chevive
10th October 2006, 01:46
Hi all! I just joined this forum today (in honor of the 39th anniversary of Che's death), and wanted to ask all of you what you think Che would advise us to do about our respective countries' political situation today.
As a North American, I think the state of the USA today is dismal. The Bush administration has taken many of our constitutional rights away in the name of national security and the electorate just seems to get dumber and dumber. I shudder to think that it takes a right-wing Congressman molesting young boys to get some people to rethink their ideology.
Che himself apparently did not believe that revolution here was possible. When the US writer Maurice Zeitlin asked him to sign his copy of "Guerrilla Warfare", Che wrote (in Spanish), "The lessons in this book are not intended to apply to the Rocky Mountains." (I *love* his sense of humor!)
So, what do you think Che would have us do? I have a few ideas, but would also love to hear yours.
Mine are (for starters):
(1) Organize a genuine leftist political party (admittedly not easy).
(2) Institute public campaign financing, thereby illiminating corporate America's stranglehold on campaign information. I would like to see such a law give an equal amount to all candidates, thus giving all political viewpoints an equal chance to be heard. This would also lessen the advantage of the incumbent.
(3) Make "lobbying" (in the modern sense of the word) illegal.
(4) Greatly toughen political corruption laws. Instead of a slap on the wrist or a few months (at most) in Club Fed (posh federal prisons, for those in other countries), convicted corrupt politicians should do at least 20 years in a place like San Quentin or Attica (or, better yet, Guantanamo Bay, tee hee!). However, Bush and Cheney should be lifers!
These things could not be instituted overnight, and they certainly wouldn't solve all of our problems, but they would be a good beginning.
Hasta la Victoria Siempre,
Catherine
As a North American, I think the state of the USA today is dismal. The Bush administration has taken many of our constitutional rights away in the name of national security and the electorate just seems to get dumber and dumber. I shudder to think that it takes a right-wing Congressman molesting young boys to get some people to rethink their ideology.
Che himself apparently did not believe that revolution here was possible. When the US writer Maurice Zeitlin asked him to sign his copy of "Guerrilla Warfare", Che wrote (in Spanish), "The lessons in this book are not intended to apply to the Rocky Mountains." (I *love* his sense of humor!)
So, what do you think Che would have us do? I have a few ideas, but would also love to hear yours.
Mine are (for starters):
(1) Organize a genuine leftist political party (admittedly not easy).
(2) Institute public campaign financing, thereby illiminating corporate America's stranglehold on campaign information. I would like to see such a law give an equal amount to all candidates, thus giving all political viewpoints an equal chance to be heard. This would also lessen the advantage of the incumbent.
(3) Make "lobbying" (in the modern sense of the word) illegal.
(4) Greatly toughen political corruption laws. Instead of a slap on the wrist or a few months (at most) in Club Fed (posh federal prisons, for those in other countries), convicted corrupt politicians should do at least 20 years in a place like San Quentin or Attica (or, better yet, Guantanamo Bay, tee hee!). However, Bush and Cheney should be lifers!
These things could not be instituted overnight, and they certainly wouldn't solve all of our problems, but they would be a good beginning.
Hasta la Victoria Siempre,
Catherine