INTRODUCTION
Dear People,
The USA has some real troubles. So does the world. Big troubles, and at the same time this country is run by some folks who seem determined to make them even worse. War in Iraq, terrorism, out-sourced jobs and the economy, Global Warming, Katrina, and so on. A litany of woes.
It seems that only if we make immediate and major changes that global disaster can be averted, yet our government doesn't appear to have either the will, or plan, to bring things back into balance. On the contrary, it appears the people who bribe our politicians are actually profiting from the mayhem and economic hardship most of the rest of us are experiencing.
Both major political parties, Republican and Democratic, receive tremendous financial support from corporations, so it's no surprise their voting is to the advantage of corporate interests. With both parties bought out by corporations, how can we fix things?
We're continually confronted with the choice of taking the lesser of two evils, but we've come to the point where we can't take any more 'evil', even if it's 'lesser'. BUT, were a third party with great ideas to happen along, say for example, the Green Party, the first thing we'd hear from the Democrats is, "You can't afford to vote for the Greens because you'll split the 'Left', so the Republicans'll win everything. Problem is, too many Democrats are really as 'conservative' as the Republicans, they just wear a different-looking logo. I call them 'Republicrats', or 'Dee-publicans'.
Still, it appears we're stuck in a rut. Fortunately, there's a solution-- the Longhouse Coalition, a non-partisan coalition, not a third party. That's the key--it's not a third party, so it can't divide the 'Left'. It's a means for people who want basically the same thing to cooperate across party lines, based on a simple and effective platform neither designed nor paid for by corporations, that gives people what they want, not what corporate elites want.
The Longhouse Coalition (whose name is derived from the English equivalent of the Iroquois Six Nations' government, the Haudenosaunee--more on that later) platform offers people a workable, win-able, and near foolproof alternative. A Democrat who's really 'Progressive', or 'moderate', will have little difficulty backing the Platform (which follows shortly). Whoever promises to support the Longhouse Coalition platform will receive our full support. There'll be no division of the 'Left'.
So, we can't hurt the 'Left', or 'Center'. But for those instances where the 'Democrat' is as 'conservative' as today's Republican Party, we'll present the People with a good alternative. Then we'll let the conservative Republicans and conservative Democrat split the conservative vote, guaranteeing a sweeping victory for the good alternative, the Longhouse candidates who had the will, moral caliber, and guts to stand up as an Independent candidate when the country most needed them.
After you've read the platform and said, "Well, this is great, but what chance do we have of having it really happen?", remember this--it's already been done. This isn't the first time, nor is it unique. It's been done recently, too. This isn't from a musty old page of history. It's yesterday's news.
In the 1990's Poland was ruled by an oppressive totalitarian 'Communist' regime, which in many respects is mirrored by the Bush/corporatista regime today. A bunch of shipyard workers went on strike in Gdansk, led by a young man named Lech Walesa. A series of dramatic events followed, and a grassroots movement named Solidarnosc (Solidarity) was birthed. It grew like wildfire because the idea was right, the time was right, and the Polish people were ripe for change. And it
was done, peacefully, democratically, and legally. PEACEFULLY, people.
There are a few charts following that show how simple, logical, and do-able this is. You'll find that the vast majority of seats in Congress up for election have either natural allies such as Progressive Democrats or Greens already on the ballot, or else leave us with the opportunity to run a Peoples' Write-In candidate. Write-In ballots will provide us with a more tamper-proof vote record than electronic voting machines, and because this is a popular movement, word will spread so that everyone will know who the Longhouse candidate is in their own district.
People, in a single election we can retake the House of Representatives and a third of the Senate! Over the course of the next two years moderate incumbent Democrat senators (& even some Republicans) will come over to our side as they see which way the winds of public opinion are blowing, and thus, their careers. So, we can stop the administration dead in its tracks at first, and over the following period complete the steps needed for a peaceful, legal, and democratic, shift to a sustainable and just society.
For those worried about the late start--starting late in the season isn't a disadvantage--it's an advantage. It's deliberate, a tactic. The 'opposition' has loads of money, and controls the media. Had we started earlier, that money would have bought loads of lies and disinformation. Time would have given them the opportunity to do it most effectively, and time for the poison to do its work. Now there isn't enough time for these folks to mount an effective, fully thought out smear campaign. It'll be a knee-jerk reaction at best, and it'll work for us, not against us. In the end, it's the best way to accomplish something like this.
So, this is fully do-able. Americans were at one time known as the "Can-Do" nation, a nation of individuals with gumption, energy, and spirit, a people with the will to accomplish the 'impossible'. We can be that again. Our choice if we don't is very unpleasant. An earth heartlessly, ruthlessly, exploited. People heartlessly, ruthlessly exploited. Wars. Dare I say it--the fundamentalists' Armageddon. I say, give 'em what they want. Let's send the whole gang of Corporatista politicians home,
whether they wear Donkey ears, or Elephant ears. Let's give them a real political Doomsday, let their political stars go down in flames, instead of having them sending more bombs and death to the rest of the world.
In order to successfully pull off another 'Solidarity', it's important we use some basic techniques to accelerate growth of the movement, so the Corporatista regime is always a day late and a dollar short. If we really want change, some effort is needed. Not a whole lot, mind you, but some. Start by copying the platform to your computer's 'desktop'. Print out some paper copies, and perhaps burn it onto a CD or two. Then, immediately after reading this, think of which of your friends will
really like the platform. Send it to them. Then, call them by phone. Explain to them what you've read here, then encourage them with enthusiasm to do likewise. Keep the chain growing. This will greatly accelerate distribution, and gather momentum.
I apologize, but for emphasis, here's part of the earlier paragraph repeated, along with some new stuff. In order to successfully pull off another 'Solidarity', it's important we use some basic techniques. Start by copying the platform to your computer's 'desktop'. Print out some paper copies, and perhaps burn it onto a CD or two. Then, right after reading this, think of which of your friends will really like the platform. Send it to them. Then, call them by phone. This is so very important. Not everyone looks at their computer every day, so e-mail may sit for days or weeks before being read. Further, a phone call is personal, and getting an idea across in person, rather than writing, is often more effective. But put both e-mail & phone call together, and a powerful message comes across of support for the movement. This enthusiasm in turn encourages others. So please, explain to them what you've read here, then encourage them with enthusiasm to do likewise. Keep the chain
growing. This will greatly accelerate distribution, and gather momentum. Then, send it to whoever you can think of who might be willing to help. By the way, this gives people who aren't millionaires an excellent opportunity to have a say in Congress.
Write-In candidates will be elected largely through the popularity and togetherness of the American home-grown version of Solidarity--the Longhouse Coalition.
If you'd like to be a Longhouse Coalition Write-In candidate please send an e-mail to Longhouse_Coalition_Info-owner@yahoogroups.com
Our website should be up shortly at www.LonghouseCoalition.org
There were three of us who really got this started, and this expanded to a council of seven, but the period of three or seven people deciding things has to be gotten over with very quickly--like now!--if this is to be democratic.
We'll handle this issue right now, so no one need concern themselves about it further. We've decided--unanimously--to accept candidates on a first-come, first-served basis*(with one exception--next paragraph), trusting Creator will send us the people meant to be here at this time.
We expect multiple applicants for many districts, so the tie-breaker will be who applied first. However, we don't want a boatload of Republican infiltrators hopping on board and be forced to keep them, either. So, to emphasize democracy yet still have a safeguard, the council of seven will be increased to include the first twenty four coalition candidates and myself, co-writer of the platform and one of the original three. This council of 25 will then be responsible for approving the later candidates, the sole criteria being whether the person is genuinely for the platform. A simple majority will suffice to approve a candidate. If an applicant scares over half the people, it's probably better we go in a different direction.
The one exception to the first-come first served rule is that in order to prove clearly we're non-partisan, and will work with 'good' Democrats (to walk the walk of our talk), a grace period up to October 7 (1 month before the election) has been granted for members of the Green Party, the Progressive Caucus, Russ Feingold's Progressive Patriots group, Democrats.com's slate of progressive Democrats, and the Black Caucus.
There. That's it. Short and simple, as uncomplicated and democratic as can be.
Just one last thing--a little bit about where our name comes from. Originally, a 'longhouse' was a long and narrow Native American dwelling in which all the families of a clan lived together, each with their own family area. The Haudenosaunee (Longhouse) was symbolic of all member tribes living together as one family. That's what we want to see happen in America today.
An interesting question arises when we look at the Haudenosaunee's history a little closer. The founders of the Haudenosaunee were the great Huron/Mohawk prophet known as the Peacemaker, and his assistant, Hiawatha. Because the Peacemaker was viewed as a prophet sent from God, the law he gave the Iroquois was considered holy, and thus, the government a sacred place, and governing a sacred function. Service to the people, not self-enrichment, was the goal. Interestingly, the law of the Haudenosaunee, in which equality and democracy were emphasized, served as the primary model for the United States' Constitution, so at least from one perspective, the holy law of the Iroquois present in our Constitution confers holiness on it, too. This may help explain why many folks treat the Constitution as a holy document. Intuitively, they understand that it is! They just didn't know the holiness came through a Native American prophet. It also puts an entirely different spin on George W. Bush calling the Constitution a worthless scrap of paper.
If the Constitution is sacred, then its house--Congress--is also sacred. And since the White House is a part of it all, it's a 'holy place', too. So, Christians who are into prophecy, that means George W. Bush claimed Creator's law worthless in the holy place. May be a good idea to impeach him, don't you think?
Blessings,
Robert Leon Mendelson
LONGHOUSE COALITION
contact; longhousecoalition@yahoo.com
or visit our discussion group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Longhouse_Coalition_Info/
1 comment:
Nicely put
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