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This Is Getting Exciting
The climate movement's biggest civil disobedience action ever is about to take Washington by storm.
This is starting to get exciting.
(photo: Peter Solness / 350.org)
Five or six of us are hunched around a table in a small Washington office, shouting into phones and pecking away at keyboards as we count down toward the Saturday beginning of what looks like it will be the largest civil disobedience protest in the history of the American environmental movement.
We’ve got 2,000 people signed up to come to Washington and get arrested outside the White House between August 20 and September 3, all in an effort to persuade President Obama not to grant a permit for a new pipeline from the tar sands of Canada.
As momentum builds, we’re hearing from the famous and powerful: the wonderful Bernie Sanders just offered up a blogpost pointing out how many more jobs we’d create if we concentrated on clean energy; and the dynamic actor Mark Ruffalo chipped in a heartfelt video imploring people to head to Washington for the protest.
But it’s just as exciting to see the stream of inspiring commitments coming in from four Montana grandmothers (one of whom just happens to be Margot Kidder, otherwise known as Lois Lane), or a New York City college student who felt the hope of Obama’s 2008 victory, and also a little of the frustration many of us have shared since, pointing out the many times the president has “backed down from what could have been transformative confrontations with the defenders of the status quo.” Which is exactly why so many of us will be wearing our Obama ’08 buttons when we get arrested: we want desperately to conjure up the surge of joy that came with that campaign.
For me, though, the big thrill of the day was seeing a blog post from my junior high school biology teacher, Fran Ludwig. She’s emerged in recent years as a great Massachusetts leader of the climate movement, and she managed to capture perfectly the message we’re trying to spread.
She says, "I'm going to Washington and risking arrest because, in spite of the efforts of concerned individuals and communities to live in a more sustainable way, government policy is the only way to achieve the large-scale change we need to avert the worst outcome of rampant climate change. The approval of the Keystone XL is exclusively up to President Obama. I hope to add my presence to thousands of others in Washington (and hundreds of thousands in the U.S. and across the planet) to say: Enough! We need to take a stand against fossil fuel now!!"
By Saturday morning, if all goes according to plan, I’ll be in jail, along with the first wave of a hundred or so protesters. But by no means the last—we’ll keep this protest alive till Labor Day Weekend, and then hand it off to the Canadians, who plan mass civil disobedience of their own in September.
And did I tell you we just heard from friends in Turkey? They’re planning to deliver their protest to the Canadian consulate this weekend—and they’ve spurred many others around the world in the same direction.
As I said, it’s starting to get interesting. If you want in on the fun, go to tarsandsaction.org
Bill McKibben wrote this article for YES! Magazine, a national, nonprofit media organization that fuses powerful ideas and practical actions. Bill is a YES! Magazine contributing editor.
101 Comments so far
Show AllKudos to people willing to do this. It will have an effect and those of us staying home...................... 1-202-456-1414
This action may not deliver the results we wish for but it's a start, and as Jill says, "It's something" rather than nothing. I thank the citizens of Tunesia and Egypt for showing to the world that citizens can fight back, they have it in them. Can you imagine if the entire world population got together on the same page, at the same time, dug in their heels and claimed their rights over the oppression of oligarchs? Mostly this doesn't happen because the oligarchs have the weapons and we're afraid for good reason, but it's also due to an unhealthy deference to authority, the status quo. Remember, there are far more of us than there are of them. "Give us genuine liberty or give us death," are frightening words for the ruling classes to confront - millions of fearless people with demands. Look out!
No one will be there to even see this. Obama is on vacation, congress is out for the summer with 1/5 of them in Israel on an Aipac paid vacation. Even Hill and Knowlton will have a hard time with this one.
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The critical problem in this effort is tactical, because the "objective" has NO chance of even partial success. Here's the key passage:
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"We’ve got 2,000 people signed up to come to Washington and get arrested outside the White House between August 20 and September 3, all in an effort to persuade President Obama not to grant a permit for a new pipeline from the tar sands of Canada."
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In particular the part after the comma in the passage quoted above. That has no chance of being satisfied. It's important that during the relatively early stages of any serious resistance movement that the objectives be largely satisfied, even if the objective itself is relatively small. Success in meeting "objectives" is by far the best tonic for expanding the size of a movement as quickly as possible, which is critical for ultimately reaching the movement's goals.
Excerpt from "This Is Getting Exciting" by Bill McKibben:
For me, though, the big thrill of the day was seeing a blog post from my junior high school biology teacher, Fran Ludwig. She’s emerged in recent years as a great Massachusetts leader of the climate movement, and she managed to capture perfectly the message we’re trying to spread.
She says, "I'm going to Washington and risking arrest because, in spite of the efforts of concerned individuals and communities to live in a more sustainable way, government policy is the only way to achieve the large-scale change we need to avert the worst outcome of rampant climate change. The approval of the Keystone XL is exclusively up to President Obama. I hope to add my presence to thousands of others in Washington (and hundreds of thousands in the U.S. and across the planet) to say: Enough! We need to take a stand against fossil fuel now!!"
By Saturday morning, if all goes according to plan, I’ll be in jail, along with the first wave of a hundred or so protesters. But by no means the last—we’ll keep this protest alive till Labor Day Weekend, and then hand it off to the Canadians, who plan mass civil disobedience of their own in September.
And did I tell you we just heard from friends in Turkey? They’re planning to deliver their protest to the Canadian consulate this weekend—and they’ve spurred many others around the world in the same direction.
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cd research wrote:
The critical problem in this effort is tactical, because the "objective" has NO chance of even partial success.
* * * * *
My Reply:
cdresearch,
Of course, the ultimate objective is to mobilize society to take action to counter and reduce global warming and catastrophic climate change. Opposing the exploitation of tar sands for oil production is a very important part of that ultimate objective.
These larger, critically important objectives are what inspires this action in Washington, D.C. against the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline which clearly has as its "smallest objective" inspiring as many people as possible to risk arrest and commit civil disobedience in protest of global warming and tar sands exploitation in the interests of working toward the larger objective of building solidarity, resistence, and rebellion aimed at the difficult but achievable ultimate goal of countering and reducing the consequences of global warming and catastrophic climate change.
Another unspoken and perhaps unconscious or even unintended objective of this action is challenging Barack Obama's commitment to countering global warming where "the approval of the Keystone XL is exclusively up to President Obama".
There are after all still people who claim somehow to believe that Barack Obama's intentions are good but that his "addiction" to compromise and bipartisanship provide the opportunity for intransigent Republicans to block necessary action to address the nation's needs including the ongoing damage and danger of catastrophic climate change.
Whatever happens, I do not think that Bill McKibben and other people participating in this act of civil disobedience will have difficulty getting arrested; and I do expect that Obama will approve the Keystone XL pipeline and further discredit himself in the minds of anyone who cares about the destruction caused by global warming.
Whether or not you and other people living in the United States will be heartened and inspired to further resistence by this action is of course another question.
But I am.
Benjamin Franklin supposedly said that the problem with doing nothing is not knowing when you are finished.
One of the major, and most dangerous, problems with reactionary activists like McKibben, Michael Moore, and the rest of the current flock writing most of CD's most patroned articles is that through their gleaming essays and self-righteous rhetoric they lead people to believe they are the "answer" to your closing statement, that by following their lead you are in fact doing something.
This couldn't be further from the truth. These people support the status quo, the current fascist legislature and president, and the imperialist state. They focus only on the symptoms of the underlying problem without ever addressing the underlying problem directly. I could venture guesses as to why this is, but that would stray from my point.
My point is: Don't be fooled into thinking that by attending this thing in D.C. these people are accomplishing anything or that they are making a difference, that they are doing something. This is reactionary, self-righteous politics at its most extreme and it's dangerous. There are existing movements out there that seek to address a change in our rotting capitalist system at its very core and middle-class movements such as this take away from their vision, dramatically.
momerath wrote:
My point is: Don't be fooled into thinking that by attending this thing in D.C. these people are accomplishing anything or that they are making a difference, that they are doing something. This is reactionary, self-righteous politics at its most extreme and it's dangerous. There are existing movements out there that seek to address a change in our rotting capitalist system at its very core and middle-class movements such as this take away from their vision, dramatically.
* * * * *
My Reply:
momerath,
A person can participate in middle-class oriented movements that involve protest and civil disobedience without succumbing to the delusions of the people who lead them, and turn around and participate in more radical forms of activism without succumbing to the delusions of the people who lead them, and then turn around again and do his or her own thing.
It is important both to get people out in the streets raising a ruckus as well as to engage with them in a dialog about what is critically needed to bring about real change.
It makes more sense to me to work with and respectfully engage as many people in the working class as possible. Working with people is the best way to respectfully engage them in dialog about what is critically needed to bring about real change.
Perhaps you have tried that and decided that you are finished with a large portion of the working class because you consider them reactionary and self-righteous.
Lao Tzu said something about not seeking out a place of enlightenment but also not staying where enlightenment isn't. The point I think is to keep moving and engaging people and life wherever you find them while somehow protecting yourself from destruction.
"Perhaps you have tried that and decided that you are finished with a large portion of the working class because you consider them reactionary and self-righteous."
On the contrary, I engage the working class and "poor" daily and do not find them to be self-righteous and reactionary at all. I find these faux leaders whom the CD crowd tends to worship to be and am through with them. The working class lacks real leadership and this is the main problem facing them now and in the days to come.
Over the past few months we have witnessed a global surge of betrayals and outright assaults against the working class and the poor. This hasn't gone unnonticed. People ARE aware. McKibben and his ilk, however, buttress the "legitimacy" of a broken system and the current capitalist leadership by recognizing them as "leaders" and putting "faith" in their willingness to act for the people.
No matter what you think of McKibben etal., this is absurd. He acts in the interests of the capitalists and the petite bougeoisie which, if it were defined as such, work in the interests directly opposite that of the working class.
Maybe you are right about using these reactionary forms of "activism" (the term itself is a false one, but I have to use it to convey the point) to turn the working class to more radical forms of action (I use the term radical very loosely here as its meaning has been overcharged to mean "fanatical" when in reality these actions would fundamentally best serve the working class's self-interest. To serve the interests of the true majority really doesn't seem too radical to me). To make these events effective would mean completely over-running and usurping all means of control of said "demonstration" and with the mass of brain-washed acolytes attending I don't see the odds of that happening being very favorable.
As to your closing statement again. Being afraid of one's own destruction within a system that has destroyed billions and continues to destroy billions is exactly what the establishment wants. Fear is a powerful weapon and may very well be the last line of defense capitalists use to keep the working class cowering in its dutiful place. The working class only needs to be engaged in so far as to provide leadership away from such fears of destruction and utilize the working class's indignation to create a truly democratic society.
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I very much agree with your posts. Well done. As I've said elsewhere, for the chance at ultimate success the environmentalists MUST directly confront CAPITALISM. They never have, and so will continue to swing in the wind until they formally reach out to other groups such as anti-globalization, anti-war, etc. And their strategies and tactics must be changed. They are too wimpy, and must be more clearly defined and obtainable through the use of the tactics employed. The movement must be seen as quite literally a WAR that come hell or high water they intend to WIN. It is in fact CLASS WARFARE, with non-human species as the lowest class.
Momerath- You should amass your forces of non-brainwashed acolytes and go do the work you claim others to be afraid of. If you attended the actions in DC you would have an opportunity to spread the education that you claim to is so lacking. Certainly the street is where you should be going to influence and or end the group think you claim to abhor. Radical means: one who is or returns to the center. You should be in the center of the action, not on the periphery. There will be many radicals there, and many reactionaries, but where else will you have a chance to interact with the petty middle class you demean. So you are fearless, we get it, but you are afraid to go and fail in activating people to more concrete action, you are needed at the action in DC. As for your simple analysis, remember that people are trying the best they know how, if you have something to offer let it flow. As for the straw man that we tend to worship these faux leaders, I do not buy it, perhaps that is the sentiment you are feeling, but maybe the feeling emanates from you. It is called fighting for what you want,so what do you want? Oh, and check out Murray Bookchin, you will revel in the experience.
I would love to be In DC for this, but I live 2500 miles away and can't possibly spend two weeks away from a newborn or afford the luxury of bringing the whole family along for an extended vacation to attend a business-as-usual political rally.
That said, you're right about using opportunities like this rally to create an atmosphere that precludes the capitalist hegemonic culture which these media icons (which are not strawmen, btw, they are very real) have yet to free themselves from. Puffin made that point, too, which i agreed with in my post.
As for Bookchin, I've read a lot of his stuff. I've always considered his "communalism" and Utopianism to be an amalgamation of Kropotkin's "mutual aid", Skinner's radical behavioralism and communal Walden 2, with a little bit of E.F. Schumacher's "small is beautiful" on a libertarian economic scale. I'm sure one could find many more matches.
What I can't reconcile with Bookchin, however, is his audacity to blame the working class for the UAW's failure in it's 1945 strike and his subsequent abandonment of Marxist ideals. True the working class was not the revolutionary force promised by Marxist thought, but this was because of its reliance and trust in the Union that betrayed them.
Bookchin, instead, of standing to fight like you suggest, in the middle of things, turned to a "blame the victim" philosophy that continued throughout the rest of his writings. Although he was a staunch anti-capitalist, he blames society for the problems we have today and not the hegemonic capitalist culture forcibly ingrained upon society. I find his search for a Utopia while harboring such spiteful perceptions of humanity contradictory and, ironically, ultimately authoritarian.
His ultimate support of the Green's, which are the predecessors to these faux-leaders we are discussing now, and their political betrayals of the working class the world over should be more than enough warning to any who would heed their calls.
So what do I want? I would love to prove Bookchin wrong. That the working class really is the revolutionary class Marx and Engels foretold. I don't think D.C. is the place real change will come about, though, and it certainly won't come from within the system regardless of place and time.
Momerath- Thank you for your well considered response. I disagree that Bookchin abandoned Marxist Ideals, he fought long and hard to educate about the analysis Marx and Engles provided, gave credit to Kropotkin throughout his work, and in his critique of organizations and organizers sounded very similar to your own voice. I disagree that he was 'blaming' society, rather he was encouraging everyone to see it is within our grasp to change our society through changing our own mentality. The "Greens" represented a real organization outgrowth of the rejection of the Democrats, perhaps your analysis is correct, and I agree to certain extent they proved out to be 'Deal Makers' and environmentalists instead of ecologists, but there are numerous and onerous examples of cooptation by the oligarchy: The Bolsheviks as one example. Since you are obviously more well read on socio-economic discourse then I am, or gave credit to you, let me reccommend Dr. Leonard Shlain- The Alphabet Versus The Goddess; and Sex, Time, And Power. You more than likely are familiar with this work, but I suggest investigation if you are not.
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"all in an effort to persuade President Obama not to grant a permit for a new pipeline from the tar sands of Canada."
The critical point is, the quote above from McKibben should NOT have been touted as an objective for the group's upcoming action because it's NOT going to be successful.
I'm still considering this. I live six hours away, can arrange carpooling, have time, even have a daughter in DC I could stay with, and I care passionately about the issue. But I have a problem with what I see as a stupid tactic, especially the location--don't people get arrested in a ritual fashion at the White House every day? Will the corporate press cover any of it? Above all, is there the slightest chance Obama will NOT okay that pipeline? I'm especially turned off by the bit about wearing Obama pins in the pathetic hope that this will influence a man who has had three years to show in blindingly clear fashion that he suckered us in the campaign, that he differs from his predecessor only in having darker skin and a higher IQ--that he will defend the status quo and the big corporations every single time. Above all, that he is an obvious sociopath. I'm sure if you talk to him in person he comes across as caring and decent. Smart sociopaths master this kind of acting early. It's obvious because with the economic threat to the overwhelming majority of his country's people looming, he chooses invariably to defend the right of those who could never possibly spend all their money to get even richer. Yet this problem is dwarfed by the looming crises of oil depletion and climate change, which will impact at least the next several generations, if not ending civilization and possibly the human race. What he has done so far is okay more oil drilling in sensitive places, help cover up the scale of the BP Gulf disaster and put Tim de Cristopher in jail. Oh, and get the scientist who first saw dying polar bears suspended. He has two young daughters--does he care about the world they'll live on? If not, he's a sociopath. If so, why is he doing nothing? Don't tell me he has no more power than a White House janitor--I don't believe it.
So why am I even considering joining this protest? Because I'm writing a novel with some scenes in DC I could research, and I can visit my daughter--and because IF the protests are covered by the media it may influence the public; and because this might be a good place to find people to talk to about more meaningful tactics.
1,000,000,000 years to create resources we consumed in 100 years.
Time for Arab spring to come to the USA.
The corporate powers running our country need to be confronted because they don't listen in normal ways.
Attended a Democratic rally a couple of days ago here in OH. A state representative, Ted Celeste, son of former Governor, said that it was not that many years ago that the budged passed unanimously. Now the governor, John Kasich and the republican elected officials don't listen to anyone. No one has a voice. The only voice is the ballot box. The SB5 referendum here in OH on the ability of state and other government workers to keep their unions got 1.3 million signatures. This will be on the ballot in Nov and I hope that it leads to the kind of engagement like we have seen in Wisconsin.
The other type of protest is civil disobedience. Chris Hedges says that this is the only form of protest left at the national level.
Go for it!
"If you want in on the fun" ???
So this is a party? Isn't that the sort of mentality that resulted in the riots in London?
One can only hope.
One could argue until you start breaking shit - esecially shit owned by the oligarchs like bank and starbucks windows etc thereby driving away business these people probably don't care that protesters walk down a street - except as maybe an oppurtunity by the police to pratice crowd control.
Hayduke Rides Again? One could only hope.
Which is why the WTO and Friedmanite Globalization were halted back in 1999?
Absolutely every bit of the "shit" you would break is insured, often for more money than it would be worth at sale. The "oligarchs" have investments in both security and insurance companies. They would and do MAKE money off protesters "breaking shit".
I agree that protest has lost its efficacy.
But a less sympathetic, more profitable to the "enemy", form of protest makes things worse not better.
Protests would be improved by being coupled with proactive political action or other social/economic actions like boycotts, strikes, education, etc.
Please, all you people who want to DO something big. Come to DC in October. I cannot believe that none of you are aware that consortium of Anti-War, Peace and Justice, Healthcare etc organizations are preparing for a LONG TERM action beginning on October 6 ( the TENTH anniversary of the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan). We must work together! Check out www.october2011.org and then get yourself there and participate.
Jill, I know that many here on CD are aware of the upcoming October action. My comment was directed at those who are here discussing yet another action in DC focussed on one issue. I was hoping to remind them that there IS a potentially huge action being planned and we should be working TOGETHER on something addressing ALL the issues at one time/place. It is so easy for the Powers That Be to ignore numerous small actions.
By the way, if you post here a lot you'll see that I have been here for years doing the same.
I think you intentions were good, but Jill has a point about your delivery.
Absolutely no reason why BOTH actions can't be well-attended and well-supported. They do not need to detract from each other and can in fact build each other up.
The tar sands action would be a great place to spread word of October 6th.
And a good showing for the tar sands action should encourage attendance and support for October 6th as well.
People on the left have been arguing over the "one big thing" that will unite us all ever since Nothing replaced the Indochina War as that "thing" the way the Indochina War replaced Civil Rights for "Blacks".
The one thing we need to work on "TOGETHER" is getting over trying to get everybody "TOGETHER" to do one thing. ;)
One day, such a unifying idea will come to us *cough* Constitutional Convention *cough*. But I believe that we won't get there through our habitual method of berating each other for having the wrong focus.
Having a Constitutional Convention means you still believe in the System.
General strikes have historically been no different in opening doors to severe police crackdowns, and etc.
Haven't you heard of the Taft-Hartly Act? Truman opposed it as an attack on the First Amendment, but then, after it passed over his veto, invoked it to force an end to strikes in the name of "national security" more than any president since.
Can they crack down on you for having a week long splitting headache. Can they crack down on you if you stay home with a mysterious stomach ache and nausea? Can they crack down on you if you refuse to purchase anything for a week or if you take your money out of a bank and put it instead into a reputable credit union?
These are some of the reasons that a general strike is an excellent tactic...for forcing change, once you have the people soldily behind you and it's a matter of confronting the ruling junta. That's not the case here. Half the public doesn't even "believe in" climate change and most of the rest have no idea how serious it is. Our first priority must be public education.
VP: Obama and his twin, GWB, have already taken away our civil liberties. People in the United States are not going to strike en masse.
Can you cite examples in recent US history - say past 100 years - where riots led to crackdowns and loss of civil liberties?
I don't see it. Riots have historically called the oligarch's bluff, scard them, and forced concessions. That was definitely the case with the racr riots ofthe 1960's, and the LA riots in the 90's.
The civil rights movement generally did not advocate violence, but it was helped along by the urban race riots of the 1960's. Similarly the riots in London will strengthen the hand of those opposing Austerity in a more intentional and structured political manner
I get your point here about riots leading to craftier and more effective responses, but in LA in the 60's, Watts made police brutality and racism an issue and gave the the black community more power visa vi police.
Appreciating some of the positive political consequences of rioting does not equal advocating rioting. There are many negative consequences to rioting as well, For instance many burned out ghetto areas stayed burned out for years and even decades after the US riots of the 60's.
All true, but please note that demonstrations that involve no violence, or perhaps a couple of rocks thrown while tens of thousand march or chant peacefully, are regularly attacked violently by police with the approval of the public. It may be true that using violence or property damage legitimizes police violence--but it's not true that eschewing it can avert police violence.
In my opinion, reprisals are gauged only by the capacity of the powers that be to respond. The Amritsar massacre, for instance, was a far greater provocation than any recent riots, but it did not result in air bombardment of India, as it would today, because the British government did not have that capacity to respond in 1815.
Belief in "moral authority" perhaps begs the question itself. Any person that would extend such authority does not logically possess any.
I would love to see a sustained general strike. Or even a one day general strike. We are so far from being able to organize such that it's not funny. But it is a worthwhile goal.
And what did they accomplish? A few people ended up with plasm tvs and new sneakers. The young man is no less dead, his family is no more informed or comforted? The economy of the area is even more devastated.
The British oligarchy has been warned. Further Austerity will result in further violence and rioting. At least now, the ruling elite in England understands that elite looting in the form of bank bailouts and austerity will have consequences.
Your view of the riots is short sighted and overly pessimistic. From a strictly political POV, the riots are a positive development.
I'd like to share in your optimism that the UK government has "been warned" because of these riots, but I've seen no real signs that this is true. I agree that these riots are much more than posters here are making of them, though, and I applaud you for making the point that these riots are politically, first and foremost, a positive deveelopment. I only hope other people lift the veil of MSM reporting and government rhetoric to see that for themselves.
Along those lines. This opportunistic "jailing" for the tar sands is one of the most ridiculous forms of reformist "protest" i've seen gain speed...perhaps ever. If our government was run "by the people and for the people" as it is supposed to be this and other environmental tragedies would never even be an issue because the working class government would not allow them to be.
I find it sad that so many people buy into these reformists agenda hook, line, and sinker when a more glaringly obvious solution is right before them. It baffles me how the "aware" can still be so unaware.
Yeah? and what is that more effective solution that is so glarlingly before us? Pray tell!
Gardenernorcal- Direct action has led to the : The 8 hour day, the 40 hour week, the weekend, workers injury compensation, the end of child labor, the end of chattel slavery, the end of Jim Crow, and the list goes on, in fact includes everything we have earned from the oligarchy. You do not want to join in the fun, you already made that clear. Trying to link the action in DC with negative connotations is a tried and true tactic of the police force- that you attempt to disparage the insurrection in england at the same time is clever positioning, but expected. Your moniker was chosen to give your comments the illusion of being progressive by insinuating you are a cannabis grower. Thin. It is called fighting for what you want- so what do you want? So please look into your heart and see if you find any love, and lead with that, not this childish collaboration with the oligarchy.
Amen. There's always an excuse to do nothing. Nor is he/she listening, we are talking protest, not riot, and the two are NOT synonomous.
We have a new Jim Crow called mass incarceration and a cowed and paralyzed black population.
http://blackagendareport.com/carceral_state
You sir(gardenernocal), are an idiot of the first degree. Civil disobedience is in no way synonomous with rioting.
I'm with mwildfire. What if we don't have an "Obama '08" button? Can we still participate? Suppose we never experienced "the surge of joy that came with that campaign"? Won't we feel excluded from all the conjuring going on to revive that glorious, joyful moment?
Those of us who never believed, in '08 or any time since, Obama was anything but a transparent fraud and would never deliver on a single progressive hope for real change, instead of the meaningless changing of the guard that we got, are not now surprised in the least that he's giving the green light to the tar sands pipeline. He's simply performing his assigned duties to one of the key industries that planted him in the White House. Or does McKibben still nurse the absurd fantasy that Obama actually pays ANY attention to him and his organization? You fell for his corporate-choreographed vaudeville act before, but it doesn't seem you really learned anything important.
He's just not that into you, Bill. And he's certainly not into doing anything to address global warming, except to ignore it so it will go away as an environmental issue either wing of the Business Party duopoly will even acknowledge exists.
Ephraim wrote:
I'm with mwildfire. What if we don't have an "Obama '08" button? Can we still participate? Suppose we never experienced "the surge of joy that came with that campaign"? Won't we feel excluded from all the conjuring going on to revive that glorious, joyful moment?
* * * * *
My Reply:
Ephraim,
Sure, of course. You can still participate.
I don't have an Obama '08 button, but would go to Washington, D.C. if I could to protest the tar sands pipeline. Instead I will support the effort as best I can from a distance.
Nowhere has it been said that anyone has to wear an Obama ’08 button. Some people might wear an Obama ’08 button as a reminder to themselves and to others that they have been betrayed. Others might do so simply to say to Obama and the Democrats that they supported them in the past, but the failures of Obama and the Democrats have come to civil disobedience on the part of their past supporters.
Bill McKibben and those in the environmental movement who share his past enthusiasm for Obama would benefit from compassionate solidarity with people who care enough to go to D.C. commit civil disobedience, and get arrested despite the fact that they know Barack Obama is not inclined and was never inclined to do much of anything about the problem of climate change.
That is what solidarity and movement building is all about.
Of course, "this is getting exciting" for Bill McKibben and others who have patiently tried to work a system that they have believed in only to become frustrated and despondent because they have been completely ignored.
I think it is exciting and I never believed in Obama and I did not vote for him.
I hope Bill McKibben and others in the environmental movement can re-kindle and sustain "the surge of joy" that comes from intense commitment, and the willingness to put yourself on the line by taking action about something that you care deeply about, and from a greater understanding of what actually needs to be done to challenge those in power who have always opposed doing anything about global warming and climate change through their deeds, if not alway through their words.
While angry riots may or may not sometimes help, patient and determined struggle and solidarity is essential to any successful effort to confront and take power from those who oppress us.
- -
P.S.
I agree with Visiting Professor that wearing a Nixon campaign button would be much better than wearing an Obama '08 button.
However, I suggest the "President Nixon. Now More Than Ever." button as a conversation piece which adds more than a touch of saracasm and irony for us non-Nixon supporters when starting conversations with Obama '08 button people and non-button people.
Button people? Are you a button person?
Sometimes it feels good to be silly. Sometimes it doesn't.
:>)
McKibben's "Obama pandering" is really starting to make me sick.
I think he would be a much more effective spokesperson if he dispensed with all the BS.
It does no one any good to deny the "Obama reality" (that he favors business as usual over environmental protection) -- any more than it does any good to deny the scientific reality of climate change.
I really doubt mcKibben even believes his own BS, which means he is just doing it to appeal to any residual (false) hope that people have in Obama. In other words, rather than just honestly tell people that they were suckered into beleiving something about Obama that is not true, Mckibben is reinforcing that false belief. That's just dishonest in my opinion.
Like the woman quoted above, McKibben has stated that "The approval of the Keystone XL is exclusively up to President Obama." (I suspect that's where she got the statement from ,in fact)
So, here's the main question I have: if Obama OK's the tar sands deal, will McKibben dump him?
Somehow I doubt it. My guess is McKibben will just move on to the next event to give "Obama one last chance".
It really gets old after a while.
Something I learned from years as a classroom teacher is that unless you follow up on your "disciplinary promises", people learn very quckly that you don't mean what you say -- and just ignore what they perceive to be idle threats.
I think Obama dismissed folks like McKibben long ago. I means, serioulsy, why would Obama actually take a guy seriously who has asked everyone to wear their campaign button from 2008?
This action is just this months project. me thinks these 'projects' are sapping the strength and peoples money that might generate the real thing. The 'biggest protests' aren't generated by BS and don't originate in D.C.. especially by political tools sitting around sipping expressos. I don't see this stopping the pipeline – any pipeline. But its only my opinion, I could be wrong.
Obama buttons?
Seriously?
Maybe with the International No bar across his fascist face...
Yeah Bill. Obama is a real environmental kinda guy.That's why he punished BP by reopening the gulf to more deep water leases. That's why Obama really punished the oil industry by opening artic drilling. That's why Obama got 34 billion for nuclear developement and supports limiting liability for the nuclear industry. That's why Obama appointed Ken Salazar ( the biggest mining whore that ever existed)to the dept of interior.Get real Mckibben. The public is tired of listening to your limp handed bullshit.
Thank you. Wearing Obama pins to the rally is a humiliation. Why not just hang a sign around your neck saying, "I'm a gullible and naive idealist and I don't have the 1st clue about how politics works."
The opportunity to rekindle joy or hope over Obama's election is a long time gone. He's shown very clearly that he is a fink and a fraud and that those who supported him were suckered.
You guys are so right. For awhile it seemed that McKibben's dreamworld of hopefulness was giving way to appropriate anger. Now comes the idea for a demonstration with everyone pretending to appreciate pretensions Obama never took seriously. The '08 buttons idea displays such over-the-top wimpishness that it's deeply depressing.
I'll repeat Jimbojangles crisp treatment: "It does no one any good to deny the 'Obama reality' (that he favors bau over environmental protection) -- any more than it does any good to deny the scientific reality of climate change."
How can someone who never fell for Obama's empty rhetoric participate in this demonstration without embarrassment, when the leaders of the demonstration display such childishness? I wish some adults were protesting the tar-sands pipeline somewhere.
Even if it may not be McKibben's intention, wearing the Hope '08 pins, may serve as a type of reminder to Obama, as well as his followers, that he has not made good on his words, nor on the "Hope" he convinced some he was bringing (whether real or fabricated). A kind of in your face, look what you have(n't) done type of reminder that could be a glaring, 'Make good on your word or get out of the White House.' That is my hope anyway.