Date: Tue, 01 Oct 2002 18:02:01 -0400
From: Mitchel Cohen <mitchelcohen-AT-mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: Spam Green Mitch-campaign [was: Re: (no subject)]


At 05:50 PM 10/1/2002, you wrote:
>At 17:00 -0400 01-10-2002, Mitchel Cohen wrote:
> >And you know what? I and many other greens agree with you totally.
> >The saving grace for Greens in the US is that we will never get elected
> >because of the winner-take-all system here.
>
>That's either a very poor excuse or it's lying to the public.

No, it reflects a battle within the Greens over what is our "mission", and 
what is the role of elections in reference to that. You probably know most 
of what's in my pamphlet, "What Is Direct Action? New Left Lessons on 
Revolutionary Strategy," but if you'd like to see one I'd be happy to make 
you a gift of it.

<snip>

>But it's already too late. Words are very important. Once you organise 
>yoruself as a Party, the idea of Movement gets lost. Structure becomes 
>more important than content. Hierarchies are accepted because they make 
>party-life easier.

I agree. It depends on what one means by "Party".

<snip>

>I'm too much critical of all this. But you should get more in touch with 
>european greens who try to defend their goverment participation: this 
>would hopefully clarify a lot. Learn by example.

The Greens/GPUSA has been sharply critical -- condemnatory, actually -- of 
the German Greens, Joschka Fisher, etc. We also organize ourselves into 
affinity groups and take part in the street actions against the IMF/World 
Bank, and so forth. For many of us, we come out of and remain part of the 
Movement, and see our participation in the Greens as an extension into new 
arenas. But not substituting those new arenas for the movement.

Believe me, some of us understand the tension/contradictions between these 
paths. Whether that understanding can be translated into longterm practice 
remains to be seen. It is extremely frustrating having to lock horns every 
day with opportunists and careerists who try to use the Greens in the US. 
AND, there are two separate nationa Green parties in the US, don't forget, 
with conflicting views and organizational structure pertaining especially 
to the role of elections. (Needless to say, I am the editor of Green 
Politix, the newspaper of the NON-electoral-only Green Party.)

Mitchel Cohen