Re: [pf] From Znet - A racist elephant in our living room

by David MacClement

13 December 2000 19:58 UTC

· This morning I posted all of what Jill sent about the racist electoral
methods used in many counties in the USA, to GreenViews-NZ; see between the
_X_X_X_ lines.

· Ron Resnick responded:

Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2000 07:18:06 +1300
From: Ron Resnick <oyvay@ihug.co.nz>
To: GreenViews<GV@greenLists.org.nz>
Subject: [GV]Ron Rants on David's posting

In reply to David's posting below:

The culture of greed recently introduced in NZ (1984) has been the
predominant social, economic and political paradigm in America for at least
50 years. (I know, I grew up and was educated there). A few disgruntled
minorities will not shift America as long as they remain anaesthetised by
their lust for more stuff and believe it is their sacred right to waste and
plunder the planet to fulfil their avaricious wants.

Okay.

But what scares the shit out of me is that there are element in the Green
Parties of A&NZ who look to the US way of doing things as a guide to how we
should 'market our brand'.

Ron
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----- Original Message -----
From: David MacClement <davd@ihug.co.nz>
To: GreenViews-NZ list
Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2000 6:40 AM
Subject: [GV]Fw. Florida (& southern USA)'s apartheid electoral system

· Notes by David: (i) Given the influence the USA has, should 183 nations
of the world send election-monitors to future US elections, to keep tabs on
whether they are _actually_ free and fair democratic elections?
        (ii) I believe The US Democratic Party has an elephant as its symbol.

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At 06:00 13/12/2000 -0800, Jill Taylor Bussiere sent, to Positive Futures:
Subject: [pf] From Znet - A racist elephant in our living room

A Racist Elephant in Our Living Room
By Laura Flanders

There's an elephant in our electoral living room that Democratic leaders
want to hide. In all the talk about cranky voting machines, chads and
butterflies, this is one topic the Gore camp has not touched. It will hurt
them. It has already. In this case, the pachyderm is institutional racism,
and in an election of losers it has come out on top.

Consider the big picture: in election 2000, 90 percent of African Americans
voted for Gore, as did 63 percent of Latinos and 55 percent of Asians
(exit-poll data on Native Americans is unavailable but they've historically
voted Democratic.) The popular vote - that national, pro-Democrat majority
-- is disproportionately people of color. Thanks to the winner-take all,
Electoral College system, it counts for naught.
 ...
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sent to Positive Futures by David.
(David MacClement) davd@ihug.co.nz