apophenia :: politics

October 31, 2008

Please support No on Prop 8

In California, we have a proposition on the ballot that seeks to enshrine discrimination into the state constitution. As one of the first states in the country to legalize same-sex marriage, California took a step in the right direction towards equality. Proposition 8 would unravel that.

Much to my horror, the folks behind this measure have been preying on voters with the least information to get this proposition to pass. They've been spreading malicious lies (equivalent to the idea that being gay is a spreadable disease). They've primarily targeted the non-white, non-English speaking, low-income voters who are expected to turn out for Obama, saying that if this measure fails, homosexuality will be encouraged in schools, churches will lose their tax-exempt status, and religious believers will be sued for hate crimes. In a letter encouraging the passing of Prop 8, Senator Dennis Hollingsworth states that "unless Proposition 8 passes, acceptance of gay marriage is now mandatory for all of us."

What happened to tolerance? What happened to non-discrimination? What happened to the erosion of a culture of hate? Senator Feinstein is rightfully pointing out that passing Prop 8 is pure descrimination. Bill Clinton is asking all California voters to reject this measure.

The proponents are very well funded and the No on 8 people are reaching out and begging for your support. They want to run advertisements all weekend to make sure that people are informed. I've donated money to this cause on numerous occasions and now, I'm begging you, please contribute.

If you're a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien (regardless of what state you live in), you may contribute to this cause. If you have a few spare dollars or believe as strongly as I do that this proposition must be stopped, I beg you, please contribute. I've set up this donation page to encourage you to do so. For me. For all of the LGBTQ people out there who deserve to be treated equally under the law. For all of the beautiful couples who have committed their lives to loving and cherishing their partners who risk being told that their love is not real.

No on Proposition 8: My Donation Page

Category: politics

Tags: LGBTQ marriage queer

   

Posted by zephoria at 3:14 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

October 29, 2008

my views on California propositions (vote NO on 4 and NO on 8)

Voting is absolutely critical. It's especially important that youth get out and vote so let me begin by sharing this brilliant video:

Now... with respect to CA state propositions... While voting is a personal act, many people choose to vote based on what those around them are voting. For this reason, I think that it's important to share your opinions and, as appropriate, research. Thanks to my proposition party, I have a decent sense of all of the different propositions and I thought that I'd share what my ballot will look like on local issues in case this is helpful to those of you who aren't sure what you're voting. I'm happy to respond to comments if you're confused as to why I'm going in certain directions. (As for president, I'm DEFINITELY voting for Barack Obama.)

State Propositions:

• Prop 1A, Safe Trains: YES!
  
• Prop 2, Confining Animals: yes
  
• Prop 3, Children's Hospitals: no (yes if you're in favor of bond measures)
  
• Prop 4, Waiting Period: NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!!!
  
• Prop 5, Nonviolent Drug Offenses: still not sure...
  
• Prop 6, Police and Law Enforcement: no
  
• Prop 7, Renewable Energy: no
  
• Prop 8, Definition of Marriage: NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!
  
• Prop 9, Criminal Justice System: no
  
• Prop 10, Alternative Fuel Vehicles: no
  
• Prop 11, Redistricting: torn...
  
• Prop 12, Veteran's Bond Act: YES
  

Proposition 5 is a bit tricky... It's based on Prop 36 which is really good and really effective, but it also seems to take the choice out of the hands of judges rather than simply making it feasible for more drug offenders to take the rehab path. Additionally, it seems to re-classify violent criminals as non-violent criminals which I have a mega problem with. I'm leaning towards 'No' but still looking for more information.

Proposition 11 is also a bit tricky... It's generally a good idea, but there are some flaws in the actual proposal. Many Democrats argue that you shouldn't vote for it because it would weaken the Democratic party. I think that's a lame reason. That said, the randomness factor to the redistricting proposal worries me. There's good reason to believe that this will have a negative impact on people of color, communities of interest, and other minorities. I'm leaning towards voting 'no' because I'm worried about this, but I am still looking to be convinced otherwise.

Btw, for anyone who looks at Prop 7 and Prop 10 and thinks "weee... better energy" think again. These are really screwed up propositions that look good on surface but actually fuck over progress towards green energy AND make a handful of people shitloads of money, including the sponsors...

And for goddess sake, vote NO NO NO NO NO on Propositions 4 and 8. They are evil, downright evil. Proposition 4 is the third attempt to limit minors from the right to choose without parental consent (even when their parents are abusive). Proposition 8 is an attempt to legalize inequality in the form of banning marriages for loving couples of the same sex.

Local:

• Prop A, Gang & Youth Violence: yes
  
• Prop B, Update of Low Rent Housing: yes
  
• Measure J, Community College: yes
  
• Measure Q, LAUSD: torn...
  
• Measure R, Traffic Relief: YES
  

Regarding Measure Q... I don't like bond measures at all. That said, our schools are in dire shape. That said, Measure Q doesn't really address the systemic problems or put structures in place to move forward. That said, our Governator is going to further cripple schools on November 5. Way way way torn.

Category: politics

Tags: propositions ballot election voting

   

Posted by zephoria at 5:50 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)

September 13, 2008

how to throw a ballot party (for American voters)

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you know at least two of the candidates running for President. You might even know the Congresspeople running or if you have a Senator race this year. But do you know who is running for city council, school board, state legislature, or judge? If you have propositions, do you know what they are? Do your friends? Sadly, for most Americans, the answer is a profound no. This can be fixed.

Our democracy is most effective when we have an informed citizenry. This does not just pertain to federal elections, but elections at all levels. Often, the local elections are the most important. The judges that you elect to superior court might be nominated for Supreme Court a few years from now. The people you send to state legislature may be running for federal office in no time. Who you help get experience at the local level shapes what happens at the federal level in all sorts of direct and indirect ways. Furthermore, it affects your life directly.

Wading through information on local elections is undoubtedly a pain in the ass. Sure, you're about to be inundated with pamphlets telling you which way to vote and if your local newspaper is still functioning, they will inevitably list who they want you to vote for. But is this really what it means to be informed? I think not. Rather than waiting to be told what to do, I vote that each and every one of you hosts a party where you leverage the collective intelligence of those around you.

Steps for throwing a ballot party:

1. Find your local ballot and make a list of all items that you need to know something about. Make sure to include state legislature, county supervisors, city council, school board, judges, and all local and state propositions. Include anything unique to your area. And if it makes sense, include the federal races, although I usually skip those altogether.
   
2. Invite your friends to your house for a ballot party... promise alcohol. Encourage them to indicate which items they'd prefer to research and to invite a friend or two.
   
3. Assign all items on the ballot to attendees. Double up or assign multiple if necessary. Try to give people a mix of races/measures.
   
4. Ask all attendees to research their assigned items. Encourage them to document the pros/cons, the people who are supporting and protesting each, any and all information they can find about the issues at hand.
   
5. If it's your thing, buy a lot of alcohol. Wading though a hefty ballot can be better with alcohol and there's nothing like being tipsy while debating with friends. Finding a comedian also helps tremendously. This eases tension. If all else fails, record The Daily Show or Colbert.
   
6. When everyone is gathered, go through the ballot, item by item. Have the attendee(s) who researched it detail what they learned, what they couldn't find, and what their impression is based on their research. Discuss. Document the discussion.
   
7. After the party, put together a "cheat sheet" from the night, listing each element, the key issues, and the collective consensus. I usually use YES, yes, mixed, no, NO and make a special note if case statements are necessary [e.g., if (pro_bond_measures) YES;]. Send this document to all of your friends who attended and those who didn't. At the top of the sheet, indicate the election day and last day for registering in your community. If you're a geek, put this up on a wiki and share it with everyone in your local area.
   
8. The day before the last day of registration, call up all of your friends to confirm that they've registered. If not, volunteer to drive them to where they can register.
   
9. The night before the election, resend the list to everyone and encourage them to vote.
   

I've thrown ballot parties for years now. Not only does this result in a fun excuse for a party, but it's also an ideal way to make sure everyone knows what the hell they're voting for. Even if you and your friends don't agree, at least an informed decision is being made. This also results in network effects. Your vote might not shape an election, but if you get 30 of your friends to vote one way through information and they get 30 of their friends, ... well, that changes the results quite quickly, especially for local elections where decisions are often made based on hundreds or tens of votes.

Many of us (self included) are actively working to become global citizens. Often, this means that we know more about what's going on in Darfur or Georgia than we do about what decisions are being made at our school board. Don't get me wrong - being a global citizen is really important. Yet, while local politics may feel unimportant in comparison to world crises, the decisions made at a local decision affect your life in so many ways. Who fixes your potholes? How does your trash disappear? How are your hospitals structured? Who makes sure you have water, power, and gas? We always bitch and moan about the state of the union, but too often, we forget about the importance of local communities. They matter. And being an informed citizen really matters. Democracy isn't about presidential races. It's about engaging in civics at all levels to make society a better place. It's about knowing who's running, what they stand for, and how they will make your community a better place.

If you're reading this, please, I beg you, get informed and vote. This election isn't just about Obama and McCain and you shouldn't think that you're relieved of civic duty because your state is not a swing state. Sure, your vote might not matter when it comes to the presidential election, but it definitely matters when it comes to local elections. The vast majority are decided by very small margins and if you engage and encourage others to engage, you have the power to shape those. Throw a ballot party, spam your friends, hell, drive them to the bloody polls. Just get involved. Our democracy depends on it.

Update: For propositions and ballot measures, check out Ballotpedia, a great wikified resource of information on ballot measures.

Category: politics

Tags: elections voting democracy local informed

   

Posted by zephoria at 4:23 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

August 29, 2008

As a woman, I'm offended.

As a woman, I'm offended by John McCain's decision to select Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. It is clear that the decision is primarily driven by politics, by the belief that to get Hillary's supporters, all you need to do is play the gender card.

I respect what Palin has done in Alaska in terms of calling out corrupt politics, and I'm sure that McCain does too. But being a whistleblower and working towards a clean state government are not qualifications for the (vice) presidency, especially not in times like these. We need whistleblowers and we need people who will work to clean up the government, but we need so much more than that.

McCain is not a young man. The most important quality in a vice president is their ability to be the president should something happen. It's one thing to say that Obama is not ready because he hasn't spent enough time in Washington, but he has worked on issues at many levels and he is very well connected globally and engaged in global political issues. There's nothing that indicates that the same is true of Palin.

Palin is the Governor of a state with severe economic issues. What has she done? She played protectionist politics to keep a dairy company in business when it was clear that they couldn't compete and they still failed. Trying to protect failed business plans is not the path towards economic growth. Her current plan, although not yet implemented (thank god), is to destroy the environment and put at risk future generations for economic prosperity today.

As a woman, I'm offended. Women have long borne the responsibility to protect the environment and future generations. How can she turn her back on this to reap short-term political and economic rewards?

Palin marks her identity by noting that she's just a soccer mom. She is respected politically for questioning powers that be. She is respected by evangelicals for not aborting her son after learning that he would have Down Syndrome.

As a woman, I'm offended. Palin has the right to choose what she does with her body, and I respect her decision, but I also demand the right to make my own choices. Feminism isn't about aborting - feminism is about the right to choose and make decisions about our bodies based on what is best for everyone involved in the social context in which we live. A woman's personal choice alone does not make her eligible for presidency.

I voted for Barack, but I deeply respect Hillary. I am in awe of the work she has done and that she continues to do. In 1992, I would've (could I have) voted for her in a second over Bill. 2008 is different and I think that Barack is bringing to the table something far more important. My choice of Barack is not a diss on Hillary. For the first time in my life, I made a choice about who to vote FOR not who to vote against.

Palin is not Hillary. Palin lacks the experience, the connections, the political stature, and, most importantly, the deep respect for women and women's issues that Hillary has.

As a woman, I'm offended. I'm offended that McCain is choosing a woman who is clearly ill-equipped to be the president of this country in an effort to woo over Hillary's supporters. I'm offended because McCain's decision is one of the most misogynist ones I've seen in recent history. Does he honestly believe that women in this country are so stupid as to believe that any woman is a substitute for another woman? That all that us women boil down to is our XX chromosomes and estrogen? C'mon now.

Don't get me wrong - I want to see women in the highest positions of power in this country. But I don't just want any woman. I want women in power who have earned the respect and worked to achieve said power. I want women who are chosen because of what they have done, not how they look in a political power game.

I was expecting McCain to choose a woman. I figured that's why he waited this long. I was expecting him to go outside of the DC circuit and my latest musing was that he'd choose Meg Whitman. Sure, she'd be controversial as hell, but damn is she a professional power house. And, unlike Palin, she actually knows something about economics. Her experience as CEO of a major international company has given her tremendous experience that would complement McCain tremendously. She's financially self-sustaining and appealing to the economic conservatives that the Republican party lost under Bush. Sure, she's controversial and I'd hate to see that kind of corporate-ness inside the White House, but she's beyond qualified and capable. Palin is an entirely different picture. She appeals to the social conservatives because of her personal views, but she lacks anything resembling the qualifications to be president.

As a woman, I'm offended.

I wasn't going to vote for McCain before, but I had at least respected him and what he's done for this country. He's completely lost any ounce of respect in my mind. His decision to choose a vice president based solely on her gender is absolutely antithetical to every value I hold dear. Our sisters, mothers, and grandmothers did not fight for women's rights only to have a woman toted around as an accessory in federal politics. I am confident that Palin is a smart, compassionate, and capable person, but she lacks the qualifications, experience, and long-term thinking to be president. This isn't about DC. She hasn't even done anything worth mentioning in Alaska. For McCain to tap her for this position is just outright offensive.

On the anniversary of women's right to vote in this country, Hillary asked the crowd if they voted for her or for the people that she's trying to serve. In asking the audience to vote for Barack, she asked them to move beyond individualist-politics and focus on the issues at hand. My hope is that women everywhere took that message to heart. This isn't about getting a woman into the White House. It's about creating a future that we want to live in.

Category: politics

Tags: mccain palin election gender

   

Posted by zephoria at 2:24 PM | Comments (59) | TrackBack (0)

August 28, 2008

with great privilege comes great responsibility

Just as the Olympics was a spectacle of physical prowess, the Democratic National Convention has been a spectacle of political aspiration. As best demonstrated by my preference for Fantasy Congress over Fantasy Football, I'm much more of a sucker for the political. And this week's convention was most definitely a 10.0.

Each speech addressed a different American anxiety around Obama's candidacy. Michelle Obama began by taking back the idea that Republicans have a stranglehold on the meaning of family. Hillary Clinton's brilliant articulation of the need to rise above individual candidates and move forward as a united party went straight at the efforts by Republicans to leverage a divided party. Bill Clinton reminded us that he was attacked by Bush Sr. as being the young upstart with no experience. And then Barack, oh Barack...

Barack articulated the problems that we are currently facing and the costs of the last 8 years. He made light of his "celebrity" status, noting that his experiences and connections to people aren't quite what one might imagine a celebrity lifestyle to be like. He then offered concrete moves he intended to make as president, dead-on facing the attack that he's all dreamy and not-at-all concrete. And then... oh and then... He laid out why dreaming and moving towards a higher purpose is more than political bullshit, making it clear that government cannot fix society alone. He asked everyone to take responsibility for their actions and to work together to make this a great nation. He set out what government can do and what people must do. He asked people to engage and promised to work for them in return.

In my work, I am constantly reminded of the costs of hyper individualism. The publics that we know are driven by consumerism, not collective goods. The politics we live with are power-games that capitalize on sound bytes and psychological diversions. The information culture we inhabit is driven by fear and sensationalism. I'm not looking for nationalism, but I wouldn't mind a culture that recognizes that we are our brothers' and sisters' keeper. I would like to see a culture that concerns itself with the public good, that makes decisions that and words towards what benefits the collective. This can't be done with policy. It must be done through inspiration and mindfulness. And good policy must be integrated with efforts to right ourselves in this direction. Barack's speech asks everyone to realize that politics as usual comes from our collective apathy and obsession with minutia. Details are important, but we must be moving towards a meaningful goal for any particular policies to matter.

Policy is important, but that's not why this election matters to me. I don't think that the intricacies of politics can be laid out in a policy speech and I don't think that being an informed voter is about policy. I think that it's about the direction we are headed, about the higher goals, about the things that we all have a stake in and can contribute towards. I want a leader who can lead, not just one who passes laws. I am interested in the philosophical question of how you can motivate a population to work towards a common good and achieve great things.

I know not everyone is inspired by Barack, but what excites me is how many people are. I see people engaging for the first time. I see young people getting excited that they can do something. Of course, I also see a lot of bitter, angry, and cynical people. I'm not sure if Barack is going to be able to help them turn those attitudes around, but I am confident that he's going to try.

At the end of the day, I live in a country with tremendous wealth, power, and privilege. And thus, I'm reminded of the Noblesse oblige: with great privilege comes great responsibility. Many individuals have used that call to drive them to do good, but now I think that we must find a way to make that our collective mission both domestically and globally. My hope is that Barack's candidacy (and ideally presidency) may help people recognize their place in this networked world and their responsibility to it as well. Whether we're talking about the environment, terrorism, education, health care, or the economy, we need to be talking about networks and networked peoples. These are systems and systems cannot be managed individually.

So...

I have a dream... that one day the people of this nation will open their eyes and see their neighbors as brethren once again and work to make sure that they too are happy and prosperous.

I have a dream... that one day the people of this nation will let go of their selfish desires and work towards the collective good, caring for those who are in need, and helping other achieve to their fullest potential.

I have a dream... that one day the pursuits of knowledge, innovation, and happiness will be the gross national product we seek to maximize.

I have a dream... that come this November, we put a halt to being an arrogant, controlling, greedy, and aggressive global actor, that we ask our allies for forgiveness, seek humility, and work to right the wrongs that we have inflicted on so many peoples for so many years.

Let communities rise... Let people come together as one... Connected at last.

Category: politics

Tags: obama DNC election dream MLK

   

Posted by zephoria at 9:23 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

July 31, 2008

Rebooting America

For those who haven't seen it already, Rebooting America is out. Edited by Allison Fine, Micah Sifry, Andrew Rasiej and Josh Levy, this book contains a collection of essays from a bunch of super awesome folks, including Yochai Benkler, Susan Crawford, Esther Dyson, Newt Gingrich, Craig Newmark, Howard Rheingold, Doug Rushkoff, Clay Shirky, David Weinberger .... and moi. You can download the whole book here or buy it here. If you just want to read my essay, check it out:

Can Social Network Sites Enable Political Action?

This essay complements "Digital Handshakes in Networked Publics: Why Politicians Must Interact, Not Broadcast" from Ben Rigby's Mobilizing Generations 2.0.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 11:22 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

July 9, 2008

FISA, Obama, and the Internet People

FISA (the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) is a thorny piece of legislation. It started out relatively sane back in the 70s, but in a post-9/11 culture, it got all FUBARed. It was amended by the PATRIOT Act and then there was a revision done called the Protect America Act (gotta love the naming here, right?) Well, this last bit expired and there's a new amendment act that's pending in Congress (and likely to pass today).

The biggest problem with this piece of legislation is that it would provide immunity for the big Telcos against all sorts of lawsuits where they're being sued for violating people's privacy. (Think: warrantless wiretapping, AT&T turning over all customer records, etc.) The rest of the legislation is rather murky but it's set in a political landscape where there is good reason to question governmental decisions wrt surveillance. There are good reasons to provide adequate tools for intelligence, but one must raise their eyebrows when private enterprises are getting immunity for breaking the law at the request of the government.

So, Obama was initially against this piece of legislation. For some combination of political reasons that I've lost track of, he's compromised and is backing the new FISA extension while just verbally lamenting the immunity provisions [1]. Well, folks are pretty pissed. Tens of thousands signed up for a Group on MyBarackObama called Senator Obama - Please Vote NO on Telecom Immunity - Get FISA Right, following a Facebook-style protest. This type of digital collective action is piquing the interest of all sorts of folks, including those behind the Personal Democracy Forum. Micah Sifry's analysis is a must read and there are other good ones there: [1] [2] [3]

As fans were throwing more and more public hissy fits, Obama was forced to respond. Members of his staff posted his response to their blog and took comments, resulting in an onslaught (more than 600 comments in 90 minutes). Obama tried to defend himself and what it means to make unpopular decisions to compromise.

It's not likely to do any good. Obama is going to vote for this piece of legislation and, even if he doesn't, all of the Republican Senators and most of the Democrats will. (And any moment now...) Still, what I find fascinating is how many people have gotten up in arms about this. FISA is not the kind of legislation that most people get their heads around. Yet, I talked to all sorts of folks in the last week and while they had no idea what FISA was, they thought that it was bad and were worried that Obama was backing it. They had heard about FISA through the collective mobilization efforts. They may not have seen or signed the Care2 Petition or the Night of Facebook Action or the Facebook group or the Get FISA Right website, but they'd heard about the rumblings even though the media coverage has been downright lousy. They had a sense that there was a disconnect. More importantly, folks felt empowered to speak back and they were able to raise their voices loud enough to demand a response. Even if that response wasn't what they hoped for, that's still fascinating.

As I watch this unfold, I'm both in awe of the collective mobilization efforts and utterly confused about the actual dialogue. I still can't figure out why Obama is backing FISA (and "compromise" isn't a reason). I don't understand why Congress thinks it's so important to pass this bill even with the immunity provisions. Every "Get FISA Right" website, petition, and call to action tells me to encourage my Senators to stop FISA without telling me anything about FISA other than the immunity provision. Only Wikipedia is articulating the provisions. There are more in-depth discussions, like Tim Ferriss' interview with Daniel Ellsberg, but they are few and far between. So I find it interesting that there's a lot of mobilization without a lot of articulate information, dialogue, or debate. Even the politicians seem to be avoiding getting into the details.

As we think about the role of the Internet People in political actions, I can't help but wonder what it means that there's more mobilization than information. The conversation seems to circle around "compromise" rather than focus on the dynamics of the provisions and the logic behind them. This seems quite odd to me.

PS: In a tangential, but related political reality check, the Telcos are now suing cities that have decided to provide Internet access as a public good. So on one hand, the government is providing immunity to Telcos and, on the other, the Telcos are now suing to stop the government from serving the people. Gotta love it.

Update: Moments after posting this, the NYTimes reported FISA passed. Obama voted for the bill. Attempts to eradicate the immunity provisions failed. And, much to my irritation, the age old privacy myth was voiced by Senator Bond who said there was nothing to fear in the bill "unless you have Al Qaeda on your speed dial." ::grumble::grumble::

Category: politics

Tags: FISA law

   

Posted by zephoria at 12:01 PM | Comments (16) | TrackBack (0)

May 31, 2008

politics of terrorism studies

Years ago, I subscribed to Newsweek to get a source of lightweight magazine news that was relatively mainstream. I don't expect in-depth coverage, but I still enjoy seeing how certain things are being framed. Plus, it's fun to read Steven Levy, knowing that he's making tech culture broadly accessible. Lately, I've also been enjoying columns by Fareed Zakaria. I don't always agree with him, but I find his essays far more provocative than I'd expect from such a mainstream column. Thus, they always make me smile.

This week, in "The Only Thing We Have to Fear...", Zakaria dissects different studies on the frequency of terrorism. He points out that the definition of "terrorism" varies by region such that what's being measured is inconsistent and meant to return desired results rather than a real portrait of what's happening. For example, civilian deaths at the hands of militia in Iraq is considered terrorism while the same practice in Sudan is not. This has significant policy implications. And, of course, it is part of the culture of fear.

I'm curious if any of you scholars/researchers out there know anything about these various studies and what the politics behind them are. I can certainly make my guesses, but as I spend more time analyzing quantitative studies, I'm really curious to know more about the politics behind controversial quantitative studies. Who's involved in deciding how terms are defined? How do funders affect definitions and framing? What happens when researchers and funders disagree? Or when funders don't like the results?

I feel very lucky to be backed by a Foundation who does not engage in pressure tactics and is infinitely supportive of hearing things that they don't want to hear. I wonder... are there any ethnographic studies out there about social science scholarship/funder relations?

Category: politics

Tags: terrorism academic studies ethics

   

Posted by zephoria at 6:50 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

May 23, 2008

this ain't about sexism

Driving home yesterday, I listened to Pat Schroeder and NPR talk about how people are not voting for Hillary Clinton because of sexism. I swore at the radio and then apologized to my car.

As everyone who knows me knows, I'm SICK AND TIRED of this election. I've been disenchanted, frustrated, depressed, and irritated. Lately, I've just been downright angry. I am a third wave feminist and I'm proud of it. Gender issues have been central to my identity for as long as I can remember. I am ecstatic to think that a woman might be in the White House in my lifetime. But I refuse to vote for someone solely on the basis of their gender and I resent being told that this makes me sexist.

I have absolutely no doubt that sex, race, age, gender, religion, class, and other factors are at play in this election. Talking to teens, I was always fascinated by their discussion of "that black guy" and "that woman" running for president. At least those labels were relatively accurate. "That Muslim" (Obama) and "that polygamist" (Romney) were a bit harder to stomach. I am very frustrated by how intolerant much of this country is, but I don't have a lot of patience for when people suggest that one intolerance is better or worse than the other. I've always appreciated the second wave feminists for what they did for women in the 1970s, but I identify as a third-waver because I think that it is irresponsible of feminists to seek power for rich, straight, white women at the expense of other women. So when Gloria Steinem wrote an op-ed in the NYTimes about how women are never front-runners, I shuddered. She argues that sexism is not taken as seriously as racism and that sexism is a bigger barrier. I'm not quite sure what world she's living in.

My instinct was to list off all of the ways in which race is more of a barrier. Like the racial make-up of our jails. Or the racial make-up of the tech industry. Or the racial dynamics in LA. But this would be counter-productive because I don't believe that comparing such intolerances is effective. And besides, they are tightly entwined and interwoven. So I mediated and just decided that Steinem doesn't represent me or my generation of feminists.

And then there was Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania killed me. Going into PA, I believed that I could vote for either Democratic candidate in November. After PA, I decided that I'd rather vote for Mickey Mouse than Clinton. I have no tolerance for politics as usual and I'm pretty annoyed with all of the candidates at this point for falling into such disgusting crap. But how on earth did Clinton manage to convince the press that she's "more working class" than Obama? After his (admittedly foolish) statements in Appalachia, she went on and on about how he was an elitist condescending fool while nothing that her husband was the first black president and aligning herself with the working class. How on earth is a millionaire with an amazing pedigree and unbelievable social connections able to convince working class America that she's one of them? Grumble. I think we all need to do a bit of owning up to our privilege at this point. But, oh right, that won't get us elected. Grumble 2.0. This was just one of the many charades that convinced me that Clinton is more determined to win by any means possible. And that worries me. I don't trust that she'll do what's best, but what'll make her look good. Gas tax holiday? Hello!

Lately, it's been the whole sexism issue. I have no doubt that she's been treated unkindly in the press. And sexism is part of that story. But how can she say that sexism is the reason that young, educated voters aren't voting for her? She's done extremely well with older women and white working class men and Hispanic/Latino groups. Sure, there's still some sexism in here... I've heard plenty of older voters say that they'll vote for her because her husband will help her out. But they still voted for her! She's not done so well with young, educated groups or with black voters. How is this sexism? Frankly, if this election is about sexism, I wouldn't have expected her to do so well with traditionally macho and misogynist populations. So is my refusal to vote for her a sign of my self-hatred?

I keep hearing that she's not leaving the race because she doesn't want to signal defeat, that she doesn't want to let the sexists win, that she feels like she needs to stay in so that the next generation of women will feel as though they have the power to go for it. I am the next generation of women. I don't feel disempowered by her not being the nominee but I do feel embarrassed by her refusal to step aside and her ongoing efforts to crack the party into half. I don't like her speaking on behalf of my generation of women this way.

In her justifications and explanations, she refutes any critique that she's not being a team player or that she's doing damage to the party. In some ways, time will tell. But I hope to goddess that when she finally steps down, she works as a senior Democrat to help heal the party and bring people together. If she does this, I will give her a second chance. But right now, I'm absolutely positively disgusted. And please, can we get off this sexism story? It's embarrassing.

Thanks for letting me blow off a little bit of steam.

Category: politics

Tags: sexism election obama clinton

   

Posted by zephoria at 6:25 PM | Comments (25) | TrackBack (0)

May 7, 2008

Mobilizing Generation 2.0

Ben Rigby and Rock the Vote have put together a book for activists, politicos, and organizers called "Mobilizing Generation 2.0: A Practical Guide to Using Web 2.0." It is a how-to guide to help those who want to mobilize using the web, focusing on how organizers can leverage blogging, social network sites, photo/video sharing, mobile phones, wikis, maps and virtual worlds. Interspersed between the directly practical and usable are a handful of "Big Picture" essays which are intended to help organizers put the practical and usable into a broader context. I had the honor of writing one of these based on my talk last year at Personal Democracy Forum. My essay is called "Digital Handshakes in Networked Publics: Why Politicians Must Interact, Not Broadcast." In short, I outline why it is important the politicians treat the online world as another form of public space where direct outreach and interaction is critical. If you see networked publics as a modern-day street, it only makes sense to login to the street and start shaking hands.

If you're only looking to read what I've written, you can check my essay out here. If you're an organizer or activist, you might enjoy it better in the context of the whole book.

Category: politics

Tags: activism

   

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February 7, 2008

did my vote count?

A month ago, I called the county registrar to make certain that I could vote in the democratic primary and confirm that I would get my absentee ballot. I couldn't remember if I was registered democratic, independent, or green. The woman at the other end of the line told me that all was fine and that I was in the system, no worries. I took this to mean that I was registered democratic because I didn't know at that point that independents could vote in the primary. I got my absentee ballot in the mail a few weeks later. The ballot said that it was a democratic ballot, but the pamphlet said that if you're an independent, you have to fill in the #6 dot as well. I was uber confused by this. What would happen if I was registered democrat and filled in the #6 spot? Since I was pretty sure that I was registered democratic based on my conversation with the registrar, I decided not to fill in that extra bubble and moved straight to #9.

As election day panned out, I started hearing about "double bubble trouble" as independent voters were being given democratic ballots but not being told about the extra bubble. Worse, the silly punch machines in the democratic zone at the polling places didn't have a section for punching that out. Midway through the day, I found out that a friend of mine didn't vote because the absentee ballot that they sent him didn't have a democratic section even though he'd wanted this. Then I started hearing about precincts running out of democratic ballots. And pollsters giving people the wrong ballot and not letting them void it for the right one. And on and on and on with the various chaos. So I started wondering: did I do it right? Did my vote count? (I kept the stub but I can't figure out how to confirm whether or not my vote did count. Anyone know?)

It seems as though the problem that I was hearing was bigger than I imagined. Courage Campaign is reporting that 94,000 independent ("decline-to-state") voters in LA are having their ballots rejected because of this problem. The registrar in charge of LA County is refusing to check these ballots by hand, thereby invalidating the intent of those voters. As a LA resident who isn't sure if her vote counted, I'm pretty bloody peeved about this. I'm glad that the LA Sups ordered an investigation, but it seems like this should be obvious and not require external demands.

As I started fishing around to find out more information, I found something alarming. The San Francisco Chronicle originally reported that the Clinton campaign "is mystified by the Election Day complaints from the Obama team, since the rules for decline to state voters - specifically the requirement that request Democratic ballots - have been a matter of public record posted on the California Secretary of State's web site for months." (These quotes from the Clinton campaign were removed and the article's title altered in the version updated 7 hours later.) I hope to god that the Chronicle's article was changed because they inaccurately quoted the Clinton campaign.

As much as I'm a big fan of Obama, I'm a bigger fan of democracy. I believe that every vote counts, even those that disagree with me. I'm pretty annoyed that my registrar is telling reporters that voters were educated on this. I'm a very educated person who is obsessive about her right to vote and I didn't understand the bloody ballot. As an average citizen, I don't care that this requirement was on the website for months. And I sure as hell didn't look to either candidate for instructions on how to fill in the ballot. Voting instructions should be clear in the instructions that I'm given. And it wasn't. The ballot didn't tell me what I was registered. No one at the polling place told me what I was registered. All I knew was that I had a democratic ballot, thought I was registered democratic, and voted for #9. Oh, and I did it in blue pen because I did see the instruction that only black or blue pen would count.

Please please tell me that our democracy is not so broke that people's votes aren't being counted in this primary. I mean, if Courage Campaign is right and 94,000 votes in LA weren't counted, I'm scared. Then again, Chicago voters were told that broken pens have invisible ink. At least LA didn't stoop that low.

Category: politics

Tags: election voting corruption

   

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January 31, 2008

my February 5 voting ballot: Barack Obama and CA Propositions

It's election time. For the first time in my life, I'm excited about a primary. Why? My vote actually counts for once!! It's kinda a weird feeling and it makes me realize how much different it would be to vote if it were all about choosing delegates rather than a winner-takes-all scenario. I ended up taking the primary pretty seriously, researching the candidates and thinking long and hard about what my choice should be.

At first, I defaulted to identity politics. I mean, I've been dreaming of a woman president all my life. But then a friend of mine asked me if I'd vote for Condi just to have a women president and I was like omg no. So I decided that this was irresponsible and that I should sit and think about the issues more deeply.

Problem is that the issues aren't the issue - by and large, Barack and Hillary are on the exact same plan. Then they came to Los Angeles and one glaring difference became visible: Hillary is all about old media and Barack is all about new media. Hillary is totally in bed with big corporations (and Hollywood) and Barack embraced a lot of the innovative ideas put forward by independent startups and tech culture. This started to make me very nervous about Hillary. For me, net neutrality is a *HUGE* issue and I would hate to see the next president play nice with old media just to get some bribes.

This all started making me think about media and its relationship to the presidency. For better or worse, media plays a HUGE role in making a president and helping the president communicate to (or outright manipulate) the masses. I realized that Barack had an asset that few really thought through: Oprah Winfrey. I don't think that Oprah can necessarily get him elected, but if he were president, what I do think that she can do is help the masses understand the decisions at play. She's her own woman and I don't think that the White House could ever buy her off, but if she's invested, I strongly believe that she can help people understand sticky complex issues in an elegant way. This is going to be extremely important as we face the crisis in Iraq. Iraq is not a matter of pulling out/staying in. Both really really suck as solutions. Problem is that the mainstream discourse is binary and that's going to make things a mess for the next president. The economy and its implications are another piece of chaos. The environment is another issue. We need a president who can communicate to the masses and get support to make difficult changes in this country. I don't believe someone in Washington can do this alone and, damn, Oprah is about the best asset in the world for helping out.

Then I started thinking about the general election. Hillary is soooo divisive. I actually feel badly for her on this front, but I can't ignore that reality. People love her or hate her. She has enemies everywhere. She's going to have a hard time getting things done because of those enemies. She doesn't motivate young people to be engaged in politics like Barack does. And, frankly, I don't think that she can beat McCain. And that worries me. Cuz even if McCain isn't that bad, the idea of another term of Republican machinery SCARES THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF ME.

Finally, when I was in Davos, I expected everyone to be pro-Hillary and anti-Barack because of the whole "experience" thing. I was shocked to find that this was not the case at all. Most foreign diplomats and companies thought that Barack would be much better at negotiating with foreign powers than Hillary. They all knew that the candidates would have huge advisory teams that would help them understand what was going on. Even though Hillary knew more people already, they felt as though Barack would be more effective. (And most were extremely worried about how Bill would overshadow anything with Hillary... another sad reality.)

So, I made my decision and I'm going to vote with a level of enthusiasm unprecedented in my lifetime. I donated to his campaign and I'm going to vote for Barack Obama.

California Propositions

Before leaving for Davos, I threw a proposition party so that my friends could come together and collectively decide how to vote for California Propositions. Here's my slate for anyone who is interested (or any lazy person who wants someone to tell them how to vote). More notes over at Mindtangle.

CA Prop 91: NO (Not even the proponents are for it any longer.)

CA Prop 92: YES (This formula should've been redone long ago; community college is extremely important and, arguably, more important than HS ed.)

CA Prop 93: NO (I don't like fishy changes in term limits that suit the proponents and have unclear long-term effects.)

CA Prop 94-97: NO (Gaming contracts the benefit the top tribes at the cost of the smaller ones are extremely problematic and without clear audits, it's not clear that it will be the economic benefit that people believe.)

LA Prop S: YES (Yes, the 10% tax was illegal and so yes, this is an increase not a decrease in taxes. But the damage done by propositions in the past makes funding some of these necessary services really challenging and I strongly believe that we should modernize the phone tax and, more importantly, that companies using digital systems should pay per user not per company. This prop isn't ideal but it's necessary.)

Category: politics

Tags: election voting

   

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June 7, 2007

The Devil Came on Horseback

After WWII, my grandfather and grandmother moved to Khartoum in what is now Sudan. My aunt was born there but they left before my mother came into the world. My grandfather often told me that political tensions were already rising when he left, but he isn't one for talking details about these things. I've always been quite intrigued (and often disturbed) by what has and is happening in Sudan.

When Bich Ngoc Cao told me that i absolutely must see The Devil Came on Horseback, i decided to take a break from my current state of workaholicism to see it. Her recommendations are usually spot on and this film is mind-blowing. I knew of the atrocities in Darfur, but this film does an astounding job of really personalizing the stories of the people involved. It's deeply disturbing, showing the horrifying images of genocide through the lens of an American Marine Captain who is assigned to document the lives of but not protect the people of Darfur. At one point, he can no longer sit by and watch and so he returns home to the States to rally American politicians. He figures that if they just knew, they would be in there to stop it. Or if the American people just knew, they would make their government do something. As we know, the tragedy in Darfur continues.

On top of the amazing depiction of what is taking place, there's a simple message: raise a fuss, contact your politicians, make them know that you care and that you want them to do something. I am trying to convince myself to believe this could work, although i admit that i'm feeling very disillusioned with our political structure. Still, i do believe that it is important for the American people to understand what is taking place there. This is genocide and it is horrific. People are being brutally murdered because they are of the wrong race. The women are raped and tortured and people are burned alive. And, just like with Rwanda, we have turned a blind eye while China continues to fund this atrocity. I really recommend checking out this movie when it comes to your town (currently, it seems to be on the film festival circuit). Also, check out Save Darfur for more information on what's happening in Darfur.

Category: politics

Tags: darfur film

   

Posted by zephoria at 4:12 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)

May 18, 2007

"Digital Handshakes on Virtual Receiving Lines"

I gave a short talk at the Personal Democracy Forum today. I put together a crib for anyone who wishes to get a sense for what i said. Very simple talk with one point: politicians should reach out and shake virtual hands with young people rather than just putting up flat profiles on social network sites. Anyhow, if you're interested, enjoy!

"Digital Handshakes on Virtual Receiving Lines"

Category: politics

Tags: talk PDF2007

   

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February 6, 2007

Los Angeles is green!

Tonight, i had the fortune of attending a Hollywood Hill event featuring Deputy Mayor Nancy Sutley. She spoke about the moves LA is making to turn itself into a green city. The event took place at the home of the producer of "An Inconvenient Truth" and the room was filled with truly engaged Hollywood types invested in social change. The conversation was fantastic but what astounded me was just how many cool projects are taking place in Los Angeles.

My favorite project concerns "bio solids" (a.k.a. crap). When you flush your toilet, your feces is diverted to an old oil chamber where it is left to decompose. As this happens, the shit lets off a bunch of methane which is then converted into energy for the city. (Don't worry - it's clean by then.) How cool is that? Apparently, we're the first city to really do this on a large scale.

Last year, 6% of the city's energy came from renewable resources. By 2010, the goal is to have 20% of it coming from renewable resources. There are projects involving solar power, wind power, methane, and all sorts of other things. There are also projects underway to encourage the reduction of energy consumption. Building developers who are going to be LEED compliant have a much easier time getting their permits. There's a group called 18 seconds working with large corporations to move everyone towards environmentally-friendly lightbulbs (lightbulbs can be changed in 18 seconds).

Apparently, in the 1990s, the city had all of these initiatives to move everyone to using low-flow toilets (giving them out for free across the city). The result was a 15% water savings. This is crucial considering LA has to get its water from all sorts of weird places. There are now initiatives underway to bring back the LA river (which was paved over in the 1930s as a flood prevention technique). This will allow more water, more green space, more bicycle lanes, and fewer movie-ified high speed car chases. There's also a million trees initiative where the city will plant a million trees by 2010 in areas that desperately need them. Aside from being pretty, trees are critical to environmental ecosystems because they like to eat carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen.

I can't even remember all of the other initiatives i heard about tonite but i'm in awe of how conscious our city government is about these issues, how they are engaging with environmental organizations and city planners, how they are working on multiple levels to address environmental issues in the city, and how they are working to make it a better, more liveable city. I have to admit that i haven't been that proud to live in land-o-Hummers but this event made me feel much better about Los Angeles, or at least those in charge of the government.

Anyhow, yay Los Angeles! And now, if we can only figure out how to get community sidewalks and eyes on the street.... (And sssshh all of you haters out there.)

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 10:35 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)

January 2, 2007

prisoner 24601: teenage sex offenders

If you believe in the sex offender registery (and even if you don't), i'd really like you to read this article in the Atlantic Monthly: Why Is Genarlow Wilson in Prison?

It is the story of a 17 year old "good" kid who will spend 10 years in prison for child molestation and be forever on the sex offender registery for having consentual oral sex with a 15 year old. One of the interesting twists in this case is that this would not have been his fate had he had vaginal sex with her (oral is a felony; vaginal is a misdemeanor). This kid had no prior runins with the law; he was a football and track star, homecoming king, honor roll student. He was your picture-perfect kid who fought the law and the law won. Imagine if he was your kid.

Now, think for a moment about what it means that this sex offender list is being put to other purposes. Does this kid deserve to be banned from MySpace (or the numerous other spaces that are seeking to build restrictions based on this flawed list)? Does he deserve to be limited from living close to a school or park? Does he deserve to have to wear a tracker for life, to be permanently branded? This list is not being scrutinized; it is inherently flawed. We are punishing people over and over again. Double jeopardy was set up in the constitution so that we would not repeatedly try someone for a crime but this list is double punishment all the same. What happened to the belief that people can change that is at the root of our modern prison system? What happened to the Judeo-Christian value of forgiveness for ones sins?

The law has ruined this kid's lives. They have made him a criminal. It is one thing to believe in justice; it is another to turn people into slaves of the law.

Now every door is closed to me
Another jail. Another key. Another chain
For when I come to any town
They check my papers
And they find the mark of Cain
In their eyes I see their fear
`We do not want you here.'

Look down, look down... you'll always be a slave.

Category: politics

Tags: sexoffender registry myspace youth

   

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November 18, 2006

UCLA Police Taser a Student

Police officers at UCLA abuse their power by repeatedly taser one of their students. ::shudder:: Students videotape the entire incident, requesting identification from police who refuse to provide it. This makes me sick. Welcome to a police state.

For more information, see Blake Ross's detailed post. Also, the LA Times covers the students' protest and the efforts by UCLA to calm the furor by ordering an outside probe.

Category: politics

Tags: police taser UCLA

   

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November 8, 2006

Prop 83 blocked in court

For those of you who didn't obsessively watch the election results last nite, Prop 83 (the flawed sex offender one) passed 70/30. This is not at all surprising although what really gets my goat is the number of people who voted for it who didn't realize what it did. Every time i'd bring up 83 with people, they'd tell me they were all for it. So i'd tell them what all it would do and show them the fine print. They were horrified. I've managed to convince everyone i've talked with to vote against it (except the people at the CyberSafety event who believe that anything to stop sex offenders even if you kill the baby in the process is AOK). This drives me crazy because it's a classic example of ill-informed voters hurting everyone.

So, while i was really hoping that my message might have gotten out about 83, i knew that it was going to pass and i was prepared for that disappointment. I wasn't prepared for the immediate blockage of 83 by the courts: "U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, ruling on a lawsuit filed here early Wednesday, said the measure 'is punitive by design and effect' and likely unconstitutional." I really hope that this means that it might not go into effect because the law is so problematic and costly. It might also mean that, if it works its way up the courts, it might be blocked in other states. ::bounce::

Still, the problem stands: voters don't read the fine print when it comes to propositions. This means that many other propositions can pass if worded in a way to capitalize on people's fears. That REALLY upsets me and i'd like to know what to do about it.

So, all and all, it was a decent night. We have the House. Rumsfield resigned. We may get the Senate (but even if we don't, Cheney has to be the tie-breaker which is *fascinating*). Of course, we still have the Terminator terminating education in California. And far far far too many states banned gay marriage. And the reality is that no one voted _for_ the Democrats but _against_ the Republicans which means that we really shouldn't be celebrating per say. On the plus side, more people seemed to have come out to vote than have in a long long time. And it looks like a lot of young people came out too. But i still can't call that a victory because more does not mean close to all.

I'm also disturbed about something else. I watched election returns until it was clear no more info on Virginia or Montana was coming in last night. I couldn't help but think about how close the last few elections have been and how much money is being made off of election coverage. I remember being horrified when i realized that there's fine print at the end of Reality TV shows saying that the producers have input over who gets kicked out. In short, they make sure that the results are rigged so that people want to watch the show. The last few elections have felt like that - uber close elections meant to make people like me obsessively watch TV coverage all night, nearly memorizing all of the ads (i will definitely see Bobby on Thanksgiving). Please please please tell me these close calls aren't scripted. I really couldn't handle that.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 3:14 PM | Comments (13) | TrackBack (0)

November 7, 2006

tis election day. vote dammit!

Say NO NO NO NO to Proposition 83 and Proposition 85! PLEASE! See my full slate.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 4:42 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

November 3, 2006

voting issues, take n

Remember when i said that i couldn't vote in LA? I filed a complaint with the city about my inability to vote. I then learned that a bunch of my friends were in a similar position so i was unbelievably pissed. Luckily, i called up the nice San Francisco people and got them to emergency me an absentee and was all prepared to vote in SF. Then, late last nite, i got a call from some government official telling me that she had heard about my problem and had looked into it. She told me that i was now registered in LA and should have no problem voting. I asked if an absentee ballot was going to be rushed my way (since i'm in DC next Tuesday). She said that they had no record of me filing permanent absentee and that i had to remember to check the box. I said that i knew this and had done so on all three of my registration forms. She told me to hold on and i heard muttering and shuffling of papers in the background. I was then informed that she had my application right there and i had indeed checked permanent absentee and that she was extremely sorry. She explained that i couldn't get an absentee ballot on time but that i could go to Culver City City Hall and vote touchscreen. She gave me detailed information and told me to call her back directly if i ran into any problem. I asked her if i could have my friends call her and she said yes.

I immediately called my friends and told them to contact her. K did so right away - i had pressured her into registering ("for her own good") and so, when she finally decided to register, she wasn't pleased that she never got anything back once she did. She called up the lady this morning who immediately recognized my name and took care of K, making sure she too could vote. While this is all fine and well (and i'm glad that i can vote and i'm glad that K can vote), i'm not too thrilled that there seems to be many mistakes in the registration process. How many people aren't registered because of such oopses? Why do we even have to register? Why can't we automatically be registered simply by being citizens? ::grumble:: And we wonder why people don't vote.

Anyhow, i went to City Hall to vote. At first, i was pretty humored. There were people of all ages and backgrounds standing on line to do their civic duty. When i got to the front, i asked if i could use a paper ballot; they looked at me like i was the devil and told me that this was a touchscreen only station. I decided i should suck it up and figure out how this touchscreen shit works so i didn't argue. But OMG do i not feel secure about my vote. I went in and there was a big Diebold machine laughing at me. I was given a card that i had to put into the machine so that i could click a bunch of buttons on a screen and "submit" my vote. Did it count? I have no idea. I'm not even a technophobe and i don't trust that damn thing. One of the things that i love about voting in SF is that i have to tear off this piece of paper at the top of my ballot; that confirms my vote and i can always go back with it and say, find my vote. I'm one of those crazy people who even keeps her pieces of paper until well after the election. When i cast my ballot in SF, i get to see the machine read it and the number go up - i can always see how many people voted before me. Here in LA? I have no idea. And i'm sooo not confident about the database behind that thing. I asked if i could get a receipt for my voting and the people looked at me once again like i had horns. They said that it counted, that it was all in the computer. (Damn techno-fetishism.) I made a less-than-thrilled face. One guy say and said, here, take this and handed me a sticker. Rather than simply saying that i voted, this sticker has the gall to say "I voted touchscreen."

::sigh::

For the record, i want to state that no matter how fucked up this process is (and it's MAJORLY fucked up), it's critical that you get out and vote and fight for others' right to vote. Our ancestors fought to make this country a democracy. Lives were lost so that all men could vote, regardless of the color of their skin. The fight for women's suffrage was long and hard. Still, today, there are many around the world who don't have the privileges that we take for granted when it comes to voting. Regardless of what you believe, if you are an American, you have a civic and social responsibility to get out and vote on Tuesday. Furthermore, you have a responsibility to make certain that every citizen in this country can vote and be counted. Freedom means nothing if you aren't willing to fight for others' right to vote or if you aren't willing to get off your ass and vote yourself. Vote on November 7. Be counted, be heard.

i love my country
by which i mean
i am indebted joyfully
to all the people throughout its history
who have fought the government to make right
-- Ani Difranco

Category: politics

Tags: voting election

   

Posted by zephoria at 3:27 PM | Comments (15) | TrackBack (0)

November 2, 2006

my voting slate

I held a proposition party last night. For those who are not familiar with this, it's an event where i gather American friends to discuss the different propositions in California so that we can all be collectively informed. I've found that i often don't agree with the suggestions of major organizations but that i'm very politically opinionated. By bringing my friends together, we can split the research and educate each other. Plus, it's a good excuse for some wine.

I've decided to post my intended ballot here. If you violently disagree with something that i've listed, please comment and explain why (i'm happy to be convinced to vote otherwise). For those who tend to just vote whatever someone else says, you're welcome to use this. ::grin:: Although i've done the research for Los Angeles, i have to vote in San Francisco due to *#$&! voter registration fuckups. Thus, i'm including the propositions in both cities.

State Propositions:

• Proposition 1A: NO. Transportation Funding Protection. While money is needed for transportation projects, the uses here are too narrowly defined. Legislators should make decisions about the best allocation of these resources; they have more information than we do.
  
• Proposition 1B: NO. Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality, and Port Security Bond Act. This is too focused on freeways, suburban sprawl, and moral panics; there is too little focus on public transit for such an expensive bond. Plus, it's a bond measure.
  
• Proposition 1C: YES. Housing and Emergency Shelter Trust Fund. While this is a bond measure, it focuses on low-income groups that desperately need housing help (battered women, disabled, senior citizens) and there's no other good way that these groups will be helped.
  
• Proposition 1D: YES. Kindergarten-University Public Education. Again, sucks to be a bond but schools are in desperate need of repair and damn thee Prop 13.
  
• Proposition 1E: Yes. Disaster Preparedness and Flood Prevention. Again, more sucking on the bond part but we also know that the federal government is not going to repair CA levees and while this doesn't solve the problem, it definitely helps. Not great, but better than nothing.
  
• Proposition 83: NO NO NO NO NO NO NO.... FUCKING HELL NO! Sex Offenders. ::grumble::
  
• Proposition 84: ? Water Quality, Safety and Supply. I don't know where to go on this - it helps central valley in the near-term but is unsustainable.
  
• Proposition 85: NO GAAAAH NO NO NO NO NO... BAD BAD BAD! Anti-Choice, Anti-Youth Waiting Period and Parental Notification. I can't believe this is up again. On top of all of the fucked up aspects of this legislation, one key side effect is that it will drastically increase parental child abuse. Bad bad bad.
  
• Proposition 86: YES. Tax on Cigarettes. While i don't like how this tax will be leveraged primarily on poor people who addictions, i do support cig taxes that channel their money into medical programs instead of advertising programs. I also think that a drastically huge tax will shock some people into quitting.
  
• Proposition 87: YES. Alternative Energy. While the market will force companies into thinking about alternative energy, this will help fund more basic research. I wish we could tax foreign oil too but that's a federal issue.
  
• Proposition 88: NO. Education Funding. It breaks my heart to say no to this but it's too vague to be useful.
  
• Proposition 89: YES. Political Campaigns, Public Financing. I'm all down with limiting corporations and taxing them when it comes to their power over political campaigns.
  
• Proposition 90: NO. Government Acquisition, Regulation of Private Property. This is a false eminent domain issue that would give developers far too much control over environmental and other local initiatives about what is best for a town.
  

San Francisco:

• Proposition A: Yes. School Bonds. I hate bond but damn thee Prop 13. Plus, all reports say that this has been working since the pass of the original bond measure.
  
• Proposition B: ?. Telecommuting for Board of Supervisors. I don't get it - it seems pointless and a waste of a proposition.
  
• Proposition C: Yes. Salaries of Top City Officials. Seems appropriate.
  
• Proposition D: Yes. Privacy of Personal Information. Duh - don't sell personal info just cuz you have access.
  
• Proposition E: ?. Downtown Parking Tax. It'd be great to lower cars but i'm not sure how this will be spent or who this will hurt.
  
• Proposition F: Yes. Paid Sick Leave Requirement. Quality of life issue - when are we going to learn from Europe?
  
• Proposition G: ?. Limitations on Chain Stores. On one hand, i hate chain store takeover of SF; on the other, i'm not sure if this is the best thing for people given that many people can't afford boutiques and the indie restaurants that pop up. I'm leaning yes because of my poshy views but i don't know if this is the best approach.
  
• Proposition H: Yes. Relocation Expenses for No Fault Tenant Eviction. Helps those who are required to move cuz it's god-awfully hard to do in SF as a poor person; especially helps seniors.
  
• Proposition I: ?. Make the Mayor Meet with City Council "On The Record." I love transparency but this is a catfight proposition concerning Gavin and i'm not sure this is the way to do this.
  
• Proposition J: YES. Impeach Bush/Cheney. Policy statement....
  
• Proposition K: ?. Seniors and Disabled Housing Protections. Always good to do, but there's not much substance.
  

Los Angeles:

• Proposition H: ?. Affordable Housing Bond. On one hand, want to help people who cannot afford to buy houses but it's a huge bond and it doesn't address the root causes of lack of housing. Leaning yes but feel icky since the building developers love it.
  
• Proposition J: Yes. Regional Fire Stations. Helps correct a dumb problem with Prop F from a while ago.
  
• Proposition R: No. Councilmember Term Limits. While i'm not convinced that term limits are the best thing, i hate anti-term limit propositions written by the people affected by them. I would've been more inclined if this didn't count for anyone currently in the council out of principle. Plus, i hate that there are all of these ethical bits tacked on to make people vote for it; that's illegal.
  

Anyhow, this is my general take after doing some research. Any thoughts or suggestions? I should note that i have no qualms about not voting on a proposition that i don't have a good yes/no about. It took me a long time to learn that this is not a scan-tron and that it's AOK to choose not to vote on a particular measure. It takes some undoing given my academic tendencies to think that there has to be an answer but i'm finally OK with it.

Finally, please please please vote NO NO NO NO NO on Propositions 83 and 85. And then vote NO again. And convince everyone you know to vote NO. Please. ::grumble::grumble::grumble:: stupid propositions.

Category: politics

Tags: voting election propositions

   

Posted by zephoria at 4:39 PM | Comments (13) | TrackBack (0)

October 30, 2006

at Diebold we're changing democracy, one vote at a time

(for Joe, tx Ry)

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 9:18 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

October 26, 2006

guess who can't vote in LA?

Gaaaah! So, check this one out. I moved to Los Angeles. When i did so, i changed my driver license and changed my registration. I never received anything so three weeks ago, i registered to vote again by filling out the form online, getting the paper thing that they send you with everything filled out and sending it back. Still, nothing. So i called the Secretary of State hotline who told me to call LA County. I called them and they told me that i improperly reregistered to vote when i moved back to LA. I was like, move back to LA? I didn't move back - i just moved here. They then proceeded to tell me that i lived in some address in Long Beach and that the registration material they sent there bounced so i was not registered. I was like, i never lived in Long Beach, and they were like, says here you did. I said this did not make sense, that couldn't be me. She responded by yelling at me that i was in the books under Long Beach. I asked if there was any way we could fix this and she said that i should send in another application or go to the DMV. I said that it was after October 23. She told me that was my problem, that i couldn't vote in this election because i didn't send in an application. I told her i did send in an application and that i even went through the process online so they'd have me recorded there. She said they didn't. By this point, she was yelling at me and i was in tears so i hung up on her.

I called back to the Secretar of State (still crying) and the guy there said that the local jurisdictions have control over this so there's nothing that he could do except that i could file a complaint. Damn right i want to file a complaint. I can't even imagine what the Bob Smith's of the world go through with people telling them they are someone else.

Luckily, i called up SF and i'm still on the books there (even though they didn't send anything to my old house according to the people who live there who i asked last week). So i just need to fax in an absentee request and i can vote in SF. This pisses me off since i want to vote on local ballot measures but at least i can vote against the evil state measures.

But WTF? Anyone who knows me knows how obsessed i am with voting. Hell, in 2004, i flew my ass to SF to vote and then flew immediately back because i hadn't received my absentee ballot. I drag everyone i know into registering. I register multiple times each election just to make sure i'm registered. Imagine the people who aren't nearly as obsessive. How many people aren't going to be able to vote because the city thinks they are someone else? How many people are not going to be able to vote because the city just didn't receive their registration? How many people aren't going to vote because when they tried to correct their registration the city's reps yelled at them? Why does it have to be this hard to vote? The city certainly has no trouble finding me when it comes to taxes. In fact, every city i ever lived in finds me tax time. Gaaaaaah!

Category: politics

Tags: election voting

   

Posted by zephoria at 4:01 PM | Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)

October 24, 2006

Prop 83: Sex Offenders is not what it seems. SAY NO!

California Proposition 83: Sex Offenders ("Jessica's Law") is an example of a terrible law that will pass because of good framing (who on earth is in favor of sex offenders?). I don't believe that i can stop it from passing, but i want to beg anyone who can listen to please please please Vote NO on 83. Please continue on to read why; it's really important.

On the outset, the law seems like a good thing. It would increase the length and severity of penalties for specified sex offenses, eliminate early releases, and extend parole. Here's where things get tricky.. It would also require GPS devices for registered sex offenders (per Meghan's Law) for the rest of their lives. It would also limit sex offenders from living within 2000 feet of any school or park. Again, these might not seem so bad, but here are some reasons for which they are:

• Not all sex offenders are child molesters. Included on the list of registered sex offenders are: adults who rape adults (including domestic rape), people who commit sodomy (often used to go after gay men), people who engage in oral sex (including consensual oral sex and oral sex while in jail), and people who commit statutory rape. While rape is horrific, this punishment does nothing to prevent it from happening, but it punishes many in the process.
• Schwarzenegger recently signed laws that expand the penalty for child rape and calls for the electronic tracking of high-risk sex offenders (i.e. child rapists) while on parole. The new laws even ban sex offenders from loitering around schools and parks which is much more effective than banning them from living close to a school. In other words, the meat of this bill has been signed in and the bill only expands it for all sex offenders over all time (even if they have done nothing wrong in 20 years). (see OC Register)
• All of San Francisco is within 2000 feet of a school or park; most of Los Angeles is. This means that sex offenders cannot live in major metropolitan regions. This exports the problem to rural regions where there are less resources to handle cases. This also means that offenders will have a much harder time getting jobs and homes which means they are likely to commit violent acts again (remember: rape is not about sex; it's about power). Syphoning perverts to suburban and rural regions (where most children live) does not do anything to help children. (see: CALCASA)
• Residency restrictions do nothing to stop the 80-90% of cases where children are raped in their own homes. Furthermore, it reduces the likelihood that they will be reported. (see CJCJ)
• The vast majority of rapists are known to their victims; this reduces the likelihood that domestic rape will be reported.
• 86% of sex offenders are never reported; this will make sure that even more go unreported. (see: CALCASA)
• Very few child molesters pick their victims from schools/parks and of those who do, it is almost never what they do the second time. Furthermore, keeping them from living near parks/schools has never actually stopped those that do.
• A very common tactic of predators is that they marry single mothers to go after their children. This does absolutely nothing to stop this (nor would banning marriage).
• This will cost the State upwards of $100M a year; this money could be better spent on prosecuting sick fucks who are found out (only a small fraction are actually prosecuted due to lack of funds).
• GPS companies are rallying for it - they will make millions.
• GPS does not work in BART. It does not work in parking garages. It doesn't even work reliably in malls. There are other location-based technologies that could do the same job with more accuracy and reliability (such as mobile phone positioning), but Prop 83 only specifies GPS. (Tx Liz)
• Those who want to get out of these devices will have an easy time - they can pound them, cut them, destroy them. They cost $3500 a piece and must be replaced every 6 months because they break so easily.
• Many towns have laws regarding sex offenders that make sense for their towns; this overrides them in a one-size-fits all way that is not helpful for anyone and it takes agency away from local neighborhoods to deal with risks in their area.

This law does not make people safer; it only makes them feel safer.

I'm all in favor of doing things to stop crimes against children, but let's use our money and efforts to do something that will actually prevent crimes rather than something that will make us feel like something is being done. Let's make sure we prosecute these men (and jail them for a long long time); let's make sure we educate young people to come forward. Let's separate high risk (likely to repeat) sex offenders from one-time sex offenders.

Don't get me wrong - i'm not in favor of child molesters and i'm all too familiar with the experience of rape. I've spent a good chunk of my life trying to stop violence against women and girls; i want to see real action, not politics when it comes to this issue. This is a terrible terrible terrible law that will not prevent crimes, but will cost the State money that could be used to really address this problem. The problem is that it's passing 7:1. Please, if there's any chance in hell of stopping this, please help me do so.

More Information:

For a fantastic panel discussion on Prop 83, please listen to NPR's The Forum.

Many organizations are opposed to Prop 83, including the California Coalition on Sex Offending, Progressive Christians Uniting, Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, various queer organizations, the ACLU, the Criminal Legal Justice Foundation, the Santa Cruz Commission to Prevent Violence Against Women, the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register, and the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA). Check out CALCASA's blog

Category: politics

Tags: prop83 sexoffenders rape

   

Posted by zephoria at 6:23 PM | Comments (32) | TrackBack (0)

May 24, 2006

"Not Ready to Make Nice"

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I'm not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I'm still waiting

I'm through with doubt
There's nothing left for me to figure out
I've paid a price
And I'll keep paying

I'm not ready to make nice
I'm not ready to back down
I'm still mad as hell and
I don't have time to go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
'Cause I'm mad as hell
Can't bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I know you said
Can't you just get over it
It turned my whole world around
And I kind of like it

(The Dixie Chicks)

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 12:37 AM | Comments (36) | TrackBack (0)

April 2, 2006

why i oppose HR 4437

When i posted about the teen walkout, i wanted to highlight how excited i am that students are speaking out for something that they believe, for something that they know is wrong. Embedded in my post was my disdain for HR 4437, but i did not fully articulate my own views. The comments that followed made it clear that i need to explain why i oppose HR 4437.

The status of undocumented workers in this country is very tricky. Over the years, we have looked the other way as immigrants enter our country illegally and work doing the most grueling labor that no citizen will do. We have turned a blind eye because our economy depends on that cheap labor. Some employers have taken this to a new level and slavery in this country is at an all-time high. The abuse of immigrants is atrocious. There are no labor laws to protect them, no social security, no social services. In most places where undocumented workers live and work, there is a social contract: behave, work hard, and no one will turn you in. Undocumented workers stay because, even with these atrocious work conditions, their lives are better here than where they came from; their opportunity is greater.

Our approach is not sustainable, nor is it morally just. Thus, the question emerges: what do we do about the 20 MILLION illegal aliens living in the United States? This question is both a moral and a practical question.

Many of these people have been living in the United States for decades. They no longer have homes in their country of origin. They have children who are citizens of America. They have obeyed the laws, paid taxes and worked harder than most of us can imagine. There is nothing morally just about treating these individuals as criminals and expelling them. They have done their time, they have paid their dues. And we have always treated them like the trash of the earth.

Some people argue that these people don't deserve to stay because they did not get visas, did not follow the rules and that it is unfair to legal immigrants. Unfortunately, this argument misses the class dynamic that is critical to the story of undocumented workers. The American visa system is set up to welcome wealthy, educated individuals into white collar jobs. Take a look at how many people get visas to work on farms, in meat packing factories or as janitors. These are not the visas that we offer; most undocumented workers are not eligible for the visas we do offer.

Once an individual is in the United States illegally, it is very difficult for them to begin the process to become a citizen. You cannot apply for a green card if you are here illegally. Thus, there are people who have been here for 20 years and have not taken the steps to become citizens; they have simply worked hard to remain undetected because they do not know of a better way.

HR 4437 is not the answer. While the adjustments to penalties for child abuse and other atrocious acts are logical, what makes HR 4437 problematic is actually its adjustments to employment. By requiring mandatory employment identification, people who have been working in this country for decades will be forced out of jobs with no recourse. This section aims to starve out the population, to force law abiding undocumented workers to leave. Certainly, there will be an even darker underground and many desperate undocumented workers will be forced to turn to more dangerous work in an attempt to stay in the country. There is no doubt this will also increase gang activity and other illegal activities. Racial tensions will rise and violence will erupt, all because of desperation.

I can respect that we need to move to an above ground market, but we cannot turn our backs on those who have been working hard for years. We need to provide ways in which law abiding undocumented workers can come forward without fear of expulsion and apply for citizenship and visas. As we move towards an above-ground system, we need to temporarily forgive undocumented workers for certain crimes committed out of desperation to stay in the past (such as social security number fraud).

I am also very concerned about the sections on "gangs." What is the legal definition of a gang? It worries me greatly that people can be deported or refused admission for presumed association with gangs. It also worries me that the Attorney General can designate any group or association as a street gang. (Why do i have a sneaking suspicion that i would be considered a gang member for my affiliation with Burning Man?) I completely understand why the government wants to deport people for illegal activities, but i worry about the guilty until proven innocent framing of this section of HR 4437. And i really worry about the guilt through association implications. Didn't we learn anything from the McCarthy era?

People ask why it is so significant that teens walked out. These teens are legal; they are citizens. They are speaking out for a population that is silenced, a population that cannot be visible. They are doing so on school hours because that makes the most impact. Even with the knowledge that they will be fined and given detention, they walked out. Frustrated teachers argued that this is foolish, that their parents came here to give them an education and they aren't even trying. While these teachers have the best intentions, students have a better grasp on reality. They know that their parents are at risk of being deported. They know that they are mostly not eligible for good jobs that depend on an education; they are going to do the kinds of work their parents do. They are living a working class reality and are completely alienated from it. It is the saddest aspect of our failed education system and our unacknowledged class hierarchy.

Unfortunately, this political regime is doing an amazing job of approaching world politics with brute force and xenophobia. HR 4437 is no different. No wonder the world hates us. I am glad people are thinking about how to handle undocumented workers; i just wish that folks would have more compassion and understanding of the dynamics and lives of people who have worked fucking hard to fatten our privileged asses. Most undocumented workers are not criminals and they should not be treated as such. They are good people, trying really hard to make their lives and the lives of their families better.

On a personal note, i spoke with a neighbor about this bill. She's been here illegally for almost a decade; she has two small children that she works hard to support. When i brought it up, her eyes got wide with fear. I told her not to worry, that i am on her side; this gave her much relief. It is clear that she's very scared. She told me she didn't understand this bill. She pays taxes, she works hard, she obeys laws, she is trying really hard. She doesn't know what to do. I wish i could tell her not to worry, that everything will be OK. But i have to admit that i've lost faith in the humanity of this country.

Category: politics

Tags: hr4437 immigration xenophobia

   

Posted by zephoria at 2:04 AM | Comments (43) | TrackBack (0)

December 15, 2005

should i participate in a government panel?

I'm torn and i need some advice. I was asked to be on a panel at an upcoming CIA conference "with the objective of providing extensive insight into how terrorists can and likely will use cyberspace for influence purposes." They want to understand how blogs and Friendster work. They seem to be running a series of conferences, including a cyber one, one with religious and non-profit groups, one with advertising and PR groups, and one with entertainment and gaming folks... all to get "insight" from experts to understand the terrorist schtuff.

My first inclination is to object on moral grounds. I am violently opposed to PATRIOT and how the government and military are using technology to track civilians under the umbrella of finding terrorists. I object to the culture of fear being perpetuated and the "if you aren't with us, you're against us" attitude. I have major systemic issues with our government and its exploitation of power. Major issues.

Of course, part of me wonders if i can learn from these folks and use this platform to change people's minds (or maybe be a little bit subversive). The audience is purportedly "group of between 40 and 50 high level intelligence managers and policy analysts from the Central Intelligence Agency, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Intelligence Agency, U.S. Strategic Command, U.S. Special Operations Command, Office of Naval Intelligence, and various other unified military commands."

I'm also worried because the terrorists make sense to me in the same way that punks who steal and kids who blow up schools make sense. These groups feel as though they will never have agency within the system because the systemic hegemony is too oppressive. They seek to overthrow the oppressor through brute force, to disrupt the system from its core and rattle the foundations that blind everyone to the problems of the system. Of course, in every case, the system does a good job in keeping the mainstream blinders on so that these acts are only ever seen as wrong instead of as attempts to wake up the mass zombie culture. I don't support these groups' violence and i think machismo clouds the efforts to make change. But it's the same attitudes that make Fakesters and goths utterly lovable to me - same concept, no violence.

Given this perspective, i'm worried that there's no way that i could ever change the minds of military folks because the core values are so different. I'm worried that my efforts to influence will simply be repurposed and manipulated, no matter what i do. I'm worried that i will become a tool of the kinds of oppression that i loathe and the lack of understanding that angers me. I don't want to eliminate terrorism by force; i want to see a cultural change that makes it unnecessary and unvalued. But is there any way that i can do that by participating? I'm not sure...

Anyhow, i'm torn. Thoughts? Perspectives?

It's funny... i sat in traffic on the Bay Bridge for an hour last night and i kept reading the bumper sticker in front of me. "Join the army and go to exotic distant lands so you can meet exciting new people and then kill them." ::sigh:: I don't want to be that anthropologist that helps the colonial empire destroy the world and abuse its privileges.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 10:47 AM | Comments (46) | TrackBack (2)

December 9, 2005

favorite non-profits/foundations?

Call it tithing or call it tax-savings, i'm a strong believer that privileged people should give a portion of their income to support causes that make the world a better place. For this reason, i can't help but smile at 10 over 100 which asks people to promise to give 10% of what they make over $100K. (Of course, personally, i think that those who make over $100K should be giving a percentage of their total income, not just what they make over $100K. And i think that many of us who don't make $100K should still be giving back. Also, i prefer to make a promise to myself than promise a website. But still, it's a good idea and one that i support.)

In my donation, i always ask not to receive any newsletters or other junk mail and i ask not to have my name sold. Email is fine, but i don't want to be supporting the postal service or the paper mills with my donation. Of course, few organizations listen. At the end of each year, i re-evaluate the organizations i give to and donate again to those who sent me nothing over the year and send nothing to those who sent me stamps, packets, or other crap.

I am looking for some new organizations (and particularly foundations) that i should be considering. I am looking for 501(c)3 organizations that will not send me junk mail. I am particularly fond of organizations/foundations that work on both local and global scales, feminist and anti-racism organizations, youth-positive organizations, and environmental organizations. I am not interested in supporting religious organizations or any organization that permits discrimination of any kind (most notably on the basis of gender identity or sexuality). Do you have any that you recommend?

Already on my list of awesome organizations are:
- V-Day
- EFF
- Goma Student Fund
- PAWS
- City at Peace

Category: politics

Tags: tithing non-profit

   

Posted by zephoria at 3:34 PM | Comments (36) | TrackBack (0)

November 9, 2005

election day: analysis of California Proposition 73

hold me down
i am floating away
into the overcast skies
over my home town
on election day -- Ani

When the election results started pouring in tonight, i was in a state of horror. Initially, it looked like Proposition 73 was going to pass. Thankfully, with most of the returns in, it looks like it will die a well-deserved death.

Some folks have asked why i am so obsessed with Proposition 73 and i feel the need to articulate the problems that emerge because of it. First, take a look at the propaganda:

• Protect Our Daughters - Parents have a right to know

  

• Campaign for Teen Safety - Their safety, our responsibility: If she can't come to me, I just want to keep her safe

  
  

There are some amazing linguistic messages there: protect vs. safety, right vs. responsibility. The Yes folks give parents ultimate power while the No folks are invested in youth agency. The imagery from the Yes folks is directly targeted as parents and speaks past youth, never inviting them to participate in a dialogue about this proposition. The Yes folks are speaking a protectionist rhetoric while the No folks are speaking the language of respect. Protectionist rhetoric comes from a place of ageism, a belief that there is a clear division between adults and youth: adults know what they're doing; youth do not.

Unfortunately, ageism is one of the least acknowledged forms of oppression in this society. As a society, we're pretty shitty to our youngest and oldest members, thinking them too stupid to deserve agency. These groups often have no voice, no power. Adults will never go back to being youth and they can't see life from a youth's perspective. Instead, they project their own needs onto youth. They create hazing rituals following the "we did this, you should too" mentality. Why do we try to strip those we have power over of any agency?

As with most political propaganda, the problems are not addressed. The target market for the Yes folks is clearly middle-upper class parents. Yet, the effects of this proposition would place undue burden on poor or working class teens, abandoned and abused teens. I think back to the time that i spent hanging out with teens on Haight. Many of them came from abused families and found the street to be safer. Unfortunately, these are teens are quite susceptible to rape and unwanted pregnancies. Can you imagine them needing permission from parents?

There is no doubt that parents should know, but this does not mean the government should mandate it. Parents need to earn the respect of their children, not demand obedience. Parents are informed when parents engender a trusting relationship. But when parents don't, teens should be able to turn to those that they do trust. This is not to say that there aren't fucked up stories... the Yes folks certainly highlight them. But what they don't highlight is what the consequences would be on abused youth. And sadly, there are far more abused youth getting pregnant in this state than sad stories like Holly Patterson (who wouldn't be covered under Prop 73 anyhow since she was 18).

I'm actively pro-choice, but this doesn't mean that i like abortions or want to see youth getting them. I want to structure a society where youth don't have to face that choice, but if they do, they have one to make. I want to see parents be supportive and trying to build a meaningful relationship with their children based on trust and respect. I don't want to see oppression and regulation, ageism and condescension - this destroys our society. And it pains me that people don't realize this.

Of course, Lakoff has gotten far too deep inside my head. I know the response... good kids don't get into those situations... good parents make their children behave... the world is evil and a good parent has to protect his kids... you can't solve a sin with a bigger sin... God, it makes me angry. I wish Dobson a good long painful spanking.

Category: politics

Tags: proposition73 election youth abortion

   

Posted by zephoria at 1:48 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBack (1)

October 26, 2005

pre-election party

One of my favorite things to do each year is to throw a pre-election party where friends gather to discuss different candidates and propositions (because we live in California). It's a good excuse to hang out with friends, drink some wine and inform each other about the upcoming election. Each person takes a candidate or a proposition and researches the pros/cons and which organizations/people are supporting or opposing them/it. I'm a strong believer that every citizen in this country has a responsibility to inform themselves and vote.

Last night, i threw one such party and we had a blast discussing all of the wacky Schwarzenegger propositions. It's a scary election in California because it's a special propositions election and i fear that a lot of people won't turn out to vote. If you live in California, please plan on voting on November 8 - there are some serious measures that could have long-term impact and i fear that many won't turn out.

Here are a few that i'd like to highlight:

NO on Proposition 73 (Parental notification for minors seeking an abortion) - this is another horrifying move by the Republican party to engage in anti-choice tactics by peeling away freedoms. It is a condescending ageist proposition framed as protectionist.

NO on Proposition 75 (Public union dues) - this is an anti-union proposition intended to weaken unions by adding bureaucratic layers under the guise of giving union members choice (which they already have). Unions are the one group who can stand up to big business and vested interests want to stop them.

NO on Proposition 78; YES on Proposition 79 (Prescription drug discounts) - these are competing propositions with the former being backed by the pharms and the latter being backed by every consumer group. Prop 79 requires pharms to help offset costs for low-income citizens in order to do business in California. 78 looks good, but there is nothing that mandates participation by pharms and could end up costing California millions of dollars to set up nothing.

Category: politics

Tags: propositions election california

   

Posted by zephoria at 12:33 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

September 28, 2005

cruises for evacuees

"Sweetheart Deal" for Carnival Cruise Lines:

If the ships were at capacity, with 7,116 evacuees, for six months, the price per evacuee would total $1,275 a week, according to calculations by aides to Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.). A seven-day western Caribbean cruise out of Galveston can be had for $599 a person -- and that would include entertainment and the cost of actually making the ship move. "When the federal government would actually save millions of dollars by forgoing the status quo and actually sending evacuees on a luxurious six-month cruise it is time to rethink how we are conducting oversight."

::grumble::grumble::grumble:: I so don't understand how this administration could keep fucking up so badly.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 11:53 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

September 10, 2005

health care in america - from myth to mess

I was 16 when i broke my neck and witnessed first hand what it's like to not have health insurance. I often wonder if i would've gotten different treatments if i could've afforded it, if i wouldn't lose vision/hearing like i do now. No small company can afford to hire me and one of the reasons that i find the idea of working for or creating a start-up laughable is that i could not risk the loss of health insurance. Not only could i not afford premiums on my own, i am not sure that i'd even be covered outside of a major institution. I live in fear because of American health insurance. And i'm a lucky one.

In his classically brilliant style, Malcolm Gladwell's latest New Yorker essay The Moral-Hazard Myth traces the routes of the American health insurance scheme, unveiling its implications through the stories of people who are less fortunate than i have been. At the core of my progressive politics is the solid belief in universal health access. In this country, medical access is a privilege where it should be a right. It is hard to respect this country when it fails to take care of its people at a basic level. And i'm sorry, but there's nothing Christian about tiered health access.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 7:31 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack (1)

September 8, 2005

george bush don't like black people

When i first heard Kanye West say "George Bush doesn't care about black people," my jaw dropped. It was so bold and yet went straight to the heart of what everyone felt. One of the things i love most about the hip-hop community is that they take events and mix it into song, remixing culture and sounds in a way that goes straight to the point. Earlier today, Xeni told me about The Legendary K.O. remix called George Bush Don't Like Black People. Not only are the words poignant, the song itself is beautiful and filled of southern black sounds. If you haven't listened to this yet, please do. It's amazing.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 10:09 PM | Comments (96) | TrackBack (1)

May 1, 2005

activism and violence

This afternoon, an activist friend of mine who has been very involved in Critical Mass approached me concerning my stance. Unfortunately, due to the context of our interaction, the conversation escalated unnecessarily and i found myself unable to articulate my feelings. So instead, i brought them home to chew on.

Her key points are all exceptionally valid and i agree with her wholeheartedly:

1) Critical Mass is an "open source" activity where you cannot have a central organization with rules.
2) Many people have had their eyes opened by Critical Mass to the issues of bicycles in cities, probably more than have been negatively impacted.
3) Cars exercise violence on bicycles every day - running them off the road, not looking when opening doors; car culture also exercises power through the law and norms.

The combination of her points helped me clarify where i stand on activism in general these days and why the situation on Friday still upsets me.

I am definitely one of those people who had my eyes opened by Critical Mass' activities - i learned a lot more about biking laws, situations through 2nd hand accounts of their activities. Having lived in Amsterdam, i'm perpetually horrified by the car power that goes on in this country and i'm very much supportive of non-hierarchical structures of change.

All that said, i can never ever support violence. At the core of my body, i cannot accept violence because violence has been committed against you. I will never forget being 13 and deciding to not punch back as one of my classmates threw punches at me. Nothing would be gained by returning the blows - only increased hostility, a deepening of sides and an increase in intolerance. I cannot support activism that permits violence as one if its tenants. I was so disgusted by some of my classmates who felt as though they became activists when they brawled with the police; at the last protest i went to, i gave the police donuts and talked to them about the protest from their perspective.

No matter how much i believe in revolution, no matter how much i want to see changes made, i can't accept moving in that direction through deplorable means. I also cannot support pack behavior on either side - what the crowd does under and umbrella name is often terrifying. As much as there are thousands of non-violent Critical Massers, the idea that the name and event has a violent side to it is enough to alienate me. I can't stand behind events that accepts violence as even a minority group or where that group has the right to use the name to instigate their pack behavior. I think that this is how folks who would believe in the cause of anti-WTO folks get alienated by the violent protests.

As much as i appreciate my friends' point that i should not disrespect a movement for the behaviors of some, i have a hard time actually feeling that way. Those few aggressive voices go far which is why they need to be actively squelched in a non-violent movement - the two cannot go hand in hand.

How can we move forward activism that doesn't use violence? Am i a fool for thinking that's possible and for not supporting groups that allow violence to occur?

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April 30, 2005

Critical (Violent) Mass or how a group of bicyclists alienated me

I'm a huge fan of bicycles and i do miss living in Amsterdam where that is culturally supported form of transportation. The hills in SF, the distance of my commute and the lack of infrastructure support demotivate me from even thinking about biking as transport in SF. That said, i love my public transit.

Last night, around 7.45, i started my car for the first time in over a month because the quantity of grocery shopping necessary would require a car (even though its only 6 blocks away). On the way out, i hit Critical Mass.

Now, i have nothing but appreciation for folks taking to the streets to demand infrastructure support and i love the idea of Critical Mass. Every time i've seen them before, they slow down traffic as they go about their route, but this situation was different. I was halfway through the intersection at Church and Market when two guys biked in front of me and stoppped, forcing me to take to my breaks. They started yelling at me and then one asked me if i was smoking a joint. I rolled my eyes and him and said of course not; Jo gave a cigarette to another guy. They had also stopped the cab next to me in the middle of the street, screamed circle and began circling and screaming at both of us.

Needless to say, this aggravated the passenger of the cab and the cab driver and i had the same uncomfortable feeling about being illegally in the middle of a major intersection with no ability to get off to a side. The bicyclists started yelling at the passenger saying that they did this every month and he should find another route and he should just be patient and make his life easier and he started yelling back, telling them that they have their rights but if they want him to take an alternate route, let him get out of the intersection. They were screaming past each other.

About 5+ minutes later, on the other side of the street, another car was stuck in the middle of the intersection. They started screaming at him and he decided he was going to push through and get the fuck out of the intersection. A group picked up their bicycles and started pounding them on the car, hitting the car, kicking the car and from it looks like, hitting the driver through his window. I called 911, reported an assault and told them to get a police officer there immediately; the guy who was right out of my window screamed disperse.

The language and tone used by the bicyclists at Critical Mass had a level of aggression to it that was just terrifying. It's like what you see when police officers breathe power and spit it out at you. It is everything scary about crowd behavior.

On the Critical Mass website under "Testosterone Brigade," it says For some bicyclists, Critical Mass is an opportunity to berate motorists, now that WE own the road for once. Our society's over-reliance on motorized traffic is a massive and overwhelming social problem, and it won't be changed through the use of bitchy, ineffective tactics by a small minority of pissed-off bicyclists. But a movement for change based on a reclaiming of public space and the building of human community, open to people from across the social and political spectrum, could contribute to a deeper and more fundamental change in the way our society operates.

After my experience yesterday, i would never support Critical Mass. I saw a level of aggression and potential danger that is precisely antithetical to any public space takeover that i can value. There was no need for aggression. I thought Critical Mass was supposed to be a process of taking to the streets and riding at bike speed down busy streets, not collectively taking over intersections, circling cars and screaming at them. I don't see how people think they will gather support through aggression and goddess knows they just alienated me permanently. And i'm a bike lover, public transit supporter.

::sigh:: Why is it that the protesters for the movements i believe in always alienate me?

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March 31, 2005

Schiavo, Lakoff and my wishes

When i first learned of Schiavo's case, my first instinct was to document my desires. For the record, i don't want to be on life support. Period. If i'm in a lot of pain, i want enough morphine to kill me. I want to be cremated. Nothing horrifies me more than living by machine, being kept alive to meet someone's whacked ass selfish values justified through abusive uses of religion. I want to face god when the time comes, not be kept alive just because it's possible. There is beauty in life and beauty in death - they go hand in hand and i have no fear.

So, Schiavo died today which gives me great relief. It is her turn to meet god and she should've been given that opportunity 15 years ago. What horrifies me is how her life has been manipulated and used by the most conservative forces for some pretty selfish gains. Of course, everything about it is horribly conflicting. The same agendas who are against universal health care are for keeping people on machines infinitely rather than letting them die in peace. Once again, we're back to Lakoff. Yeah, it makes sense on that level, but it sure as hell pisses me off. And i'm really cranky for how much the media has taken the conservative side.

A friend of mine, Sascha Becker does a really good job of reading the Schiavo case from Lakoff's perspective. She highlights an aspect that has been forgotten lately: Schiavo's eating disorder and how her battle with bulimia resulted in her severe brain damage. It makes the whole situation all the more ridiculous as we're still incapable of talking about the issues at hand - control and domination. ::sigh::

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March 23, 2005

guantanamo: honor bound to defend freedom

"Guantanamo: 'Honor Bound to Defend Freedom'" is a British play that originally opened in London to protest the US's abuse of human rights in citizens who were taken to Guits Guantanamo Bay prisons. The play tells the stories of 9 British antanamo under questionable pretenses, never told why and kept there for over two years. Seven were released without trials, still with no explanation. The play uses testimonials of the prisoners, their letters to their families and the testimonials of their families. Rumsfeld's speeches are also included. Every word in the play (except the meta-commenter) comes directly from those involved in this nightmare.

The play recently opened in New York and tonite was the first preview in San Francisco (at Brava Theater running until April 17). While they still have some theatrical kinks to work out, the play was definitely a good reality check, a good reminder of how easy it is as an American to tune out to the human rights abuses that the government is executing in our names. The play is clearly written for a British audience, yet it is so essential as Americans to wake up and listen, listen to the actual people abused by our systems. This is especially critical as Abu Ghraib trials continue. If you're in SF, make sure you go out and support this play and use it to think about what's going on.

That said, i wish i knew the next step. I certainly would've loved it if Brava would've given out more information, action items, etc. Political plays need to give you a direction otherwise it's just heart wrenching. Still, heart wrenching for a good cause.

(A story of one detainee is in the NYTimes today.)

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March 8, 2005

U.N. landmine commerical won't air in US.

A U.N. commercial depicts American girls playing in a soccer match. A girl steps on a landmine and there's a big explosion. Kids get blown apart. CNN and other networks don't want to air the ad.

The explosion appears to kill and injure some girls, sparking panic and chaos among parents and other children. Shrieks of horror are heard through much of the spot, and a father is shown cradling his daughter's lifeless body, moments after celebrating a goal she had scored.

It closes with a tag line reading: "If there were landmines here, would you stand for them anywhere? Help the U.N. eradicate landmines everywhere."

(Copied from BoingBoing because everyone needs to see this)

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November 17, 2004

Depressed?

Make sure to check out the Depressed Democrats' Guide to Recovery by Mark Fiore.

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November 14, 2004

declaring ostrich

I'm declaring ostrich.

There are 12 unopened NYTimes in my living room. I've just /dev/nulled all mailing lists that mention politics at all. I apple-w blogs that mention red, blue or purple faster than a fundamentalist finding porn. I changed my morning radio station to not-NPR.

I've always been told that escapism is bad. I respect that view. But i went running full speed into a tornado and standing in the eye of the storm on November 2, i realized that i needed to duck before i got picked up and whisked away into nether-nether land. Politics are in the air; i haven't stopped breathing, but i'm trying not to light fires either. My political allies are too angry, too confused, too frustrated to think clearly or move forward in an effective manner. I can't join them in that state because i just end up angry with them and that's not fruitful. Sometimes, deconstruction is not the best tool in the shed. I know that this nightmare has temporal and spatial implications beyond my imagination and it is harrowing to hear the anger and fear in the voices of those beyond our borders. I just cannot hold on to all of these messages and emotions without crumbling.

I'm a true liberal. I believe that i need to be personally strong in order to fight on a larger scale. I can't fight with anger - i must fight with respect. I need to find grounding and in order to do that, i believe that stepping back is healthy and responsible. I live in an overly mediated world and sometimes, i just have to go back to my roots. Instead of reading the paper, i'm doing yoga.

Please respect me on this one. And if you're on one of those bazillion lists whose topic is purportedly not politics, please understand that i am taking a break.

PS: This is not a long-term solution, just a temporary one for me to get grounded.

Category: politics

   

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November 3, 2004

the mourning after

I voted in SF before heading to LA to watch the returns with Justin, Mary, Barlow and Friendz. As the night progressed, depressing returns made it hard to engage. I watched Jon Stewart instead.

I went to USC where i ended up in an intersection with ecstatic Bush/Cheney fans celebrating. Onlookers hung their heads or scowled at their audacity, shocked at their value system. I just started crying. I boarded the plane which was on its second leg with folks from Ohio, Move On folks were on board, somber.

DNA sampling deteriorating innocence until proven guilty, institutionalized homophobia, a country divided. This land is not my land. The free are no longer home here and what does braveness have to do with war?

My friend Jo Guldi sent the following to me this morning. I thought it would be good to share.

In one of those sunset-rosy history-channel specials, the imperially-jawed Simon Schama says that in the 1930s the British could see the specter of history stalking among them like a wooly mammoth, parading down the streets of London, as soldiers and civilians blinked and realized that their world had changed.

The fairy-tale beast doesn't belong among most Americans. Maybe some people always know what this beast of history is. Children of immigrants and journalists, children of politicians, children born in revolutions or depressions have prescient intuitions of change as children born in leafy suburbs never do.

I saw the beast of history for the first time last night. It was slinking through our electric city of San Francisco, marking the doors of hipsters and intellectuals with ram's blood.

They didn?t know it; by morning many of them were back to talking about ideals that had to come true, even if it takes a hundred years: gay marriage, a multiple party system. No, my darling angel-haired idealists, those days are over. Your parents and grandparents fought for pluralism and civil rights. Your own children will inevitably be able to marry their gay lovers. But this is not the time. What passed in front of us was ever so much more complicated.

Hold on for a moment and tell yourself that you're still in the same world. The slant of light across the electric stove where my teakettle sits will return tomorrow. The bad man in the white house can't do that much, even in another four years.

But what happened last night was that the last feather of hope floated away. The last soft imagination that we had just enough consensus in this country to fix the forces that are pulling us apart, gone. Common sense isn't going to triumph over sentimentality and melodrama. Neither security nor intelligence nor welfare are going to be fixed; all will be handed over to the security billionaires of San Diego and the economists in the pay of DC.

Do you remember the towers going down? The freshmen in college this year don't; they were fourteen and barely paying attention. But in the cities, the urban youth in their twenties and thirties remember wondering what had happened, remember waking and getting a cup of coffee and first seeing the frozen looks on the faces of strangers, then the terrible faces, then the reports and months of analysis. Something had started then that wouldn't finish for a long time.

And yet for those years there was a possibility of it turning into something else, less destructive; a chance to reach across the aisle to the other party, a chance to reconnect across America, a chance to reapproach the problems of global poverty that lead people in strange lands to become terrorists; a chance to reaccount Israel: all of this was possible.

But for four years none of these rifts of possibility turned out anything better than the grim world from which they had come. And still, resentment and anger and hope brewed across the country. Watching from the coasts, we were convinced by the Michael Moores and Deaniacs and the force of our deepest desires that something could be done.

But I assure you that it cannot, now. Not after the dark noises I heard winding through the streets last night. On the West Coast we watched as polls closed in waves, the shadow of night spreading across the country, until we in California should have been the last. As the lines continued to stand in Florida and Ohio, as newscasters measured the possibility of any Democratic chance remaining. But it was too late to influence anything. We sat around with glasses of Cabernet in a warehouse by the ocean, watching DC and New York reporting on New Mexico and Oregon, feeling horribly like it was too late. Now neither the church, nor ideology, nor science, nor economics, nor foreign policy, nor pressure, nor hope, nor organization could save us. No angry Marxist professors, no brilliant editorials in the Times could reach what needed to be reached.

The beast of history is in. Lovers in each others' arms, wake up and look. Poets and anarchists, put down your pens. Stop all the clocks, put down the indy rock music, stop reading psychology. Move to Vancouver or Paris. Get a degree in political science or advertising or business. Because whatever we were doing isn't working, and the deadline is past. If there were a practical way to build something out of what has happened, we'd turn to that, but the moderate conservatives have already been exiled from Washington, and none of our friends will have influence for a long time yet. What has happened is too big for us, too big for our loose ideas of a hundred-year-plan for peace and happiness. There is no more road by which to get there: the storm of the last four years has swept it away, and the wind in the street last night blew out our last bridge to safety.

All day long I had been praying, calming myself with old psalms about how the universe was all one, how God had made it, all of its corners and controversies, how providence would follow us all the way through the shadow of darkness. When I woke up this morning the only psalm I could remember was this one: Lord teach my fingers to make battle, and my hands to make war.

Category: politics

   

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November 1, 2004

Vote!

I will be voting tomorrow morning. I realize this election is going to be absurd, but i feel as though it is my duty as a patriot to cast my ballot. I hope everyone else who has the privilege to vote in this country takes that responsibility seriously. What we do here will affect us and the world we live in for years to come. It is a pity that so few people stand up for their values and beliefs. My hope is that everyone who can will join me in voting tomorrow, in saying that our future does matter to us.

If you witness any trouble at any voter center, call 866-OUR-VOTE to report it.

I support John Kerry. (See Technorati).

Category: politics

   

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October 28, 2004

Secret Service follow up on LiveJournaler

Apparently, anniesj wrote an anti-Bush post on her LJ. Someone else on LJ reported this to the FBI and the nice Secret Service people showed up at her door. While they didn't arrest her, she now has a record. She documents the full situation on her LJ.

People often ask me why i'm opposed to sousveillance. I believe that giving everyone the right to surveillance will not challenge those in power who have such ability. I believe that it will legitimize them. Furthermore, i believe that people will use the power of surveillance to maintain the status quo. Worse, i believe that it will be used to create more hate, distrust and fear. Sousveillance in the hands of the masses will not be used to challenge authority because most people believe in the legitimacy of that authority, whether it be corporations or the government. Furthermore, they believe they should fear when those authorities tell them that they should fear everyone. Even when they are not told, when the media consistently reports on all the terrible things that individual Islamic people do, they believe that they should fear all Islamic people. Fuck Brin. A transparent society would mean complete marginalization of already oppressed peoples in this country.

Category: politics

   

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October 27, 2004

eminem's mosh

Eminem's video for his new song Mosh brings me to tears. Regardless of what anyone things of Eminem, i've always loved his willingness to fight, to be resistant to contemporary society even while being framed as mainstream. This video, put out by the Guerrilla News Network shows the anger and frustration of poor and marginalized populations, upset with Bush for the way that he's destroyed the fabric of this country. It is a call to action, urging people to get out and vote. It is a rhythmic composition of completely radical and political rhetoric. It is a call to action for youth and for the disenfranchised. I sure hope that the youth get out to vote this time. They need to stand up for themselves before they become yet another group abused by this regime.

Update: The lyrics are in the extended entry for those who want to know what is being said.

Continue reading "eminem's mosh"

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educating ourselves

When i moved to CA, i was startled by the absurd number of Propositions. So, as an excuse to see some friends that i haven't seen as a while, i brought 25 people to my house tonight to discuss the ballot. Everyone had researched an issue so we took turns explaining the pros/cons of each Proposition, joking around, and drinking whenever Starchild's name was invoked. It felt good to be more informed as a voter and to have the opportunity to share amongst friends. A further plus is that we spent a night in political discourse without any fights breaking out. Everyone was conscious to present both sides of the argument instead of demanding solidarity in voting.

I strongly encourage other Californians to gather their friends for an evening of discussing the different issues. It's a great opportunity for socializing and engaging in civic responsibility. For those in SF, there's a ballot party at Commonwealth tonite, the 27th - it will be an opportunity to learn the different sides.

Also, if you're in California and you're supposed to vote on an electronic machine, ask for a paper ballot in case of recall. They are required by law to let you vote on paper, but they won't give you the choice. Check out this animation: Paper or Plastic.

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October 15, 2004

election woes

This election is going to suck. I have yet to receive my little packet of information on the candidates and the propositions; none of my roommates have, even though our friends have. I started getting anxious, wondering if it was possible that someone de-registered me. I voted last winter - can you de-register? Of course, i thought that i registered permanent absentee but my roommate received an absentee and i haven't. Then again, i think i registered like 10 times when i moved here out of anxiety.

A friend of mine is receiving loads of election materials to a new nonexistent roommate with a peculiar name. Apparently, people are registering folks who don't exist.

In my birth state, Nader is being kicked off the ballot for fraudulent signatures used to get him there, in the order of 25,000 fake signatures - apparently Mickey Mouse is now voting.

In swing states, it appears as though the RNC is funding voter registration volunteers to tear up registration forms if they're marked Democratic.

The worst part is that there will only be more horror stories between now and November 2. This election will be nasty.

Category: politics

   

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September 30, 2004

Billionaires for Bush

Billionaires for Bush. Absolutely hysterical. Make sure to watch the video.

The there's Ladies Against Women. ::giggle::

(tx tbhisop)

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September 29, 2004

Engaging the TV-minded

My grandfather and i often speak about Christian morality in the context of politics. This has become increasingly noticeable this year and i was stunned when he told me that Bush was not a Christian (in his actions, not necessarily his purported religious association). That gave me hope.

I decided to assemble a little pre-election package for my grandparents. I wanted to send them: Moral Politics, Don't think of an Elephant, Unprecedented, Outfoxed and Fahrenheit 9/11. Much to my dismay, Outfoxed was only available on DVD and F9/11 wasn't to be released for a few weeks so it cost a fortune. But still, i sent them the other three.

This made me wonder. I get an AOL CD every few weeks. I realize that not everyone (like my grandparents) have DVDs. But DVDs are much cheaper to produce than VHS tapes. I'm getting all of this paper political propaganda, but most Americans don't get their propaganda on paper - they get it on TV. This is why organizations spend millions of dollars to place their ads on FoxNews. Of course, FoxNews is biased.

What would it mean for MoveOn (or other organizations) to start manufacturing DVDs and shipping them off to potential voters? Imagine a hand-written note from a volunteer saying that this might be of interest to you (oh random stranger from a swing state). Imagine shipping out Outfoxed or Unprecedented or F9/11 rather than asking people to pay for it. The people who buy it are already converted. Imagine putting a little note saying "if you don't have a DVD player, return this card and we'll send you a VHS copy; give the DVD to a friend." I wonder what percentage of people would watch a movie that appeared on their doorstep. I'd bet a decent number. Certainly more than read paper propaganda. The TV is what makes most people in this country think. Why not work with the TV, even if you can't work with the TV stations?

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September 28, 2004

Curious about Libertarians

Some of my closest friends are libertarians. I love them to bits. Yet, their politics strike a chord in my heart that makes me shudder. Since i've been taking the Lakoff class, i've been faced with the dichotomy between conservatives and progressives. It always makes me wonder where the libertarians fit in.

In Moral Politics, Lakoff argues that libertarians are fundamentally conservatives ++ (read this chapter if you're a libertarian!). Barlow concurred, telling me that's what he used to think that he was. He's always told me that the approach libertarians take boils down to "leave us the fuck alone."

In thinking of the values of libertarians, the first that immediately comes to mind is meritocracy. Interestingly, most of my friends who espouse to be libertarians are some of the most privileged intelligent folks that i know. I'm not convinced that meritocracy gave them that privilege. From a meritocratic value system, everyone has equal opportunity to succeed. It is their responsibility to work hard; if they do, they will have access to the fruits of success. Another strain says some people are more intelligent and they simply should have the rewards of that.. this is the outright elitist strand. The work-ethic value comes straight out of conservative thinking. In either case, both go against my own progressive value system.

I strongly believe that the world is inherently unequal and unfair. I believe that fairness is essential and that no one should suffer simply because of the position they were born into. I believe that we must work to make access open to everyone. I believe that a diverse community offers different perspectives, all of which are exceptionally valuable. This means diversity across all axes. A pure meritocratic system consistently excludes people from lower socio-economic classes and poorer countries. This bothers me.

In theory, libertarians and i have the same views on a lot of policies. We're both pro-choice on lots of topics. We're both anti-military. Yet, our motivations behind these stances are fundamentally different. Take the military. Libertarians simply don't want to pay for it. I think that we need to be a part of an international community and that cannot be done by force. Libertarians would never be in favor of working with outside agencies for anything. Most of the libertarians i know are mostly of the civil liberties style. They don't want the government to curtail their liberties. I don't want the government to curtail equality or opportunity, which often boils down to not wanting the government to curtail liberties.

While we have similar beliefs, no libertarian that i know is in favor of social programs of any sorts. Education. Housing for the poor. Affirmative action. Economic support for working mothers. Environmentalism. Yet, these are all policies that i'm adamantly in favor of. And my motivation comes down to my strong belief in equality, fairness and opportunity.

The thing that i cannot resolve is why so many of my younger libertarian friends think that they're more aligned with progressives than conservatives when they don't believe in any of the underly motivations of progressive and their underlying motivations are more attuned to conservatives. What am i missing? What don't i understand about libertarians?

Category: politics

   

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September 15, 2004

Don't Think of an Elephant: Blogging Lakoff's class

First, Lakoff's new book Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate--The Essential Guide for Progressives was just released today on Amazon. It's co-authored with Howard Dean and Don Hazen.

Second, since so many people have been curious about Lakoff's class, i decided to create a blog that would document the class. I've added the class notes that Mary and i have written as well as the additional documents that we've read for the class. This should be a great way for folks to follow along in the class, or at least partially.

Category: politics

   

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September 14, 2004

be a poll worker

The 2000 Presidential election woke many people up to the inequalities of elections - will your vote be counted? This year, there are thousands of lawyers on both sides ready to donate their time to making certain that everyone's right to vote is protected (just as there were thousands of lawyers in NYC during the RNC). The freedom to vote and the freedom of speech and the right to protest should not be abridged.

I expect everyone to vote. But i would also strongly encourage you to get involved in the politics of the election. Register to be a poll worker (SF click here). Polls usually have a hard time getting people to staff them and this is where some of the worst limits on the right to vote happen. The average poll worker is 72; they are usually not technologically savvy (even though most poll machines are now electronic).

Even if you aren't working, go to the polls and observe the practices that are occurring; report anything fishy (1-866-OUR-VOTE). And of course, if you can, consider traveling to places where voting is more likely to be abridged.

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August 24, 2004

Thoughts on Mobility: Walmart Nation vs. Starbucks Nation

One purported benefit of industrialization is mobility. With the advent of transportation and communication tools, people became more mobile and were able to move further from the city. My grandfather was involved in the airline industry throughout his career and whenever we're together, he tells me stories about that aspect of mobility; it always makes me smile to think that my mother was born in Gander, Newfoundland because that's where planes had to refuel before going on to Europe. Today, i'm able to communicate with anyone in the world instantly and complain when my flight is delayed by 30 minutes.

One thing that makes this globalized world operate is the eerie duplication of chain culture resulting in a Walmart nation. If you look at any town in the States, you will find the same selection of brands, offering their wares in the same layout and with the same feel. Small towns collect chains like they're going out of style. Aside from the wedding venue, i don't think i entered a single establishment this week that wasn't a chain, from the Tuxedo Shop to Jillian's to the CVS to the McDs. I visited multiple malls and they all contained the same establishments and fit into one of a few possible mall layouts. The smaller the town, the more obvious the key retail establishment becomes: Walmart. It is the one place open 24/7 to serve all of your emergency needs (strappy shoes: $4.83).

When you live in small-city or town culture, mobility means being able to go from one town to the next and get the same services. As long as you stick to the same size town and same socio-economic level, you're bound to have everything that is always available.

Living in a city is not like that. When people land here, they often ask where one gets one's groceries, one's hardware, one's underwear. There aren't really shopping centers in cities, or at least nothing compared to Retail Row in Walmart Nation. Things are scattered.

Of course, cities come with their own brands, brands that capitalize on the disdain of city residents to Retail Row. These "lifestyle" brands (from No Logo) help us define ourselves not as bargain consumers, but sophisticated, cultured consumers. A fucking Starbucks latte costs almost as much as my Walmart shoes. No wonder it's easy to jump from San Francisco to New York to London to Chicago: Starbucks Nation.

Mobility is no longer about transportation or about communication: it's about consumption and values. Starbucks Nation exists in pockets connected by airplanes while Walmart Nation fills in the rest, negotiated by cars and interstates. It's the blue nation vs. the red, cemented by lifestyle consumption vs. bargain shopping.

Category: politics

   

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July 28, 2004

i'll double my contribution to Kerry if...

This morning, i got an email from a friend saying that he would double his contribution (i.e. give $500) to the Kerry contribution if 10 of his friends contributed. I contributed.

I'm going to return the favor. If 10 of you contribute directly to the Kerry-Edwards Campaign within 24 hours, i will double my contribution.

Note: I believe that Thursday is the last day for citizens to offer private contributions to Kerry; after that, it's public-funding only!

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 2:35 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBack (4)

May 31, 2004

how will the military vote?

Although i uninstalled Shrook, Newsweek kept coming during finals. Thus, i read all about the prison crises. While the soldiers were saying that they followed orders, those in charge were passing the blame or saying that it was just a few people operating inappropriately. Stanley Milgram, anyone?

Waking up, my roommate reminded me that it was Memorial Day and we got to talking about different wars. I started thinking about how the military always follows orders and is always a pillar of conservative ideas. They're the most likely population to vote Republican. I wonder how much they feel betrayed right now. I mean, their Commander-in-Chief and Secretary of Defense betrayed their trust and then refused to take responsibility for what happened. Even McNamara knew that those at the top were always responsible.

Newsweek had all of these write-ups about military folks who were embarassed by the prison scandel. Do you think that they'll vote for Bush in Round II? Where do their allegiences lie?

Category: politics

   

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May 30, 2004

Lakoff and the language of politics

I forgot to blog about this amazing talk i went to last week. I've been desperately wanting to take a class with George Lakoff after reading only a part of Women Fire and Dangerous Things. Sadly, that has yet to happen. But when i found out he was talking in Berkeley about the language of (Republican) politics, i rushed through grading to make it to his talk. OMG. I am *so* glad i went. It has to be the most memorable and amazing talk i've been to in ages.

He opened by being adorable, noting that he's a professor and teaches seminars - 15 people sitting around a table discussing not huge scary lecture halls, let alone churches full of an attentive paying audience. He notes that if this many people showed up to hear a linguistics professor talk, he has more confidence in November 2 than he thought.

He next talks about how the Republicans spend some billion dollars on think tanks each year - 43 think tanks, one created about each year, all started in 1970 by one of Nixon's people. Large amounts of research go into linguistics and how we use language. They train Republicans to use language as a powerful tool. Democrats don't do this.

He then talks about intro cog-sci. Don't think of an elephant. Of course, you think of an elephant. You need to realize the frame to negate it. This can be powerful when framing the words of politics. Framing is key because it makes it harder to discuss things. Tax relief. Who can be against a concept so beneficial as tax relief? Well, taxes are put to good use. But by framing it through the pain of the people rather than the use value, Republicans have been able to make it hard to discuss. Are you for or against the President's tax relief plan? Hard to get at the issues from that framing.

Progressives like to eschew values, saying that there aren't progressive values. Bullshit. Furthermore, people vote their values, their connections and their identity, not what is best for them. This helps to explain why poor mid-Westerners vote in favor of Republicans who continue to make them poorer and poorer and poorer.... The Republicans know this. Democrats think that they need to be more moderate to win votes; Republicans aren't that stupid.

Lakoff introduced a whole framework about how the nation can be viewed as a family and how there are two different models of families - the strict father family and the nurturing parent family. He then shared a compelling amount of information on this topic that is really hard to summarize, but Metaphor, Morality and Politics is Lakoff's written version of this.

Anyhow, there was so much more, so much sublety. And of course, the talk definitely motivated me to buy his new book: Moral Politics.

I have to admit that it's nice to be in yet-another-school where the linguistics department is getting hyper political and speaking to the public. And, just like at Chomsky's talks, there were plenty of annoying attendees who decided to pester the speaker in a screaming, not discussing kind of way. One had to be hauled off after he refused to let Lakoff talk. Another had to be engaged by one of the audience members who took the bullet for the rest of us. Of course, Lakoff joked about this all: remember, Berkeley is the home of the Free Speech movement. ::laugh::

Category: politics

   

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March 30, 2004

the problems with technology & justice

It seems that folks have been finding lots of information about technology & justice... i thought i'd share since they shared with me.

FRONTIER JUSTICE: On the Web, Vengeance Is Mine (and Mine)

iPod: This Season's Must-Have for Muggers

Continue reading "the problems with technology & justice"

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March 23, 2004

why my robbery matters :: essential questions about blogging and social networks

Identity theft is supposedly the #1 crime in America right now, according to all of my creditors. Thousands (?millions?) of people have their identity (and associated materials) stolen every year. Yet, it is really hard to track down these criminals and most law enforcement has to focus on violent crimes. I mean, who really has time to go after petty criminals who used someone's credit card to buy burgers?

Yet, this situation interests me beyond my personal investment. Don't get me wrong.. on a personal level, i'm pretty pissed that these guys had the gaul to come to my party and steal my shit. But on a meta-level, there are some interesting questions.

If the United States really is a small world, the people that i know should know people [iterate to on average 5.5] that know these guys, right? If blogs can extend beyond the echo-chamber, shouldn't we be able to use blogs to reach the people who know these guys?

We're living in a society that is quickly becoming camera-phone enabled. We're worried about privacy when these pictures are broadcast, understandably. But can we use the breaks in privacy to demand legal justice? We often talk about how the Interweb is affecting the regulation of social norms... Can the connected community around the Interweb also enforce law?

Already, through this situation, i've seen the power of care. I've seen amazing people who i barely know act up to say this isn't cool and do what they can to acquire information, spread the word, repost those pictures, etc. I've heard from people who've gone through similar situations. I'm in awe of the strangers who are being supportive, of the number of people who have experienced similar crap, with no justice.

Can we go beyond support? Can the Interweb/blogosphere actually demand justice on a personal level? And if i can demand justice for me, can it demand justice for others in a similar predicament? Can citizens take control over the thieves?

Having your identity materials stolen is very disempowering. Having to wait for cops to maybe consider trying to solve this problem is depressing. I don't know if anything will come out of my broadcasting this situation, but it sure is empowering to try. And it really makes me wonder just how powerful the Interweb can be.

Useful links:
- Pictures of the thieves
- Craigslist missed connections post

Feel free to spread the word and help me identify these people, particularly if you have contacts in Austin.

Update: I forgot to note that i feel badly for misusing the term robbery here. I hadn't realized that robbery and theft were not synonymous until the discussion emerged from this post. More precisely, i didn't realize that robbery had to involve force, which this incident did not.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 3:53 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack (2)

March 22, 2004

pictures of my robbers

Last week, six guys came into a party that i was cohosting and stole my stuff. The six came together and left together. Tonight, a dear friend found a picture of one of the guys online:

One party attender stated the this guy asked for the bathroom (where my purse was ripped apart for valuable items).

I contacted the photographer and he sent me the rest of the pictures where you can see more of the guys (time stamps: 1:24AM-1:39AM).

Another party attender accidentally walked in the bathroom when the actual robber was going through my bag. He didn't realize what was going on at the time, but he was able to ID the actual robber from this picture:

"He's in this picture, but his face isn't visible. He's the one standing closest to the orange door with the short hair and the green t-shirt. He was the tallest, least hip, and most drunk of the group. I wish you had something more identifying. That is definitely him."

Because these guys racked up my credit cards (and used the web from my phone), it's now a felony fraud investigation as well as a robbery. Thanks everyone for helping me track down more information. If anyone has any clues, do let me know. Needless to say, the bloggers are going faster than the detectives. Thank you thank you thank you to those3 who are looking out for me!

Update 3/23: Detective Jewett (the detective on this case) said that i could post his email if anyone has additional information and wants to send it directly to him. (Be nice! Don't send anything not related to the case, cause he's being open and helpful.)

Detective Jewett: jason [dot] jewett [at] ci [dot] austin [dot] tx [dot] us
Austin Police Report Number: 2004-501-1946

Continue reading "pictures of my robbers"

Category: politics

   

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March 21, 2004

politics gone awry

A year ago, i broke my hatred for protesting and took to the streets to publicly state my disagreement with my government. My support for their decisions has not grown. I still don't understand what we're doing in Iraq and i'm tired of the propaganda. But, unlike last year, i didn't go to the streets. I find protests a bit frustrating because i don't feel as though i'm actually helping any cause and the supposed community goodness part of it tends to turn me against my fellow dissenters.

That said, it makes me sick to my stomach to hear of police violence against protestors. Worse, i'm absolutely horrified to read about how the government operates to outlaw dissent in this country [a *scary* must read article - use the day pass - it's worth it].

To cheer me up, a friend sent along a list of the marriage status of some of the biggest defenders of the sanctity of marriage (from The Daily Show):

Ronald Reagan -- divorced the mother of two of his children to marry Nancy Reagan who bore him a daughter 7 months after the marriage.

Bob Dole -- divorced the mother of his child, who had nursed him through the long recovery from his war wounds.

Newt Gingrich -- divorced his wife who was dying of cancer.

Dick Armey, House Majority Leader -- divorced.

Senator Phil Gramm of Texas -- divorced.

Governor John Engler of Michigan -- divorced.

Governor Pete Wilson of California -- divorced.

George Will -- divorced.

Senator Lauch Faircloth -- divorced.

Rush Limbaugh -- and his current wife, Marta, have six marriages and four divorces between them.

Senator Bob Barr of Georgia -- not yet 50 years old, has been married three times. He had the audacity to author and push the "Defense of Marriage Act." The current joke making the rounds on Capitol Hill is "Bob Barr -- WHICH marriage are you defending?!?)

Senator Alf onse D'Amato of New York -- divorced.

Senator John Warner of Virginia -- once married to Liz Taylor.

Governor George Allen of Virginia -- divorced.

Representative Helen Chenoweth of Idaho -- divorced.

Senator John McCain of Arizona -- divorced.

Representative John Kasich of Ohio -- divorced.

Representative Susan Molinari of New York (Republican National Convention Keynote Speaker) -- divorced.

The bottom line -- "Don't let gays destroy marriage -- that's the job of the Republicans!"

"If you really want to protect the institution of marraige, how about a constitutional amendment against adultery?"  - Jon Stewart

Category: politics

   

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February 9, 2004

processing trippi

I just listened to Joe Trippi speak at Etech. Everyone was ecstatic, enthused, wanting more, wanting to see how to extend it further. I was disappointed, reminded of why i feel disenchanted with politics. In campaigns, the measurement of success is how much money is raised, how many people are behind the person, etc. Quantitative bits.

Well, i want qualitative.

What does it mean to have a candidate who can distribute their voices down the Internet channel as well as the TV channel? Everyone gets all excited because the Dean campaign had an interactive communication scheme online. What does that mean? How many people's opinions were changed this way? Somehow, i get the impression that the digital interactive environment allowed those with the same views to talk to others with the same views. This is *great* for support groups, but dreadful for changing the system.

I remember a conversation i had with Manuel Castells. He was worried that the Internet only segmented people more, letting them self-segregate into gated communities based on similarity. I really took this to heart; i think he's dead-on. All too often, the Internet lets us find like-minded people and solidify our intolerance to other views. ::sigh::

So, back to Trippi... Great.. the Dean campaign found volunteers online, raised money online. They figured out how to take traditional campaign metrics and utilize the Internet to maximize those. The mass media/Internet certainly motivated the party to pay attention... something new! But did it really change much? The marginalized populations in this country still feel marginalized. The way we run campaigns in this country are so focused on money and power that i think that we lose track of the point.

Of course, the talk was certainly focused on Internet campaigning, not digital democracy. And as a friend of mine pointed out, things like this are evolutionary, not revolutionary. So maybe this is just the first step. But dear me was it painful to hear the defensive justification about how money is spent.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 10:56 AM | Comments (18) | TrackBack (5)

January 27, 2004

reclaim the streets

Cheesebikini just posted the link to Reclaim the Streets, a giant street party intended to make people think on February 14, 2003.

Category: politics

   

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January 22, 2004

avoid diebold: register absentee

Avoid the questionable Diebold machines. Register as an absentee voter so that you can have a receipt of your vote. In many states, this takes quite a while so DO IT NOW. [I'll still love you even if you vote for someone i don't like, but i'll be very angry with you for not voting.]

If you're in California, here's the form. It takes all of 30 seconds to fill out.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 9:57 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack (6)

November 25, 2003

compelling environmental movie

Say whatever you want about Leonardo. But global warming movie is a really beautiful and compelling little reminder to the masses in a non-aggressive way. WATCH IT.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 11:29 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (2)

October 23, 2003

lakoff on voting with your identity

In "The Frame Around Arnold," Lakoff (re)suggests that people vote their identity:

In 'Moral Politics,' I suggested that voters vote their identity – they vote on the basis of who they are, what values they have, and who and what they admire. A certain number of voters identify themselves with their self-interest and vote accordingly. But that is the exception rather than the rule. There are other forms of personal identification – with one's ethnicity, with one's values, with cultural stereotypes, and with culture heroes. The most powerful forms of identification so far as elections are concerned are with values and corresponding cultural stereotypes.

I don't think that i agree. I think that they *use* their identity to vote, but they don't vote their identity. For example, i used my identity to vote *against* a candidate in the recall and SF mayoral elections, not particularly *for* any candidate. In fact, i don't identify with any of the candidates i've ever seen... i choose the lesser of evils. Most candidates represent a very small percentage of people. Certainly, some of the represent what people would like to one day be (and if your ideal is to be the Terminator, goddess help you). In the States, they vote Protestant Ethic style. But seriously, who in California really represents the Mexican community? Who represents the disenfranchised migrant workers (oh, wait, they can't vote...)? And who on earth does Ahr-nold really represent? I'm sorry... but i don't buy that he represents the strict father morality to most people.

That said, i really appreciate a lot of Lakoff's arguments, particularly his deconstruction of the framing of the election.

Category: politics

   

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October 6, 2003

voting day

Tomorrow is voting day in California. It will be a circus; it already has been a circus. And i'm so sensitive to election issues. I'm an adament believer that you can't bitch unless you vote. And i'm a strong believer that you have to be a responsible voter. This means that, more often than note, you have to cast an anti-vote instead of a pro-vote. I've never found an electable candidate that represents me, but i'm not going to vote the closest approximation when an election is so tight and when my poor choice could help elect a clown. While i will never be a religious missionary, i'm certainly an evangelist when it comes to my political views.

Thus, to proselytize for a moment:
- No on the recall
- No on 54
- Anti-Schwarzenegger vote = Bustamante

Category: politics

   

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July 4, 2003

government information awareness

The Computing Culture Group at the Media Lab never ceases to make me smiles. To celebrate the 4th of July, they've unleashed the Government Information Awareness program:

To empower citizens by providing a single, comprehensive, easy to use repository of information on individuals, organizations, and corporations related to the government of the United States of America.

To allow citizens to submit intelligence about government related issues, while maintaining their anonymity. To allow members of the government a chance to participate in the process.

Happy Independence Day! Let freedom reign!

Category: politics

   

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July 2, 2003

American Airlines censoring?

Normally, i love American Airlines. In fact, they've been my primary airline for two years now. Of course, a message in my mailbox makes me reconsider that:

My niece and two of her friends saw the Vagina Monalogues this year at Berkeley California and became empowered, bought Pussy Power T-Shirts with the name, date and location of the play on the back of them.

Just a couple of weeks ago these three and a friend were on an American airlines trip to Hawaii. Three of the four young women were wearing their T-shirts from the play. The stewardesses would not serve them because of the T-shirts. NO water, drinks, food, meals, head-sets for the movie, nothing. The girls tried to explain but the women stewardesses would not listen. Their friend who had not seen the play and didn't have a T-shirt was served. Other women in the area gave them some drinks, rented head-sets for them etc.

I was outraged at this. Is their anyone whom they can contact to help them with this? Also on the return trip from Hawaii, the exact same crew served them everything as they were wearing their new Hawaii shirts and garb.

Sincerely,
Margaret Garcia

The young women are more then willing to talk to someone about this. Their travel agent is upset and has contacted American Airlines but to no avail yet.

It's frustrating that in a big corporate world, i couldn't even fathom who they should contact to express their outrage and frustration.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 10:03 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

June 20, 2003

law students for choice

I'm terrified by the current state of political affairs. What worries me more than the obvious game happening in Washington is what is coming down the line at the lower levels. Thus, i'm ecstatic to help those who are trying to make changes that are focused on the long term goals.

A few months back, two of the smartest people i know started a non-profit to address the emerging risk of losing the legal issues surrounding a women's right to choose. They realize that the federal judicial system is run by a lot of anti-choice, anti-women judges and that up-and-coming lawyers are not trained to actively challenge the laws that are being generated. [They realize this in part because one of them completed her law degree without ever being able to address women's issues in law.] Thus, they created Law Students for Choice to educate and motivate smart future lawyers to conscientiously learn how to challenge the legal system in this arena.

I love that my friends are starting to build their own non-profit start-ups and use their post-collegiate political energy to generate a coherent national agenda. This gives me hope.

Category: politics

   

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June 19, 2003

This is Your Story - The Progressive Story of America. Pass It On.

This is Your Story - The Progressive Story of America. Pass It On.

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June 3, 2003

New World vs. New Europe

In his blog, Eric posted a set of links about 'New World vs. New Europe' that made me scratch my non-existent goatee. In recent days, i've been having increasingly more conversations about gendered behavior concerning power management, or more precisely, about how marginalized individuals have different schemes for acquiring and maintaining power through subtle and subversive ways. The articles on Europe made me think about a previous article that i posted and about the differences in power between Europe and the US. But more fundamentally, in combination, they made think about how my thoughts on power management don't just apply to individuals, but to systems. Europe, having been dwarfted in power by the US in recent years has to be much more subversive, subtle and organized in how it acquires power; brute force no longer works. Conversely, the US continues to just simply carry a big stick in world politics. Of course, this beckons the question: are such alternate forms of negotiation destined to be far more successful or will they always be marginalized by brute force?

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May 7, 2003

for god and country

I often wonder how my grandfather must have felt knowing he had killed thousands of innocent people in the line of duty. But i know not to ask. I learned that long ago. Not all questions are to be asked. Some are simply to be forgotten. One answer will suffice: for God and country.

These thoughts have been more present in my mind in recent months. I remember being asked how i could be anti-war and pro-soldier, as though these ideas were completely contradictory. My response was always simple: Stanley Milgram. On a listserv today, someone noted that they would never participate in killing others, that they would rather risk jail than participate in the military, that the only justifiable option is conscientious objector. I wish i could live in a world where that option was available to everyone. Instead, i wrote:

This is a privilege that is currently afforded to you, yes. But it is not something that is afforded to all people everywhere, nor does it guarantee that you will never be situated in a kill-or-be-killed environment.

In many places in the world, you are required to serve in the armed forces. In many places, war is on your front step. Sure, you can say that anyone could rebel for moral reasons, but obedience to authority runs very deep. Are you familiar with Stanley Milgram's work (mostly stemming from Obedience to Authority)?

Of course, the most interesting analysis of how stress will motivate "good" people to do "bad" things is Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment...

One well established perspective is that people's moral values and practices are highly context-dependent. Put people in a position of fear, stress or anxiety and some of the worst characteristics of humanity are bound to emerge, even if they are the most altruistic and well-demeanored people in everyday life.

This research is very interesting in light of most war-vets PTSD. Needless to say, both Milgram and Zimbardo induced PTSD on their subjects (and they are the reason that we have the IRB today). Anyone who has been to war will articulate the conflicting feelings of not wanting to kill and yet doing so. It's hard to make sense of and it tears at the fabric of your self-perception.

It's also really important to note that we live in a very individualistic society. Most societies are more driven by community and family pressures and norms than personal beliefs. Rebellion is an act of dishonoring your family/community, a cultural force that most people don't overcome. Also (best noted by Milgram), the values of an individual and the values of a group are often very different.

While we have the privilege to sit in (mostly) American cities and voice our dissent towards military participation, the forces that operate in most places would push any (even educated) member of society towards participation. Also, for the most part, we have education, jobs (or job potential), and lack family responsibilities, all of which affords us a lot of mobility and freedom. Most of the US's military force is comprised of the poorest and least mobile individuals. Most signed up to get out of their home environment and never expected to have to participate. I would guess that most are not motivated by murder, but then put in that context...

I would love to believe that i would never kill. I would love to believe that if i were drafted, i would have the strength to rebel. Yet, i imagine that instinct would kick in and if i weren't so privileged, so would need to conform.

Given this perspective, my personal view is that it is the responsibility of those of us with privilege to create a worldwide context where the worst in humanity doesn't need to emerge. How can we reduce the tension so that the instinct to kill out of fear does not need to be considered? How do we increase communication so that the worst-case-scenario is never realized?

Of course, i realize that this is not the perspective that most people have. My grandfather came back from war to a culture that realized that whatever happened in wartime stayed in wartime. It was not to be discussed; simply honor the vets. In Vietnam, vets came back from their harrowing experiences to a country of people who hated them for doing what they didn't see as representative. Anti-war activists took a stance that any conscientious person would object to the war and thus our own people were criminals. This divided our country unnecessarily and we saw the ramifications very recently. People still cannot separate between anti-war and anti-soldiers. The public sees the two as synonymous and it always saddens me to hear people validate that. To believe that soldiers are evil and immoral people is to be so steeped in privilege that you've lost touch of humanity.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 7:20 PM | Comments (2)

May 2, 2003

Transparency, trust and living in a police state

Shortly following the WTC attacks, i remember reading about a young girl who turned to her mother and pointed to the TV and remarked at how pretty the images were. This was a reminder of how attuned we are to seeing the TV as fiction and disassociating from the images we see there. Stories become fiction easily, and we have to mentally work at making them real.

Of course, we have learned to treat the web in the same fashion. If you read something really moving online, you are to assume that it is a hoax. It was with this vantage point that i read Jason Halperin's (Doctors Without Borders) account of life inside the Patriot Act. Of course, this is absolutely horrifying and of course i desperately want this to be true, to magnify my frustration with our current system. Yet, i had these intense doubts; conveniently, they were relieved by source checking with Doctors Without Borders (via email from the webmaster).

This experience makes me think strongly about my motivations. I actively want reasons to hate our system because i see it as oppressive and colonialist. Yet, how much are the lens through which i am observing and experiencing clouding the magnitude in which i disagree with our system?

Secondly, why do we live in a system where we cannot trust what we read or hear? How easily is it to get swept up in social movements? At the same time, it frustrates me that anti-governmental rhetoric can be easily invalidated by those in power, yet the public has no way of checking the facts that the government presents. This lack of equality is my primary source of frustration - power begets power and marginalizes those who disagree. This immediately brings out my childish tendencies to scream "it's not fair!"

The lack of equality is why i crave systemic transparency. I just simply cannot believe that universal transparency is desireable (unless you are libertarian and have lots of privilege). Universal transparency disempowers individuals while not actually requiring checks upon the government. How can transparency be used to more actively even the playing fields? And how can it be used to allow me to build trust in humanity? ::sigh::

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 5:44 PM

April 6, 2003

sometimes, you need to reset

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 11:41 AM | Comments (1)

April 4, 2003

letter from Eve to Bush

I have to admit that it makes me really really happy that V-Day is providing a voice on the war issue. Certainly, i see the relationship between ending violence against women and girls but i'm regularly amazed at how many members of our audience do not. Given the negative feedback we got on the first time, i was *very* happily pleased when Eve decided to open letter to the President.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 11:23 PM | Comments (1)

April 1, 2003

death in iraq

When the US invaded Iraq, officials seemed to think that they would be welcomed with open arms. Needless to say, they haven't been. This has outraged many and turned our goal of freeing the Iraqis to one of destroying them. People in Iraq are fighting back in the limited ways that they can. Fair? All is fair in war. And besides, we invaded.

To appreciate the intensity of the situation, here's an article depicting the atrocities of war and how hatred mounts. This only furthers my deep belief that our troops need to come home.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 2:44 AM | Comments (3)

March 31, 2003

pro-troops != pro-war

Today, i received my first FAIR Media Action Item, asking me to write to the AP and express my anger over their conflation of pro-troops and pro-war issues. I have to say that i'm excited to write these letters, mostly because i feel like i'm back in school writing me 3 paragraph reflection on something that i've recently read. I get to try to be articulate and succinct and voice my opinion. And just like in school, no one will ever read anything that i've written.

Anyhow, after the whole freeping situation with the Dixie Chicks, i'm glad to be doing my part to voice my opinion against our dictator and the media that supports him. I also think that move-on's media initiative is *fabulous* and everyone should sign up.

Oh, and if you're really bored, i've included my never to be read email inside.

Continue reading "pro-troops != pro-war"

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 3:04 PM | Comments (2)

March 30, 2003

anti-war imagery

While my intellectual curiousity drives me to read quantities of text about issues surrounding the war, i also recognize the power of visual imagery as an effective tool for reflection. Images appeal to my heart more than my mind, but that effect is so necessary in order to stay grounded. For that reason, i really appreciated this simple flash animation (anti-war propaganda).

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 5:20 PM

March 28, 2003

wartime thought

There is only one thing that i like about wartime: it makes people think. Intellectuals are focused on developing theories to explain contemporary situations, how people react, how science operates, etc. Engaged individuals are reading vociforously, trying to redevelop their shattered notion of the meaning of life. And thanks to technology, everyone is trying to inform one another.

On today's reading list:

America, Europe and their relationship to power is the topic of a fascinating article about the emerging cultural gap due to a divergent view of power and control in post nuclear modernity

When Democracy Failed: The Warnings of History - a great detailed comparison of the US and Germany through the lens of Hitler's actions. My favorite is the definition of fascism:

"fas-cism (fbsh'iz'em) n. A system of government that exercises a dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of state and business leadership, together with belligerent nationalism."

When can we declare ourselves a fascist nation? Or must we rely on outside forces to do it for us?

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 12:47 AM

March 25, 2003

privacy deteriotation does not create security

I've been very cranky with the whole proposed TIA/Capps II/Patriot II (surprise). One of my main frustrations with this proposed legislation is that most actions will not actually provide security, but will simply eliminate privacy in a way that it will never be returned. We will continue our path towards the Panopticon like a skateboard out of control - faster and faster with no comfortable way to halt.

So, while i still feel useless in making change within this very disturbing government, i support the ACLU in doing so in any way that i can. Today's action: write your representatives about the CAPPS II Airline Profiling system (as terrorists have figured out how to avoid it while regular citizens are banned from flying).

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 10:09 AM

March 23, 2003

freeping...

The Free Republic community proved the power of action when they freeped the Dixie Chicks after they said a very benign comment about being embarassed. Radio stations pulled their songs thinking that thousands of people were outraged. But those thousands of people were from a very small community who magnifies their voice to sound like they represent everyone. And they make waves.

I was thinking.. the left doesn't really have an equivalent. I always feel guilty calling some place twice because i want to share my one vote, one voice. It's weird because i guess we could blast those who are so vigilently pro-war, but it just seems so strange. Thus, things don't get heard. Like, i was *stunned* today when i found out that most of the east coast media did not even cover Rachel Corrie's death (or blamed her for being a radical freak). I really want to secede.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 10:27 AM | Comments (1)

March 20, 2003

6 degrees of Saddam-Osama

To celebrate last night's stupidity with some humor: Powell Offers Proof of Saddam-Osama Link. In a bold move of social network applications, Powell clearly shows that there are only 6 degrees between Saddam and Osama (and of course, it goes through Kevin Bacon). Of course, like all good connections, it can be simplified from there.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 6:07 PM

March 19, 2003

if you can't change it, laugh about it

OK... sometimes, humor really is the best medicine - Fun Live Journals:

Saddam Hussein
Yasser Arafat
George W. Bush

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 2:48 PM

asylum for KJ

In SF, there's a psy-DJ named KJ who is risking deportation because he's from Pakistan and doesn't have the right papers. I don't know him, although i've heard him spin, but i'm so amazed at the way folks in the psy community (and the late night culture in general) are coming together to beg for his asylum, attempting to raise funds and awareness. Another reason that i love SF...

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 10:59 AM

March 9, 2003

evolving

Not surprisingly, i'm pretty anti-war. In fact, i'm utterly horrified by it. All the same, every time i show up to a protest or participate in the mass gatherings of anti-war folks, i find myself so disenchanted by the far left. I realize that we all have different reasons for being against the war, but i despise crowds and really can't stand having folks in my face about every cause that the left supports simply because people are out to be anti-war. In fact, i can't cope with showing up to a protest and being yelled at... it doesn't help me feel like a part of a coalition or otherwise build up the strength to help me fight the system. It turns me off, and i tend to go shopping.

Thankfully, a friend of mine realized that many of her friends were uninformed, avoiding or otherwise disenchanted so she brought together a large group of friends to start talking issues. This is great because it is truly allowing me to start getting involved again, because i feel like i have a purpose and a way to help. As one of the resident geeks, i've set up a new blog for all of our random listserv babbles and links...

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 9:32 PM

February 25, 2003

march to war

marchtowar.com is a betting pool that allows folks to bet on the start date of the war (brought to you by none other than the media lab). the winner will receive 20% of the winnings in prepaid gasoline cards. the remainder will go to humanitarian organizations helping iraqi civilians. the site is also full of good sarcastic reminders about why this situation is so aggrevating.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 3:58 PM

February 18, 2003

weapons of mass destruction

These Weapons of Mass Destruction cannot be displayed (read carefully)

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 12:06 AM

February 5, 2003

hilarious image

I love when wordplays can be so utterly political and hysterical at the same time:

i SHELL not EXXONerate saddam hussein from blame. i will MOBILise our troops and JETs to Q8 and the persian GULF. i will BPrepared for TOTAL war. the message is AMOCOming to kick your ass, saddam

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 1:14 AM | Comments (1)

February 1, 2003

Columbia

When i was first heard about Columbia today, my heart was filled with so many emotions. Prior to breaking my neck, my life goal was to be an astronaut... i had even gone so far as to applying and getting the nominations necessary to go to the Naval Academy (since so many astronauts came from there). I was obsessed with space in every way. I remember the Challenger and the confusion that i had sitting in that classroom as my teacher completely lost it (his friend from college was on board). So hearing this brought back all of those memories of loss and sadness. Yet, in spite of all of this tragedy, i received a note revealing a quote from Kalpana Chawla that reminds me of why space is so important to so many of us. When asked about her Indian heritage, she said: "When you look at the stars and the galaxy, you feel that you are not just from any particular piece of land, but from the solar system."

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 12:07 PM

January 22, 2003

Battle Raper: HYPER REALACTION

Battle Raper: HYPER REALACTION is a new Japanese fighting game where the user "fights" by raping women in the game.

Defining Moment: Seeing the first grapple attack with the chest rubbing and the first molestation attack with some topless chest rubbing were both certainly eye-openers. However they both pale in comparison to the face rape the first time I experienced it. Each time I pressed a button Zenon forced poor Chihaya's head down on his invisible penis and tears ran down her cheeks. It, much like the entire game, produced a mixture of shock, revulsion, and shame.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 4:42 PM | Comments (20)

protest tactics

It seems as though anti-war protest tactics have changed. I find this interesting because, while i'm adamently anti-war, i have yet to feel any meaningful anti-war *community*. I mean, my friends and colleagues are all super anti-war and i've been supporting Not In Our Names in a variety of different ways, but i really don't feel connected. I guess attending the protests would remind me that there are other people involved, but everyone who i know who went to SF's anti-war protests felt great about going, like it was a festival, but they didn't come out feeling more connected to an anti-war community...

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 4:29 PM

secured liberty

secured liberty... prisoner style. I love that the ACLU has a section on the art of civil liberties!

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 4:11 PM

January 9, 2003

anti-SUV ads

The Detroit Project has developed a series of TV ads aimed at SUV drivers, reminding them how they are supporting the terrorists. Based on the anti-drug ads, these pieces are just poignant reminders of how the public just doesn't get it. And, of course, there are plenty of TV stations refusing to air them.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 5:23 PM | Comments (2)

January 5, 2003

empire

The NYTimes has another great article about the US becoming an empire and what this means. Although i don't entirely agree with the author's bent on the situation, i think that he clearly articulates some of the historical precedents for empire and what our behavior means, what role we are playing and the problems with playing that role. Anyhow, interesting read.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 11:10 PM

January 4, 2003

Bhopal

In 1984 DOW Chemical created a major disaster in Bhopal, affecting thousands. Lawsuits have continued for decades and many of those affected were not properly compensated. To celebrate the anniversary of this disaster, a group of folks created a spoof website and emailed thousands in protest; this action was severely censored. At the same time, many of the women survivors did a silent protest of DOW Chemical in India to object to their treatment of this; DOW Chemical is suing these peaceful protestors for costing them money because their employees were distracted. This situation is a reminder of why it is so problematic that our society and governments are controlled by corporations with greedy motives and minimal social responsibility.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 6:43 PM

forced sterilization

Against Their Wills is a magnificant (yet terrifying) article about the forced sterilization that has occurred in North Carolina and why it lasted so much longer than in other states. Aside from being an amazing article, the stylization of the article is fabulous.

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 6:22 PM

December 23, 2002

total information

Don't you hate it when you see disaster emerging and yet you feel so ineffective at stopping it?

The civilian population, in other words, has willingly embraced the technical prerequisites for a national surveillance system that Pentagon planners are calling Total Information Awareness.

Well, duh... They think that they're building a Castle, right?

Continue reading "total information"

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 9:25 PM | Comments (1)

December 14, 2002

propaganda toys

Does anyone else think it's odd that JCPenney is selling a Christmas toy (ages 5 & up) with a soldier standing above a bombed out home?

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 10:39 PM

November 25, 2002

empire

Well, we are certainly becoming a new roman empire (and most likely we will also fall). And finally Osama has decried his reasons for which we should. Reading through that is quite impressive. As a disbeliever of all Zoroastrian-derived religions, i couldn't help but disagree with his world view in relation to religion and sexual/social morality, yet so many of his points regarding policies, politics and ethics were so accurate and the wakeup call that i wanted the US to have after WTC that it was quite eerie to read this message, regardless of who its author might actually be. Aside from his statements about our foreign policies, one point struck me in an interesting way:

You are a nation that exploits women like consumer products or advertising tools calling upon customers to purchase them. You use women to serve passengers, visitors, and strangers to increase your profit margins. You then rant that you support the liberation of women.

Oh, and friends have also pointed out similar articles of interest:
- The Push For War
- Our Way: The Trouble with Being the World's Only Superpower

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 2:25 PM | Comments (3)

November 18, 2002

terrorism

"Terrorism Is Society's Condemnation of Itself" - Jean Baudrillard

The despair of having everything

The West's mission is to make the world's wealth of cultures interchangeable, and to subordinate them within the global order. Our culture, which is bereft of values, revenges itself upon the values of other cultures.

Is globalisation inevitable? What fervour propels the world to embrace such an abstract idea? And what force drives us to make that idea a reality so unconditionally?

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 1:51 AM

October 9, 2002

women against war

As women embracing life and peace, we declare ourselves opposed to any military action, particularly a preemptive strike, against Iraq. As women, we have been the victims of many kinds of violence. We call on you, our Congress members, to oppose any military action. We make this demand for ourselves, our children, our parents, our brothers, husbands and friends. We make this demand because we understand that warfare creates endless cycles of violence, destruction and death, impoverishing us spiritually and economically. We make this demand because warfare destroys family life, throwing whole communities into exile and turning children into orphans. We make this demand because we cannot build happy lives on a ground polluted by violence.

We believe this is a defining moment in the life of our country. We will either take our place in the family of nations as seekers of peace and justice or we will start down a terrible road to war, unleashing the fury of generations to come on our land. We call upon you to act with integrity, to show courage and remember that you are guardians of the public trust and of the world we leave to our children.

We oppose a war against Iraq. We oppose all elected officials who support this war. There is no other issue greater than the cause of peace. No past stand or history can be called upon to overshadow the imperative to stand today for peace. We, as women acting to shape public life, dedicate our energy, resources, and hopes to those who establish peace.

There will be no war in our names. If you want our support and votes, stop this war! SIGN ON TO THIS PETITION

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 2:53 PM | Comments (4)

September 27, 2002

not in our name

If you happen to be in New York City on October 3, check out "Not in our Name" - a discussion with folks who are consciously against war and repression. They also are doing a lot of really good public conscious raising, including a New York Times ad explaining their position, whereby Bush does not speak for all Americans (signed by lots of famous folks).

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 3:24 PM

August 8, 2002

new florida adoption law destroys privacy of birth mothers

A new Florida law requires women who want to give their unborn up for adoption to publish their sexual histories in the local newspapers of the town in which the child was conceived.

“When women come into my office and find their whole lives have to be exposed in the newspaper, they are like, ‘Forget it.’ They can abort without consent, but they can’t give the child an opportunity to live without humiliating themselves.”

Category: politics

   

Posted by zephoria at 4:24 AM | Comments (1)