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Democracy Starts with Your Vote

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Democracy Starts with Your Vote NOVEMBER 2012 Volume XXX, No. 9 20 Pages Published by the Peace & Justice Network pjnsjc.org Priceless & Free Dec 7 — 8 DEMOCRACY STARTS Peaceful Holiday Faire It’s that time of year again. The Peace and Justice Network is putting on our Peaceful Holiday Faire on Friday December 7 and Saturday December 8 at the WITH YOUR VOTE Central United Methodist Church in Stockton. For those who plan to attend, mark your calendars for this warm gathering of friends, food and conflict-free gifts. And, for those who are interested in selling their wares, please contact the Faire Coordinator, Joy Richardson (462-3489). The Faire Coordinator will pick up the message and get the information out to you via email or postal mail. Make sure to leave your name and telephone number and how you’d like to receive the Vendor Application Form. We look forward to having a diverse group of crafters this year. There will be music at the venue this year on both days. one gives up trying. If a society’s electoral process promotes learned helplessness, it is not a democratic society. While Mitt Romney is another Republican “senseless wars/corporate control” candidate, what is President Obama’s record here? Military spending under Obama, as a percentage of GDP, has been higher than it was during any year of the George W. Bush administration. And under Obama, there has not been a single prosecution of a high ranking Wall Street executive or any major financial firms for their criminal practices that helped produce a worldwide BRUCE E LEVINE financial meltdown. There are differences between Romney and Obama, but not when it comes to democracy activists’ Many democracy activists argue that participating helplessness around stopping senseless wars and corporate in U.S. national elections only maintains the illusion of control. democracy, and so voting can become a wedge issue that To extricate from learned helplessness, does it make undermines solidarity among voting and nonvoting activists sense to vote for a third party that opposes senseless wars and on democracy battlefields beyond electoral politics. corporate control? Because of the power of money in the U.S. PAID Postage Postage The corporate media tries to persuade Americans electoral process, even worse now because of Citizens United, Stockton, CA Stockton, Permit No. 488 Permit No. that the problem with the U.S. political process is a lack of Nonprofit Org. U.S. U.S. Org. Nonprofit third parties have no chance of winning. And so voting for a bipartisanship between the Democrats and the Republicans, third party that opposes senseless wars and corporate control but on the key democracy issues of our era, senseless wars, means that either the Democrats or the Republicans still win, Wall Street bailouts, unprosecuted corporate criminals, and and Americans continue to get senseless wars and corporate the surveillance state, there has been Democratic-Republican control. And more learned helplessness. bipartisanship. However, not voting doesn’t change the fact that the The real problem for those of us who care about Democrats or Republicans still win, resulting in senseless democracy is the lack of bipartisanship between voter wars and corporate control. The bottom line is that regardless and nonvoter democracy activists who often flail out at of what we do or don’t do in the election booth, we continue one another, and then can’t come together on democracy to get senseless wars and corporate control. battlefields where they actually have a chance to gain power and create something closer to democracy. DroppinG ONE’S arroGANCE ABOUT A votinG OR NON- votinG stance U.S. ELECTIONS AND LEARNED HELPLESSNESS While both the Democrats and the Republicans are the “If the Bush administration didn’t like somebody, they’d parties of senseless wars and corporate control, there are kidnap them and send them to torture chambers. differences between them. And these differences can mitigate If the Obama administration decides they don’t like real suffering in some people’s lives. And this makes it difficult somebody, they murder them.” Noam Chomsky to walk away from a political party that one essentially does not respect. When the Republicans win, Americans get senseless Obama’s capitulation to health insurance companies wars and corporate control. When the Democrats win, was an excruciating blow for single-payer (Medicare-for- Americans get senseless wars and corporate control. Learned all) activists. Even before the presidential campaign began, helplessness means a belief that no matter what one does or does not do, one cannot decrease one’s level of pain, and so CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 Correction: In the last issue of Connections, our recommendation on Proposition 40 was wrong. We recommend a YES vote on Proposition 40. Sorry for the error. SAVE THE DATES CONTENTS OCT 30: BITTER SEEDS FILM WOMEN-TIME TO RESPOND P9 NOV 6: ELECTION DAY SOCIAL SECURITY: OUR CHOICE P3 HOW PARTIES CAN AGREE P10-11 NOV 18: TRANSGENDER Day OF REMEMBERANCE CENSORED STORIES P6 FIVE REAL ISSUES P14 FLEET WEEK P7 IRAN-WHY & HOW P17 Peace & Justice Network & Justice Peace County of San Joaquin 4123 Box P.O. CA 95204 Stockton, 209/467—4455 DEC 7-8: PEACEFUL HOLIDAY FAIR 2 CONNECTIONS, NOVEMBER 2012 CONNECTIONS Voting is your most valuable right Editor: Bruce Giudici, 786- BRUCE GIUDICI party affiliation to generally process also has lots of But have we come to 3109; [email protected] define the rough edges money...er... speech thrown a point where, due to an Layout: Luis Gonzalez, In a world of short- of their beliefs. These so- at it: witness Proposition 37, imperfect voting system, we [email protected] term gratification, there is called moderates could be which simply asks to label are moving to disenfranchise Proofreader: Debbie Cousyn no market for patience. Yet persuaded to cross party lines what we eat, but which will ourselves? This free-of- Ad Rep: Vacant the issues we face will take based on their individual attract so many negative ads charge action — the right to Distribution Coordinators: decades to resolve. Dean and Marcia Savage, perspectives or that of their that it could easily lose in a vote — is the most valuable 209-242-2254 In the face of bumper home districts. close count. The sleaze of right any human has on this positions of local candidates Distribution Site: Green’s sticker and 30-second In today’s world, attack ads serves to dampen planet — the United States for: various boards and city Nutrition, 1906 Pacific Ave, messaging, there is no space however, such so-called voter enthusiasm — and still being the most powerful, councils, county boards, Stockton for the nuanced essay and moderates are extinct. In turnout. rich and influential country. state Assembly and Senate, Distributors: Suzy Arnett, shades of grey. Yet the their place have come party So, many citizens don’t And you and I still have a say US Congress and Senate Harold Bell, Antoinette Celle, understanding we need representatives who must toe vote at all. For these folks, the in its governance — if we can and the Presidency. Study Jerry Croskrey, Clarence of large issues requires a the party line or lose their excuses range from “they’re see through the haze of all them. And look at national Edwards, Daniel Fong, knowledge based on accurate primary contest to someone all the same” or “elections that money. So vote already. dailies as well (New York Catherine Mathis, John reporting and multiple Minnehan, Karen Pham, who will toe that line. This don’t impact me;” to “it’s too Election day is a time Times, Los Angeles Times, Heather Ryan, Dean and sources. is made possible through negative” and “the issues are for informed decision. As an SF Chronicle). Compare Marcia Savage, Julie Vaughn, In times of dishonest the magic of unlimited funds too complicated.” A lesser educational 501(c)3 not-for- candidates point by point Stan Thomas, Patrick Wall, Jim salesmanship, there is no showered on both parties — of two evils is always the profit organization, we cannot and make your own Walsh, Peter Vang time for the truth. Yet the the free speech only money choice, to be expected in endorse any candidate. Our decisions. And disregard any Deadline: 7th of each month decisions we democratically can buy. flawed processes controlled recommendation is to choose paid advertising — it only (except Aug & Dec) make must be based on California has been by money. And it certainly the candidate able to move encourages them. Voting is Circulation: 8,500 facts, not beliefs; reality, not spared the costly “free would be much easier if towards positions advocating important — please exercise fantasy. speech” of presidential we lived in China or North peace and justice. These days, your franchise. CONNECTIONS is a So, how will this coming ads spreading lies far and Korea, where pesky votes that choice should be simple. monthly publication of the Peace & Justice Network of San Joaquin election shake out? Is the wide — by virtue of being don’t get in the way of Local daily papers have gone County. The views expressed most voters make candidate a one-party state. We have decision-making process. to great lengths to list the in CONNECTIONS are those of the choices based on party had our glimpse of this sad authors and are not necessarily affiliation — some based on endorsed by the Network. News, process, however, through articles, letters and calendar items the individual. the McNerney/Gill and Propositions recommendations / resources should be sent to the Peace & In the far past (30 Hernandez/Denham slime On November 6, disruption in communities information on what they eat.
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