Thursday, August 19, 2004

Monkeywrench Hope: An Interview with Jeffrey St. Clair

By Josh Frank

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Posted 08/19 | Add a Comment

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  1. Whadda marriage!  Perfect, Josh. And Jeffrey St. Clair should be placed on our collective shoulders.  Let’s start our Shadow Gov’t with him.  I am soooo happy this piece was posted here.  Blessings in solidarity, Oxie

    Posted by Oxie from  on  08/19  at  09:48 PM

  2. Cobb is polling at 0.2%.  Nader is polling at 2.0% That means in a room full of 1000 people, you would have 2 Greens and 20 Nader supporters.  And if either group collectively farted, the effect on the majority of the people in the room would be identical.

    The difference is, with Cobb and the Greens, in 2008, there will be a lot more of us.  All those folks who thought Kerry was their salvation are going to be deeply pissed off once they notice nothing has changed.  We want Kerry to win not just to punish Bush but also to punish the Democrats.  A Kerry victory will destroy them.

    Any political party based overwhelmingly on supporting a single figurehead is bound to go the way of the Bull Moose Party.  In 2016, Nader will have been reduced to a question on Jeopardy!  The Greens will still be there, though, and by then we’ll really be able to raise a stink.

    NSCutler

    Posted by NS Cutler from  on  08/20  at  05:20 PM

  3. Can anyone tell me what the basis is for people still thinking that we have until 2008 to address the irreversible horrors that increase daily?  Student Ox

    Posted by Student Ox from  on  08/20  at  06:00 PM

  4. We don’t have until 2008, Ox.  Indeed, concertive action probably needed to be taken several decades ago in order to stave off societies suicide.  Bush or Kerry probably couldn’t stop it even if you we’re to convince them to try using St. Clair’s monkeywrench.  We can either go build bunkers out in the desert and wait for it all to go kablooee or we can try to build societal structures that can survive the coming hell and promote rebirth.  And though it might not be sexy enough for St. Clair, in the long run taking over school boards and city councils is going to do a lot more for that than throwing handtools into presidential politics.

    Posted by NS Cutler from  on  08/20  at  11:50 PM

  5. How can taking over School Boards work as long as one has to cowtow to the parameters demanded in those quarters vis-a-vis the American flag?  I’m serious.  This stuff about either this or that in the desert...well, I’m NOT into dealing with this monstrosity of America on any sexy level...and I see quite clearly that the pace you’re suggesting (with the goals delineated) as falling far too short.  I think there are alternatives to what you suggest here.  But they cannot be implemented w/i the framework of the public school system as it is presently constituted.  Best, Ox

    Posted by Unschooled Ox from  on  08/21  at  12:11 AM

  6. If you’re suggesting violent over-throw of the governement, you’ve got a couple major obsticles:  Most of your allies are pacifisits and the opposition has a ridiculous amount of military might.  If you’re suggesting a massive culture revolution that’ll happen in the next couple years, I’m afraid that’s not likely to happen in a society where most people are able to eat and own a television (the opiate of the masses).  By the time enough people are hungry and homeless for the majority of the populace to demand change, we’ll already be in a dive we can’t pull out of.

    Taking community leadership positions now, we are able to get our message out at a local, personal level.  We are able to organize on a local level and try and address local problems, despite federal meddling.  And when our communication, transportation and trade systems break down, local government will be all that’s left between us and utter chaos.

    So you see, I don’t think the Green Party is going to save this country.  But it might save my neighborhood and eventually help rebuild.  If you’ve got a faster solution that has a hope in hell of working, I’d love to hear it.  Nothing Mssrs Nader, St. Clair and Frank have suggested seem likely to accomplish anything.

    Posted by NS Cutler from  on  08/21  at  08:08 AM

  7. We’re already in a dive that we can’t pull out of....The projections about what will happen when systems break down are..."projections." One reason the Greens can’t help is that they’re still saluting the flag and mired in too much mainstream mania. Solutions?  It’s not going to help to think that way?  Revolution?  I’ve already proposed --in these quarters-- something much more radical that “revolution” in traditional terms. It’s difficult to rebuild one’s neighborhood when (in most cases) there’s no longer a sense of neighborhood to be found. Of course, one needs to pay attention to fundamental needs in the local community. But...I have proposed to Press Action readers ad infinitum how I’d like to have us working on something in solidarity nationwide as we tinker with the little here and theres, how the wonderful small gestures won’t get wings w/o simultaneously tackling the Big Picture.  And I HAVE proposed something very particular...which addresses the “opiate” you bring up.  It has to do with the Jay Leno & Letterman shows...and it would involve inspiring others while educating them; not being violent...it could involve the pacifists. Not being illegal it has the potential to draw in some who would otherwise look the other way.  Regardless, it wouldn’t take huge numbers...like a “revolution.” But it would have a shot at being enormously effective in the face of those overwhelming guns you mention.  Hugs in solidarity, Ox P.S. I hope the machine embraces this...as I lost the first version to Technology.  Where’s the Unabomber when you need ‘em?

    Posted by Unschooled Ox from  on  08/21  at  09:45 AM
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