Published on Znet online (www.zmag.org) in September 2002

In an article on Pacifica entitled “Gloves Off”, Michael Albert wrote: “progressive organizations should employ participatory and self-managing rather than corporate structures … advocating self-managing structures has not only long-run but also short-run relevance to Pacifica, because Pacifica activism will grow quicker and be stronger and wiser if it pursues positive aims.”

As a listener and subscriber to KPFK, Pacifica’s Los Angeles station, I kept a close watch on the campaign to “save …

Invited Talk at Green Party of Orange County event, GEM Theater in Garden Grove – September 2002

I’d like to start with a subversive thought – a quote from a Jello Biafra poem entitled, “I Blow Minds for a Living”. He said:

How many out there think this country is a Democracy? Or is it more of a one party state masquerading as a two party state? The Democrats are on the inside what the Republicans are on the outside. Each having …

Published in Z Magazine, September 2002

The June 2002 Loya Jirga, or Grand Council, is considered to be the start of a new era in Afghanistan, if only because the country is finally engaging in a political process that the United States accepts. Unfortunately for the people of Afghanistan, the US government is rather particular about which outcome it considers acceptable. This is why important decisions were not left to the 1500 delegates.

“Backroom Dealing”

Through no fault of the delegates, the sessions …