to singles apartment heaven to, as my friend calls it "America."
Few signs are in English. One seldom hears English. One hears Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, Amharic, Arabic, VietNamese Urdu, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, Gujarati, Jive - one hears America.
He drove me, a visitor to his city, around to see the historic places of dreams deferred and the wretched detritus of dreams interred, and he took me to the cul-de-sacs and gated communities and neo-colonial ranch monstrosities of the yard signs and fund-raisers, and then he took me to America and we had supper.
"It's like one of them sugar sores you get on your foot," he told me. "You let it go and let it go, and after while the only thing they can do for you is cut off part of that foot, maybe the whole foot."
He said a lot more, too, about talking the talk vs. walking the walk, and sinning on Satruday cause you know the preacher will save you again on Sunday, and after he got done with the metaphors, and his food, he said it plain.
"The Democrats got 2 choices. They can keep on fighting with the Republicans over that same little old bunch of folks, or they can tell the Republicans to keep them folks, cause they're going to be the party of all them other folks, they're going to be the Revolution Party."
He's disappointed in Al Sharpton.
Al, he thinks, is just trying to impress that same little bunch of folks. No different from the rest of them except he's blacker and smarter.
"But that don't matter," he went on. "If once they decided to become the Revolution party, they'll get a candidate. Ain't no real candidate going to knock on the door and sign up to be a Democrat the way it is now."
The Revolution party would have to go beyond Living Wage. The Revolution party would have to add Right to Housing, Right to Child Care, and hold elections like they do in India, polls open for ten days, thumbprints, vote where you want to vote. And everybody votes. "If you live here, you vote," he said, looking around at America. "These folks is America now," he said. "The future ain't rich white folks."
I don't know what his formal education is. I do know that anthropologists and sociologists and various distinguished ologists all over the world have been whispering gently for quite some time, heads inclined, eyes furtive, as they offer thick professionally bound studies that contain charts and graphs and formulae and projections and progressions and monographs and theses and proofs that all say "the future ain't rich white folks."
What did he think the chances are, I asked him, that the Democrats will decide to throw the house out the window and become the Revolution Party?
He laughed. "Ain't no chance. The Revolution Party gon' come from right here in America."
edit to add disclaimer
In accordance with the Uniform Code of Shape-Shifting Posting Rules, Volume 23, Chapter 87.5, Section vv-t, Paragraph mcmxviii, I have neither endorsed, volunteered for, contributed to, had sex with, or received crack from any candidate or fat-free candidate-like substance, nor am I employed by, affiliated with, or scheduled to have brunch with any regime or any government or principality, legitimate or illegitimate, natural or supernatural, nor any corporate entity, political action committee, focus group, quality circle, task force, college of cardinals or manufacturer of snack foods, and my views do not necessarily represent those of this site, the Vatican, Al Qaeda, or the Coca-Cola company, and I specifically deny knowledge of any pending agreement between myself and any combination of the above entities and Sanrio.
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