Meanwhile, Back on the Rez

Among the least followed elections today will be the Navajo Nation presidential election. The contest has drawn some attention because a woman seeking the office for the first time, challenging an incumbent. The challenger, Linda Lovejoy, faces two hurdles. One is the Navajo tradition of male leaders. The second is that she is from New Mexico. Navajos from New Mexico have rarely, if ever, been elected to the office. Although a state line is less significant for Navajos they tend to vote by clan and most of the clans are in Arizona, which accounts for about three-forths of the Navajo Nation. So Linda Lovejoy will probably not succeed. If she does, her success will signal a real change in Navajo thinking.

Her opponent, Joe Shirley, also has a tradition to overcome. No Navajo president or chairman has been re-elected since 1978. Shirley would no doubt like to break that tradition. Even if he does, he is unlikely to resemble Peter MacDonald, Navajo Chairman from 1971 to 1983 and 1987 to 1989. Once described as the most powerful Indian in America, he was removed from office in 1989 for a self-serving land purchase. He spent eight years in federal prison for charges stemming from the resulting riot that left two dead. With all that, he remains a revered figure among many Navajos.

Joe Shirley may serve two terms but he is unlikely ever wield the power or earn the loyalty that Peter MacDonald commanded.

Knowing the Score

BushCheney on his presidency:

"I don't know what Harry Truman was feeling like, or Franklin Roosevelt," he told the conservative journalists. "I'm sure there were moments of high frustration for them. But I do know that at Midway, they were eventually able to say two carriers were sunk and one was damaged. We don't get to say that. A thousand of the enemy killed, or whatever the number was. It's happening; you just don't know it. And there's no scorecard."

That's the problem, Mr. Bush. YOU, our leader, have not offered the American people a realistic assessment of the task and its benefits. The short-term, low cost intervention to prevent mushroom clouds over New York that you promised in Iraq has turned into a deadly quagmire. Those old lies now impugn your credibility. American security interests in the region are compromised by an overextended military and an increasingly hostile, disillusioned Iraqi population. Terrorism remains a threat (although not a national security threat requiring that we abandon two centuries of Constitutional government).

That's my scorecard, Mister Bush. It's not hard to come up with a basic scorecard if you think about it. Yeah, it can get all complicated in the details but if you stick to the big goals, you can figure out how to measure progress,how to keep score. The hard part is understanding what the score tells you.

I can see why you'd rather not keep score, or keep the score on your own terms. Any realistic assessment of progress and prospects in Iraq are poor not only for the United States but also for Iraqi society. The short term looks particularly evil and the long term outlook is highly volatile. Not a report card I would want to bring home for the most important challenge of my life. Not at all.

Political Act

Blogging has been good for my philosophical and moral clarity understanding. Writing regularly not only allows but also forces me to clearly state my thoughts and beliefs. Organizing my ideas into some coherent prose requires that I look at fundamental principles, to understand how my beliefs and hopes guide me in the only world I inhabit. Last year I wrote a series about my fundamental beliefs (here and here). Short version: the Golden Rule.

Working in the 2006 election is a good time to examine my preference for Democrats, generally. The Democratic Party is in many ways as much a servant of Big Capital as the Republican Party. Its Congressional leadership has been distressingly spineless against BushCheney’s abuses of power. All this conceded, I still see the Democratic Party as an opportunity to establish a countervailing force against powerful economic interests. The Democratic accomplishments in the 20th century are an enduring legacy of a time when people asserted their rights of economic liberty and freedom from living as expendable cogs of an industrial machine. Democrats sponsored important legislation to protect black Americans in the exercise of their Constitutional rights.

The Democratic record is inspiring. I cannot think of anything comparable that the Republican Party has accomplished in the same time period. They've given lots of money to large corporations, concentrated economic control and power into fewer hands and run a few wars but nothing really stands as a seminal human achievement. And, no, Ronald Reagan did not defeat Communism. Communism fell under the weight of its own internal contradictions (as George Kenan predicted in 1949), growing nationalism and the slow hemmorhaging of its armed forces in Afghanistan. America's contributions to that demise is shared by Democrates and Republicans alike.

Democratic achievements have been far from flawless. Unanticipated consequences, bungled implementation, pigheadedness and prejudice–the stuff of human drama–bollixed things up considerably. Not all Democrats have been heroes. Virginia Democrats of my youth were racists who desperately fought civil rights, closing schools rather than integrate. In 2002, far too many Democrats voted to give BushCheney the go ahead for the Iraq invasion. But looking back 50 years across the nation as a whole, I see a Democratic Party that gave more voice to more people and has shown that it is institutionally capable of understanding public policy from the ordinary citizen’s perspective. That’s the broad view. The practical view is that the Democratic Party offers the only opportunity to counterbalance the very well financed and well represented Big Capital.

So I will almost invariably vote Democratic over Republican. Usually, that is a no brainer. It’s easy to vote Democratic against JD Hayworth(less) and Jon Kyl. Same too for State offices. In Arizona voting Democratic means voting for some moderation in a state where the Republican majority is controlled by a very conservative activist core.

In 2006 I believe the Democratic Party offers the opportunity for change. Change in foreign policy from war to diplomacy and cooperation. Change in economics from further concentration of wealth that endangers the well being of the many for the gain of a few. That’s why I will vote Democratic and do what I can to turn out the Democratic vote in Arizona this year.

I act with hope but no illusion. The Republicans may even pull some kind of a miracle to salvage their majority; polls are tightening as I write. If Democrats win majorities, Congressional leaders may become reluctant to assert the checks and balances of our Constitutional system. They could easily succumb to the perks and money that come to the majority and not take political risks when BushCheney come up with another threat to American democracy. I hope Democrats will rise to the occasion. I know Republicans will not.

Hope. No illusion. A good summary.


[Phone Bank Update: Harry Mitchell's phone bank uses cell phones. He showed up with the governor to give us all a pep talk. Everyone was optimistic and enthusiastic. Food spread was good: sandwhiches, pasta, salad and lots of sugar. Saw a glorious Arizona sunset from the freeway crossing the Salt River as I returned home.]

Helen Dewar (1936-2006)

Helen Dewar reported on Virginia politics when I began reading the Washington Post and during my first years in Richmond working for the state legislature. She was my first outside perspective on Virginia after growing up immersed in the local culture and lore. Hers was a much needed counter balance. She died November 4 at age 70.

Whether on the Hill or at a political convention, she was willing to do any job that needed to be done, said Post political columnist David Broder, who called her "one of the best reporters I ever knew.

"The thing that was notable to me about Helen . . . is she owned two very different beats, as a reporter on Virginia politics and government, and then she became the definitive Senate reporter. There was never any question among her colleagues that she learned more and had better judgment while she was on those beats than anyone else."

Tough on her editors as well as her sources, Ms. Dewar was an old-fashioned reporter whose clear prose and determination seemed almost anachronistic in an age of multimedia skills and self-promotion. A veteran of hallway stakeouts and midnight votes, she was reliable on deadline, developed authoritative sources and eschewed "gotcha" journalism, her editors said. Her scrupulous fairness earned her friends in both major political parties.

Thank you, Helen.

[crossposted]

Pipeline

In Vietnam, combat was the “end of the pipeline”. An apt phrase that fully describes the feel of combat, where the shit flowed and life really could not get any worse. (You could get killed but in some ways that was a foregone conclusion so it didn't matter much in the daily routine.)

Fast forward three decades. In 2006 the National Guard is at the end of the pipeline as BushCheney feeds the Iraq war. Instead of the one year of combat most Americans served in Vietnam, National Guard serve multiple tours in Iraq. Since the Guard's history and purpose have traditionally involved long term commitment within a community, the impact on guardsmen, their families and communities is difficult.

Now it looks like BushCheney will implement his current Iraq policy, which is no longer "stay the course" but continues to do the same thing, with a steady flow of National Guardsmen. The pipeline is still open.

Next year, the number of Army Guard soldiers providing security in Iraq will surge to more than 6,000 in about 50 companies, compared with 20 companies two years ago, Guard officials said. "We thought we'd see a downturn in operational tempo, but that hasn't happened," said one official.

A more sweeping policy shift is under consideration that would allow the Pentagon to launch a new wave of involuntary mobilizations of the reserves, as a growing proportion of Guard and Reserve soldiers are nearing a 24-month limit on time deployed, they said. Army officials said no decision had been made on the politically sensitive topic but that serious deliberations will unfold in the coming months.

[...]

Stress on soldiers and their families is mounting as active-duty combat brigades now spend only a year to 14 months home between rotations, compared with a goal of two years -- a trend that Army leaders worry is not sustainable in the long term. Reserve and Guard units are staying home on average three years, compared with a goal of four or five, Army officials said. "It goes without question that Guard brigade combat teams are going to have to deploy again to theater in less time than the . . . model originally called for," said retired Air National Guard Brig. Gen. Stephen M. Koper, president of the National Guard Association.

Yet ordering more citizen-soldiers out of their communities and into war zones imposes a special burden, as reservists are older and more likely to have families and civilian jobs, and must also shoulder the task of responding to homeland disasters and other emergencies.

[...]

The Iraq war has also eaten up large quantities of the Guard's equipment. More than 64,000 pieces of equipment have been left behind in Iraq, contributing to a $24 billion equipment shortfall as Guard units have only an estimated one-third of their essential gear on hand, according to the Government Accountability Office.

Same pipeline. Same shit.

[crossposted]

Lurching toward Tuesday

For the next few days I will be in warp drive for the election so blogging may be even more irregular than my norm. I volunteer with much hope and no illusion: whatever their shortcomings Harry Mitchell and Jim Pederson will be far superior to J.D. Hayworth(less) and Jon Kyl. Polls show Arizona may be the first state to reject a same-sex marriage amendment. Turning out the vote against hate and discrimination is worth a few phone calls. And if it contributes to getting rid of one or two truly odious politicians, even better.

For what it's worth, I phoned banked for the governor's campaign the other night, calling independent voters . I probably reached about half of the 80 calls I made. Maybe 10 refused or did not support the Janet Napolitano, all the rest did. Some with real enthusiasm. That's hardly a random sample, but the results were satisfying. The governor stopped in and to thanked each of us. She commented on how cold the rooms were. My room (the quiet one so I could hear) was noticeably cold. I just kept moving as much as a telephoner can do.

Friday night I joined the Free Street Band and Billionaires for Bush at the Phoenix First Friday art walk to hoot and holler about the election at 2nd Street and Roosevelt. The Free Street Band is a bagpipe and four or five drummers. I wave a Veterans for Peace flag. The Billionaires demonstrate against Billionaire oppression and limited profits. We all join them singing songs like "George Bush Made My Wallet Grow" and "Home With Big Oil". We make a lot of noise for the passing crowd. Also on Friday night, Code Pink' Staged its Clean Sweep March, complete with brooms, and Arizona Together led a candlelight march in the area. It was a lively night among the art throng. Afterward a middle school theater arts teacher told my partner Maggie, one of the Billionaires, that the Billionaire appearance at the last art walk provoked her students into thinking about issues and using performance to instigate that thought and discussion. Her words were a very nice compliment. Imagine, encouraging a kid to think!

Tomorrow, I invite both of you to check out "About Face" on KPHX , Air America Phoenix. I am one of threle veterans, along with co-hosts Dennis Stout and John Henry, who discuss topical issues affecting active duty military, their families and veterans. Tomorrow's topic is the second show on the ethics of war. We're on at 11:00 am MST. If you're not in signal range, you can stream "About Face" at Air America Phoenix.
You can even call in toll-free. I invite you to do that, too.

On Monday, November 6 at 7:30 the Arizona End the War Coalition will host a candlelight vigil to honor Pat Tillman on his 30th birthday. The vigil is at ASU Main, Student Services Lawn by the corner of Lemon Street and College Avenue. The vigil is inspired by Kevin Tillman's statement in Truthout. Bring a candle if you can attend.

No doubt on Tuesday, I'll volunteer some more after hand carrying my mail-in ballot to my polling place. I would so very much like to see a massive Democratic sweep. Not just because I think a Congress led by a strong opposition is what this country needs desparately after six years of BushCheney (maybe the Democrats can do this) but also, in the spirit of George Allen, I want to enjoy watching fat wingnut heads explode, teeth and all.

I hope Tuesday's results exceed your wildest dreams.

Ch-Ch-Changes

Markos has an interesting post at Daily Kos about his transition from Republican to Democrat. It’s always interesting to see how others made the same journey I did. The times were greatly different–almost 30 years–but the circumstances were similar. In both cases, the political beliefs that we developed as teenagers did not survive into adulthood. Markos says something that sounds very familiar:

...[A]s socially liberal as I am, I am still and always will be a strong supporter of fiscal responsibility and a healthy, robust entrepreneurial business climate. I was a Libertarian Republican in a party already moving toward its present authoritarian foundation.

Looking back 40 years, I see that my Republican sentiments were largely a product of my local environment. I was a white boy in the south during the civil rights era. My hometown was the scene of violent confrontations between civil rights demonstrators and local authorities. My father had died a few years earlier and my mother was spiraling into depression so I had little parental guidance. What I did have was a community that was highly resistant to demands for social justice and I bought into that.

When Barry Goldwater voted against the Civil Rights Bill of 1964, my path was set. I was one of his most vocal supporters. Of course, I couched my actions in the rhetoric of states’ rights but I cannot truly say that the words were anything more than window dressing for policies that aimed at denying fellow human beings their right to full participation in the political and social life of this nation. It’s always embarrassing to look back on those days.

Fortunately, those benighted beliefs did not survive even the first few years of college. What survived my conservative past, however, was my interest in public affairs and the realization that government does matter. And even as I veered far left in my social beliefs, I did not give up the idea that, as much as possible, government should leave individuals alone to make their own decisions insofar as those decisions do not harm others. Like Markos, I still retain a strong libertarian streak. That’s why I am still undecided about the propositions to ban smoking in Arizona bars and restaurants. I can and do chose non-smoking establishments.

As for economics, I am still uneasy about federal deficits. Not so much that they exist as the fact that the deficit seems out of control, piling up a debt that will saddle future generations and putting America in debt to foreign nations. I recognize the utility of deficit spending but would like to see some proportion and sanity to federal economic policy. Unlike Markos, I gave little thought to the business/entrepreneurial climate for many years. I have been more concerned with the economic injustices and polarization of wealth under capitalism. These days, however, I recognize value of entrepreneurship and wealth creation so I understand the need to encourage business. But my concern for social and economic justice are not at all lessened; I am still skeptical toward economic policies that favor large corporations and fortunes over small business and modest incomes.

As a Goldwaterite I was ready to pound North Vietnam into rubble and confront the evil Soviet Communists at every turn. My beliefs changed dramatically between 1964 and 1970, partly because I began to understand Vietnamese nationalism (they would have fought us from the rubble) and came to see the Soviet Union and international Communism in the broader historical context of Russian chauvinism/imperialism. Perhaps the greatest influence on my thinking in this area came from my study of diplomatic history where I saw the stark contrast between the informed realism of America’s founders and the messianic dreams of their 20th century successors.

And then I went to Vietnam. I’ve written a lot about that experience and won’t repeat all that here other than to say that in my five months as a combat infantryman, I learned the ultimate truth about war: it’s wrong, wrong, WRONG! Looking through gun sights at my fellow human beings, their villages and their land, not caring what became of them as long as I survived, was about as degrading an experience as I can imagine. I’ve spent three and a half decades arguing with myself about it. And even though I have come to some resolution about that experience, it will always inform my opinion and actions.

All this is to say that I am very much a product of my environment but also that I can learn and change. Maybe that’s why I describe myself as politically liberal, personally conservative and philosophically anarchic. It makes life interesting as I sort my way around and through my contradictions.