Trying To Stay Cool (through a Montana winter)

A portion of Occupy Missoula met last night to discuss: Money in Politics, or Why the People Have No Voice. This follows the Move To Amend action/rally last week where Missoula turned out almost as many folk as Washington DC! As we went around the circle explaining our positions on the issue (and in some cases their whole life story and political philosophy or lack thereof) I found myself grinding my teeth, trying to remain patient and understanding, trying not to roll my eyes as liberal after liberal repeated the familiar mantras of that mundane, frozen, self-deceiving/perpetuating creed.

Because so many of these people fight the crazy conservative onslaught daily, from relatives and co-workers and internet comment threads, and feel as though their "progressive" backs are up against the wall, for me to challenge them from the Left in these settings seems almost cruel at times. But challenge I must.They search for positive actions around which to build unity but fail to reflect on the history or theoretical basis of their pre-suppositions. They believe in their hearts that Occupy is bringing new life to a populist revolt and so they demand their government be more accountable. With Rachael Maddow and Thom Hartman and Bill Moyers and Stephen Colbert on their side, they just know their anger can be translated into better policy.This time it will really happen. This time will be different. Somehow.

It was ironic to me that on the television below Barack Obama was delivering the quintessential Liberal Clarion Call, inveighing all the poll-tested catch phrases of "fair play" and "level playing fields" and "American values", acting as though he was honestly unaware that every President for fifty years had not stood on that same podium and used the same tired cliches and received the same elite applause.

I didn't do a very good job explaining the capitalist state or hegemony or the current crisis of democracy but at least people were receptive to the idea of asking for "what they really desire."To think a little bit more expansively, try using their utopian imagination, to be a bit more daring in this little free space we have carved out for Tuesday evenings.