Sima Dives In
Posted: November 4, 2010 Filed under: Anti-War, Elections | Tags: anti-war, election reform, peace, peace action 36 CommentsI received the opportunity to take part in a small survey from Bold Progressives late on Tuesday night. It was only three questions, and I thought I’d post my answers here to start my Introduction:
In general, what are you thinking tonight?
I am a liberal, not a progressive, although at one time those seemed the same. I think too much trust was placed in a leader who had no experience, no proven record and nothing to show for his life but a couple ghost written books and the ability to make people believe in him. I think that means we’ve had a comeuppance that was as deserved as it was cruel. I think we have to go back to work… next question.What do you think the progressive movement should do next? As in, immediately…
Go back to the basics. Start elucidating and spouting progressive and liberal ideals in easy to understand bits. Don’t go all professorial on the people, talk to them like they are friends and compatriots, because they are. We have to tease out the liberal streak that runs deep in most Americans and get it to shine.Do you think Pres. Obama and congressional Dems should fight harder for progressive policies or seek middle ground with Republicans? (Please elaborate.)
NO middle ground. Fight, Fight, FIGHT. I think the middle ground has made this defeat. I mean, Feingold lost? Why? Because he went back on his promises and was two-faced about that stupid health care bill. My Senator, Murray, is struggling. Not because she is a bad person, but because when the country wanted change to the left, real health care, a public option or medicare for all, we got big insurance’s wet dream. Murray couldn’t stop it, nor could Feingold. Obama could have, but didn’t because he is bought and sold. We need a leader that is willing to betray his or her class (always the upper class) like FDR or Johnson. Until we get that leader, it’s time to protest, even if it’s Obama’s White House we are protesting. It’s time to meet and march and get people stirred up. It’s time for anti-war pickets on every street corner. It’s time to be heard, not taken for granted. If we stand up, others will stand up with us. This will not be easy, but mark my words, it will be done, or America is going to devolve into greedy mediocrity.
In these answers I paid too much attention to health care (which worries me personally right now) and not enough to the economy, un- and under-employment, anti-war protests, women’s rights, farming problems and more. But my basic goal remains the same regardless. It’s time for me to go beyond reading blogs, beyond nodding in agreement, beyond speaking up timidly, if at all, when friends say something ludicrous. It’s time to stand up.
I’m starting with the first cause that got me truly politically active. Like everyone else in this country, I went into shock after 9/11. The event generated a huge amount of fear for me, fear not of terrorists, but fear of the horrible backlash I knew would come from our government. I watched Bush read his stupid book and thought, “He can do anything he wants now, we are doomed.”
The stupid ineffective actions taken after 9/11, the build-up to the Afghan and then Iraq wars told me I was right, we were doomed. The thought galvanized me, and I found protest groups on the Internet and made myself, shy geeky me, go to the meetings. We organized and protested twice a week right on the corner in my home-town, right by where the ferry from Seattle empties. We got honks and waves of support, we got spat on and cursed, we got nearly run over. We stood in the rain, we stood in the hot sun. Some of us travelled and got beat up by police as we marched. My very small town doesn’t beat up demonstrators, thankfully; not enough of us, and not nearly enough of them. We made signs. We went to meetings with our Congress people, and got them to change their minds about a few things concerning the potential war(s), the Patriot Act, supporting Bush blindly, and more. My Congressman acted on what we’d discussed. We shouted, we yelled. Did we make a difference? Don’t know. But it made me feel as though what I had to say was at least heard.
We continued protesting after the Iraq war started and more people joined us. Then the 2008 election rolled around. Suddenly it seemed as though all the protests died. Not in Our Name folded up and went home, I suppose they assumed the new President would do the right thing. Other peace groups just withered, but didn’t die. No-one protested on the corner any more. I admit I turned my mind and work to other things. And on the back burner these last two years the wars have simmered; killing more people, maiming innocents, sending home crippled and devastated young men and women, fuelling anti-American hatred all over, creating a servant soldier class out of our jobless youth, and more, so much more.
So it’s time to pick up the protest banners, the signs and slogans and start fighting again. Here’s a bit of what I’ve gleaned while updating my moribund peace/anti-war links and searching the Internet.
Peace Action is still at work. Indeed I still get regular emails from them.
United for Peace and Justice is still very active. They started out in 2002 as a coalition of local anti-war and civil rights groups. They recently organized days of action in October. They were in Seattle, but only a few of them. Next time, I’ll be there.
Military Families Speak Out is still going strong. They need a new director.
Courage to Resist. This is an organization that supports members of the military who refuse to go to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Voters for Peace still sends me regular emails. They have regularly scheduled events.
CodePink is still doing stuff. Their webpage’s first link is about making Hillary Clinton doing business Blackwater. I’m not impressed because they’ve always seemed really anti-Clinton to me, but there’s the link for what it’s worth.
There are many anti-war resources linked from at the Holt Labor Library.
Generally, I will be writing about farming, gardening, dirt type concerns here at Sky Dancing. There’s a lot happening with the Federal Government on the food front, and most of it is bad for family farms, but we can change that! I will also sometimes do more Anti-War posts, if people are interested. I’m going to put a bit of bio type information in the comment thread to this post, in order to not make a long post longer.
peej
Carissa
bostonboomer
ecocatwoman
mablue2
peggysue22
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Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
Great first post!!! And all very important issues. I’m looking forward to reading a lot more from you. One of the disturbing things about this election cycle was the clear lack of discussion on important things like the wars. There were very few people talking about things. They were talking about people and mostly about people who don’t hold elected office or didn’t have much of a chance at getting their.
I think the internet is one place where we can get what we care about out in the marketplace of ideas!!! Your voice is a terrific one!!! Just wait until the community reads this during the day. I’m sure I’ll be in the amen corner shortly!!
Thanks Kat! I am really honored and grateful that you’ve given me the chance to contribute here!
I couldn’t figure out why they wouldn’t talk real issues this election cycle. I guess it’s all about code words, and that’s all they used. Taxes! Guns! Blah!
Ya done good, Sima! Congratulations. Hard to believe you were ever too “shy” to comment more when you are so capable of writing such a terriffic piece!
Keep ’em coming!
Thanks so much, Pat! I’ve long respected you and your input. Your kind words mean much :).
The basics about me:
I do three things to make a living; I’m a farmer, a researcher, and a computer programmer. None of them make me much but they are satisfying and I enjoy all three.
My research is in Archaeology, specifically Roman Military Archaeology. I’ve a PhD in Anthropology and Archaeology, emphasis in military studies. I got this after a long hiatus during which I got married, divorced, and started the farm. Before the hiatus I received an MA in Archaeology and a BS Eng. (Engineering and Sub-Atomic Particle Physics). Obviously, I didn’t act on that BS Eng, although that’s the source of the computer programming bug, and a serious math bug.
I lived in Britain for a long time, and have experienced an Universal Health Care system. I want that for this country. Yes, it’s got bad points, but not as many as our current system.
I started my farm alone, just me and the 13 acres (did I mention it was small, very small?). I knew nothing about farming and a bit about growing things. How hard could it be? Hahahahahaha. After about 8 years my partner/husband arrived on the scene and he and I now farm together. It’s easier, and I love it. It pays next to nothing but it’s very satisfying. I would say I’m not an expert in all aspects of small farming (I know little about grains, for instance) but I’m an expert in small farming on this farm.
I think the idea of sustainable small farming is the future! I love the folks I meet at my local farmer’s market. I’m trying to turn everything in my small piece of New Orleans into edible landscape. The banana trees seem to think they have their own plantation and I have to keep them in their place!!!
I’m just so happy to have another voice here!!!
In what part of the country do you live? I come from a long line of farmers. My Dad had a large backyard garden up till the last few years of his life and my brother has too. Except this year he went in with his daughter who has an acreage and they were planting like crazy even through she had a baby in July. Now that’s a harvest !! I go more for flowers and am sort of haphazed in my gardening style. We have herb festivals in different parts of Tulsa every weekend in April and I go to every one of them and gather up more plants each year. I look forward to those weekends all year long. Shall enjoy reading you.
I’m in the PacNW. There’s two peninsulas west of Seattle. My parents live on one, I live on the other. We are linked by bridges and ferries.
Ironically I too come from a line of farmers, but they all struggled in my grandparents’ time to get off the farm. All basic working class folks.
Kudos to your sister! A baby at the height of the season, wow.
My partner and I run and grow the vegetables and herbs for a CSA. We grow on about 3 of our acres. We have a goat herd (no goat jokes! Oh, ok if you must 🙂 ). These are miniature milking goats. We’ve got about 20 of them. We are adding chickens and beef cattle this coming year. Our CSA feeds from 50 to 150 people for 24-26 weeks of the year, all the vegetables they can use. Not a lot, but a tiny drop in the sustainability bucket.
Well, between dakinikat and Sima, I may just have to drift away. The brainpower is going to be much too strong for my pea sized brain. I have a mere Associates Degree in HR which is nothing compared to both of you.
Oh, and I had 4 kids. That’s about it. My accomplishments shrink in comparison. Yikes!
4 kids is a huge accomplishment! I have none. It’s a regret, not a big one, and I made the decision a long time ago.
I think it’s the living and the thinking that is what makes a person ‘smart’ or not. I’m awed by your comments and posts, the knowledge you show.
My partner is only HS educated. The army taught him to be a sharpshooter. Great training for future employment, eh? My Mom is only HS educated; most perceptive person I know. I got the PhD for her in a way.
The best compliment I ever got about my education was from a HS dropout friend. “You are really smart, but you don’t make me feel stupid.” I don’t know if I’m really smart, but I really don’t want to make anyone feel stupid.
oh, goodness!!!! There’s wisdom every where! Some of the silliest people I know have doctorates and some of the smartest don’t and they deserve them! I’ve found getting education has a lot more to do with being bull-headed than anything. It’s a game like anything else. Every one excels at different games.
I just like people with a passion for learning … and that doesn’t have to infer something institutional, ya know.
Pat, I was thinking the same thing re brainpower here. All I have is a B.S. in Biology, I’ve been isolated for years and I don’t have any kids either.
I’ve been thinking that on and off since TC days.
A little music to get the right marching mood going. I love this song, it helped form my political outlook in my teens and early 20’s. The footage is from different protest marches, most of them against the Iraq war. My mom asked me once indignently why my generation wasn’t marching. I told her, ‘We are, you just aren’t seeing it on TV’. This video is part of my proof.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL0CCphgmZ8
absolutely love the clash!!!
I answered that poll, too. Just slightly more cynically.
*****A
In general, what are you thinking tonight?
The same thing I was thinking back in 2008: that subverting both party rules and the will of the voters to install corporate backed, empty vessel Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton was a horrible mistake.
What do you think the progressive movement should do next? As in, immediately…
There is no ‘progressive movement.’ There is only conservative and conservative-lite
Do you think Pres. Obama and congressional Dems should fight harder for progressive policies or seek middle ground with Republicans? (Please elaborate.)
Obama has done exactly what he was hired to do, and nothing will change. Only now instead of being mislabeled ‘socialist,’ it will be mislabeled ‘moderate.’ It will actually be CORPORATIST.
My first impulse was to do the same, and I think it was legitimate impulse.
But I decided to treat the survey differently. What would I say to all the repentant ex-Obots I know? How would I phrase it so we could all work together to get something done? I’m still really angry at them, I have to admit. However, too much needs fixing and maybe the time is ripe to start doing a bit of converting.
Fighting the Corporatists is going to be where it’s at these next few years.
Yes, your reply was way more constructive. 🙂
*****A
This is a fantastic, fantastic post. Thank you! I personally think the Obama movement counted on the fact that an awful lot of supporters would eventually either be completely disillusioned and too disgusted to fight back, or too embarassed to face the gauntlet of recrimination and mea culpas. I feel like it was part of the plan from the start, when the whole
thing imploded, apart from a few prominent supporters who blame Obama because they won’t blame themselves, you’ve got this mass of sad, disillusioned, mortified people who are too beaten down to want to geT involved again, and who’ll probably stay that way for a while.
Like dakinikat ,I think the idea of sustainable small farming is the future too …even growing stuff in the yard is a very good idea. My friend did that and now has a cellar full of potatoes! …and even though I’m in an urban setting, I keep telling my husband, I want to have chickens! lol!
I look forward to more of your posts!
The city that’s local me just passed an urban chicken ordinance! So you can have chickens in the city. It rocks. And Seattle allows chickens and miniature goats. I think this is the wave of the future, although the Feds don’t like it. Can’t control all those little animal owners as easily.
And one can grow anything if one is determined enough.
When I was deciding to start gardening I lived in a second floor flat in Bryn Mawr PA. I grew 8 ears of corn on 4 stalks in two huge pots on the balcony :). It was a challenge, specially in thunderstorms. I’d have to run out and drag my corn in before they blew over.
We have to tease out the liberal streak that runs deep in most Americans and get it to shine.
That’s wonderful phrasing. It echoes what I’ve always felt, and never quite could get into words.
I agree, it’s good writing…Thanks Sima, and look forward to more from you.
Thank you for this thought-provoking post, Sima. It’s interesting how those of us who so vehemently opposed the war during the Bush administration have let it slip to the back burner now that there is a Democrat in the White House who has “ended combat operations”. We need to remind ourselves that just as many people are dying and our country continues to waste lives and resources in wars that never should have happened in the first place.
Exactly. And ramping up combat in Afghanistan isn’t actually working either.
The Bush Admin wasn’t lying when it said the wars would be like Korea. We’d be there forever… (or at least until the oil runs out, says a cynical me).
Terrific first post Sima. Love your optimism, which I think is what’s at the root of activism. What you wrote dovetails with what I’ve been thinking and trying to put into action for myself, as I struggle with trying to transition from frustration and disappointment back to optimism and action.
We have a few acres surrounded by woods with an 18th century farmhouse in Connecticut (also a NYC apartment where I spend less and less time but is a necessity because my partner needs to work in the city). Growing up, I spent a lot of time gardening with my grandfather. He loved to garden, flowers and an enormous vegetable garden. Everybody else at our house hated gardening so if I gardened I got lots of time alone with Grandpa, whom I adored. But truth is I didn’t love or even particularly like gardening, I loved being with Grandpa. He died at 89 when I was 19 and I spent the next decades living in cities. Loved it, city lights, nightclubs, theatre, even loved the years I worked on Wall Street; loved it. I was successful enough to buy my partner and myself this house and property in a gorgeous part of Connecticut during the Clinton prosperity (I call it that just to annoy my CDS friends), really just to diversify and invest in real estate. Then, weekends, I started pulling gardening tools out of the old barn and planting. My partner goes to the gym; I build stone walls and dig the soil. Deer are a problem so I fenced in an acre for flowers and such that deer eat, had a swimming pool built in the middle of it. It’s amazing how stuff from our childhood comes back to us, to hurt and also to heal. The past couple of years especially I think working the gardens has been therapy for me, calming and balancing at least a little (I also love that my partner and our friends describe being here as feeling like a soothing retreat).
Well anyway, what you describe about the liberal streak happened in me, too: after being active protesting Bush’s actions it stopped shining in me in 2008 (I agree with Laurie, your phrasing is lovely). And I’m ready to buff it back. The past few weeks I’ve decided for me it begins at home. I love to cook, prepare feasts actually, and most summer weekends our CT house is filled with NYC friends, and I spend a fortune at Farmer’s Market (heirloom tomatoes alone can empty a wallet) because processed food and supermarket produce is, to me, gross and tasteless. So. This week I cashed in a bunch of stock and in the spring we’ll have a new barn and chicken house built, fence in an acre for them to roam, and clear and fence another acre for a vegetable garden. It’s not going to be a farm, even if I can pull this off I don’t want to expand much beyond what I’ve described (my partner wants goats, we’ll see about that), but along with the small orchard we planted our first year here that provides apples, pears, plums, peaches, and the blueberries and raspberries and rhubarb and herb gardens I’ve already planted, the chickens and eggs and vegetables might actually make this property somewhat self-sustaining. I’m a little terrified of taking this on at 54 but much more I’m excited about turning that Wall Street stock, which I enjoyed buying in the 90s but now don’t enjoy owning at all, into more exercise and fresh air and our own food. In fact I felt so good when that check arrived yesterday, I decided to sell the rest next year. It’s time to move on from my Wall Street years, time to redirect my anger about Obama and the folks he fooled, time to shine up the bell and hammer and see how much a middle-aged liberal can do in his third act.
Thank you for this post, Sima. And thank you and congratulations to you Kat, for what you’re doing with your blog; you know, your response to the past year and especially the past week or so is very Hillary! And, like Hillary, you inspire me to push harder to be a better man.
BTW, if I made it sound like I’m a wealthy ex-Wall Streeter, I’m not. I did okay in the 90s, everybody with half a brain on Wall Street did, but life can be twisty, shit happens and, well, after I finish selling my stock I’m flat and that’s that. But I think adversity opens possibility and opportunity.
Wonderful comment Zaladonis, to a wonderful post. Your grandfather his garden and your love for him an it sounds exactly like mine and me. So many beautiful memories.
The opposite coast, another small potential farm. This is great! I would say the amounts of land you are talking about could easily raise enough food for you and your partner, all your friends and acquaintances and perhaps a small farm stand. I was very surprised at how much food an acre could grow.
Don’t apologize for the Wall street years, they served you well and made your life possible. I wouldn’t have what I have, including my education, if my father hadn’t struck it rich in Silicon Valley back in the 70’s. Struck it rich is wrong, he worked his butt off for it. Anyway he and my Mom settled a small amount of stock on me and my brother for our college educations. I managed to streeeeeeeetttttttcccchhhh that stock into a PhD and a farm and house. Heh.
You’re amazing Sima! What a beautiful post – and now I know what you ment mentioning how you misread “Sky Diving”, lol.
I agree with everything that’s been said about you and your post by others so far and very much look forward to more posts on both anti-war and farming.
As I have “met” a lot of people from Seattle and vicinity on blogs the latest couple of years, I’d love to know more about that “corner” of the US. I know I can just google, but can you “endorse” any particular website? That would be greatly appreciated. 🙂
… and “You are really smart, but you don’t make me feel stupid” is exactly how you come across in writing too!
Sima,
What a wonderful, inspiring post! I love this most of all:
That is so true. If only we had some leaders who could speak plainly to the concerns of real Americans like Hillary did in 2008!
I’m very much looking forward to your gardening posts.
“I am a liberal, not a progressive, although at one time those seemed the same.”
Excellent post, Sima. You really captured what I believe many of us liberals are thinking and feeling.
Thank you! I really did at one time think those two terms were interchangeable, never realizing ‘liberal’ was being phased out and put out to pasture along with quaint (sarcasm) ideals like equal rights, access to abortion, fighting for the working class, unions… heh.
Congratulations, Sima, on your first post. It’s nice to see another Renaissance woman here who has enjoyed a rich and varied life.
I still remember standing in front of a local church as part of a candlelight vigil protesting Bush threatening war against Iraq. Haven’t seen any local protests since then. Pathetic.
I see one local protest here, from time to time. I trying to track down who it is and ask if they want company…
Thanks for the congrats! It was scary doing a first post, but worth it because it feels so good to know others are thinking the same, so good to have a conversation about it.
great first post Sima.really enjoyed it.love gardening 😦
My dad was born and raised in a farm. So was my mom. When he was ready to retire from his job, he started looking for a few acres to buy so he and my mom could go back to their roots “growing things.” He found a good place up in the hills of Carolina, Puerto Rico. I remember one of the first things he did was to go to Estacion Experimental at the University of Puerto Rico to purchase as many trees, shrubs and plants that were original to Puerto Rico. My mom dedicated most of her time to her eventual collection of 40 or so heirloom orchids that were a sight to see. Unfortunately the 2 hurricanes Hugo and Georges did away with most of the ones that could not be brought indoors and salvaged. Planting trees, shrubs, flowers has always been a tremendously significant endeavor for anyone.