Tricounty DFA Update; Vigil, Meeting Poll, War, Democrats, Future
Hello Everyone;

In this update for July 29, 2008;


1. Vigil Saturday, 11am Downtown Glens Falls
2. August Meeting? A Poll
3. National Security And Democrats
4. Democratic Future, Congressional Failure
5. Iran War Resolution Actions
6. Friday Night Progressive Film Festival




1. Vigil Saturday, 11am Downtown Glens Falls

There will be another vigil for peace and to bring our troops home this Saturday, August 2nd at 11am at the corner of Bay, South and Glens Streets in downtown Glens Falls, in front of the Civil War monument. Please bring a friend and a sign; a couple of regulars may be away, so we will need some reinforcements.

2. August Meeting? A Poll

A week from today is the first Wednesday in August, and the day of our usual monthly meeting. However, I have heard from so many people that they are going to be away, that I think it is appropriate to poll and see how many of you plan on coming. If you are planning to come, please respond back and let me know, otherwise we will plan on a big September meeting where we can get going working for Obama!

3. National Security And Democrats

As I noted in my last update, there is some confusion being generated as to what is actually going on in Iraq. There are a pair of corrective pieces.

There is a review by Samantha Powers, of some recent books by Democrats in the New York Review of Books. http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21670

There is also a largely overlooked article on military.com on the so-called Awakening Councils in Iraq; the former insurgents we bribed to stop killing our troops are getting restive, and want more money. That, of course, is the problem with paying blackmail-- it's easy to start but the demands never end: http://www.military.com/news/article/exinsurgents-want-more-money-or-else.html?col=1186032310810

The terrible thing about the bribery campaign, paying protection money, is that it reduced the incentive for the Iraqi Shiites in power to come to terms with their neighbors, which means it will in the long run actually prolong the war and postpone a political settlement, the only way the war will ever end.

Powers was/is an advisor to Barack Obama on foreign policy. She makes the case that it is Democrats who have the strongest position on foreign policy. She is also clear why Democrats have so often sabotaged themselves:

"Unfortunately, the Democrats have too often failed to contest... dangerous conservative fantasies. This is is the subject of Matthew Yglesias's briskly written, provocative book entitled Heads in the Sand. Yglesias draws on the last decade of US foreign policy to build his case that the Democratic Party's position on national security "has mostly been to play Charlie Brown perennially falling down as Lucy yanks away the football, swearing not to be fooled again...."
"...mainstream Democrats, in the run-up to the war in Iraq, caricatured the antiwar left as a way of flaunting their national security bona fides. The intraparty squabble inhibited the creation of a pluralistic coalition united against the administration's unilateralism and militarism."



4. Democratic Future, Congressional Failure

Glenn Greenwald on Salon.com brilliantly addresses a question Powers alludes to obliquely- the so-called Blue Dogs Democrats are willing to undermine their party and betray their own rank and file because they fear no consequences. They have been conditioned to believe rank and file Democrats will not stand up and get tough with them. Greenwald shows we have to change that mentality -- it is key to taking back America, by taking back our party. http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/07/29/blue_dogs_die/print.html

Dick sent this quote out earlier today:

"As foolish as it is, this intense aversion to jeopardizing any Democratic incumbents might be considered rational if doing so carried the risk of restoring Republican control of Congress. But there is no such risk, and there will be none for the foreseeable future. No matter what happens, the Democrats, by all accounts, are going to control both houses of Congress after the 2008 election. Their margin in the House, which is currently 31 seats, will, by even the most conservative estimates, increase to at least 50 seats. No advertising campaign or activist group could possibly swing control of Congress to the Republicans this year, and -- given the Brezhnev-era-like reelection rates for incumbents in America -- it is extremely unlikely that the House will be controlled by anyone other than Steny Hoyer, Rahm Emanuel and Nancy Pelosi for years to come."

The next battle won't be between the Democrats and Republicans. It will be between the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party and the Republican Wing of the Democratic Party. The battle is shaping up all over America now in a very conscious effort.


5. Iran War Resolution Actions

DFA communications partner Credo Action is still concerned about House Resolution 362, which calls for a naval blockade of Iran, an act of war. Many Democrats have withdrawn support for this outrageous piece of legislation, but it still could be brought up. Contact members of Congress to let them you know oppose any flirting with yet another war with Iran. http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/no_iran_blockade/?r_by=622-1602218-b_bmFux&rc=paste


6. Friday Night Progressive Film Festival


The Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe's Friday Night Progressive Film Festival continues with:

Fri Aug 1 7:30 pm SUMMER FAMILY FILM FEST (Oft-overlooked free family movies all summer long)
WAKING NED DEVINE (1998) Kirk Jones 111 min. RT Rating = 82 %
A comedy about the inhabitants of Tulley More, a small Irish town with a population of fifty-two and dwindling. When Jackie and Michael discover that someone in their town has won the national lottery, they intend to uncover the lucky individual and talk him into sharing the jackpot with them. Trouble arises when they discover it's good old Ned Devine, and no longer is he one of the living. The citizens must band together and fool the authorities into believing that Ned is still alive, in order for them to receive the money and share it amongst themselves.


Thanks, everyone! Let me know what you think about an August meeting,

Larry

Labels: Attack On Iran, Democracy For America, Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area, DFA, Iraq War, Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe, vigil

- posted by Larry Dudley @ 11:49 PM