Green green

[John Halle]

> ------------------------------
> 
> Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2000 14:46:58 -0400
> From: Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com>
> Subject: Green green
> 
> John Halle wrote:
> 
> >Votes for Gore also reduce the chance that the Greens will receive the
> >necessary %5 for federal funding.
> 
> I think we have to take seriously that were the Greens to get federal 
> money, the result could be some mix of hilarious and tragic. Look at 
> the Reform Party's squabbles. The Daily Show did a report from their 
> convention, which appeared to be chock full of middle American 
> wackos. There are some very fine people in the Green Party, but there 
> are also tons of left wackos, who would multiply before the Treasury 
> check even clears. The scent of cash and credibility will bring in 
> all the sectarians except the Sparts, who would denounce them as 
> dupes of capital. If the party were more substantial, more organized, 
> things might be different, but since Nader is running mainly as a 
> personality using the Greens as a vehicle and brand name, the money 
> might be more chaotizing (in the bad ssense) than energizing.
> 

As a wrote in response a while back to Chuck0 when he was making a similar
point, this result is no more preordained than any other political
outcome.  The serious question for progressives is how to minimize the
chance that the wacko contingent will take control of the Greens. How this
plays out will be decided by whether individuals capable of rational
thought decide to get involved now while there's still a possibility to
make a difference. Remaining on the sidelines increases the chance that
the most dire predictions-of the sort we have gotten in the habit of
making-will materialize.

In other words, your success as a prophet will depend on your failure as
an activist.

John