[Marxism] Yellowing of the Green Party

[<lshan@xxxxxxx>]

David Cobb has been touted as a potential Green Party candidate for
president. His support for the "Strategic States Plan" is well-known. Now
comes his advocacy of a "phased withdrawal." We shouldn't be surprised that
many who had hopes for the Green Party are beginning to question their own
strategy, particularly those who have not taken an organized "left" or
"socialist" position within the Greens, such as Camejo, who apparently was
surprised by Cobb's position on Iraq during their panel discussion. In other
words, those who assumed that the mere formation of an independent left-wing
alternative to the Democratic and Republican parties would in and of itself
create an anticapitalist left wing in the U.S. are seeing their strategy
unravel.

The University of Southern California reporter was struck by the fact that
Camejo's "voice continued to rise until he was shouting at his colleagues."
What Camejo was reacting to was the fact that the Greens, even if they come
up with an "acceptable" candidate for Camejo and others to the left of Cobb,
are in deep confusion about the 2004 elections and about the concrete
positions that they need to take in the "issues of concern" or "Ten Key
Values."

To illustrate what is going on in the Green Party, here is a poll conducted
by the New Hampshire Green Party:
What should be the focus of the peace movement now that Baghdad is under
US/UK control?
* UN involvement in interim government
* Humanitarian aid for Iraqi citizens
* Open contracts for rebuilding Iraq infrastructure (e.g. water supply)
* Future foreign policy to prevent additional wars
* Peace and Social Justice here in the U.S.

The phrasing of the question is more interesting than the result.
Participants in this list will notice that the list does not include
"immediate withdrawal from Iraq." In fact, it doesn't offer any version of
getting out of Iraq. Results of the poll (131 participants) in the above
order are 29.8%, 11.5%, 12.2%, 17.6%, and 29.0%.
http://www.nhgreens.org/cgi-bin/YaWPS/polls.cgi?op=view_poll;id=4
_____________

The candidate should publicly state that if a marginally "moderate" (but
still woefully inadequate) candidate wins the Democratic Party nomination,
we will follow a Strategic States Plan for our campaign.  Most of our
resources should be focused on those states where the Electoral College
votes are not "in play."
--Green Party 2004 Presidential Strategy By David Cobb
http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/cobb.html
[Cobb has said that he is "willing to publicly pledge to follow the Party's
direction if a different strategy is developed."]

Cobb and Mesplay said they would support a phased withdrawal from Iraq, but
the words "phased withdrawal" enraged Camejo. "I would never use the term
phased withdrawal," he said, "our troops have no right to be there."
Camejo's voice continued to rise until he was shouting at his colleagues. "I
cannot support a candidate who will allow our troops in another country,"
he said in his closing statement. http://makeashorterlink.com/?J5B523477

from Brian Shannon


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