From: liz-AT-black-rose.com
Date: 6 Nov 2004 09:42:19 -0000
Subject: RE: nevermind the ballots (redux)




Iain says:

> The fact that Kerry lost in Ohio, which had seen 232,000 jobs
> evaporate and 114,000 people lose their health insurance during the
> Bush years, is incredible. 

Most Europeans seem to think this. But to someone who has been
immersed in U.S. politics, it's not incredible at all. There are
perhaps millions of Americans who thought something like: "I may have
lost my job to outsourcing and I may not have health insurance, but at
least I can do something to stop gays from getting married." This is
the only possible explanation for the outcome (not just the Bush
victory, but also Republican gains in the House and Senate).

> The failure of Kerry's campaign should drive home the obvious
> anarchist lesson that we cannot rely on politicians to act for us...

Well, it should drive home something: that the left and progressive
elements aren't speaking to the American mainstream. And we don't even
speak the same language. Going on about capitalism and class war and
imperialism is pointless when dealing with people motivated by
religious dogma. I know because my mother is one of them. If people
genuinely believe gay marriage and abortion are greater threats than
war, international hatred, and environmental devastation, what can you
say to them?

This election made me fear democracy, because it demonstrated that
"the masses" are not on our side. And the left is bending over
backwards to blame electoral fraud, voting machines, the corporate
media -- anything but the people themselves.

I'm just happy I live in San Francisco (84% against Bush). I can be
reasonably sure my neighbors and the people I interact with on a daily
basis aren't irrational fascists. And in order to impose martial law
here they'd have to take out much of northern california -- which may
be possible, but will at least slow them down a bit.

The secession idea is a good one, except that the blue states are not
continguous. And a finer breakdown shows that urban centers are
islands of blue in a sea of red in many states, leaving them
surrounded on all sides.

-Liz