Over the last year, California has witnessed a new form of direct democracy. This has been a technocracy writ large. Utilizing overwhelming charisma and popularity, Arnold has rammed a wedge though the notoriously tardy California legislature, forcing bureaucrats to take action or suffer ballot initiatives by his unstoppable political machine. Quickly, other California politicians took up, what can be called, Arnold's Way - notably Gavin Newsome in San Francisco.
Based on Boxer’s survey, it seems she is trying to tap into that vibe and go national with his people-first tactics. However, lacking Arnold’s charisma or approval rating, Boxer is forced to combined the old with the new, polling Californians to gauge what they want and then, we assume, will take her poll driven "mandate" to drive the policies home. This can be called the “let-them-eat-cake” approach and just as in 1793 it will not work.
With the advent of the Internet and high speed communications real direct democracy is possible but before California, and inevitably the county, buys off on Boxer's Survey-to-Policy government we need to ask ourselves want we really want or need? Boxer may believe she is acting more like Arnold by asking the people for her policy but she is not. Arnold, through his publicity campaigns, uses technology and the media to build, or sell, a consensus for his own pre-determined policies. Some, like the Indian Gaming deal, have been extremely unpopular before he started the sales job. Boxer is doing it backwards, looking for the consensus, first, and then pursuing “the peoples” policy. This is the Democratic way of thinking on everything and it is a big problem.
Today, Republicans act like salesman (sell, sell, sell) while the Democrats act like marketers, gauge response, then act accordingly. Boxer and politicians like her do not seem to understand why the Republicans are killing them. The Republicans win because they sell their constituents on what they should believe and control the fridges of the party by dolling out carrots (anti-abortion legislation, Christian Judges or Attorney’s General) when they can. Democrats should not ask what their constituents want, we already know they want, it's a big loser called socialism. Instead, progressives need to be told what to do. That is what the Republicans do, they lead their party, and it obviously works.
Democrats need politicians to guide them along the way as we seek a more perfect union. Victories will follow as long as trade-offs can be found between the politically aggressive far left and the apathetic center, but first we need to be sold on giving up some of our wackier ideas (no guns, heavy taxation, etc.). But we will never get to that point by polling and reacting. Boxer's approach is a recipe for cake, an ultimately unfullfilling lowest common denominator government our Founding Fathers specifically sought to avoid.
The stereotypes of each political party’s stand on immigration can be easily summarized. The Democrats see immigration as a right for all and encourage it as cornerstone of their creed. While Republicans view it as an economic issue and, so long as immigrants attempt to integrate, very good for the society at large. Beyond the stereotypes though things get a bit more cynical. Democrats basically think of immigrants as a voting block born to join them and therefore good, no questions asked. At the same time, the republicans try to ignore immigration publically because a sizeable number of their supporters are stuck in a xenophobic and isolationist past that went out with the Cleavers.
This crazy way of dealing with the issue has resulted nothing but stagnation. Neither party does much ease the path to citizenship, improve the lot of the immigrant or control the problems that naturally arise when they illegally jump our border. This historic quirk on the issue makes Arnold Swartzenhegger's recent actions on the issue all the more surprising. Arnold, as perhaps the most powerful immigrant since James Madison, has boldly carved a position which barrows the best part of both party lines and rejects the “know-nothing” policy that has dominated discourse on the issue since 1960. On the one hand, he sternly rejects calls for lawless programs like amnesty or open-ended driver licenses for illegal immigrants but at the same time he has called on immigrants and native born to join in conversation as equals to begin to solve, what is in California at least, one of the most pressing and contentious issues of the day.
This week he has taken what is slowly becoming his crusade to another level. Partnering with New California Media, a non-for-profit organization that distributes content to 700 “ethnic” news sources in the state, Arnold has started writing a regular column encouraging and educating newcomers on how to embrace California and the United States and, like he did as a young Austrian, follow their dreams. So, while most politicians (you start with both Presidencial candidates) cower at even the word “immigrant”, our governor, stands proudly and tells it like it is.
What these other politicians seems to forget (to their great peril) is that he has an army of 80 Million first-generation Americans standing by his side who grow by the day like flood waters on the delta.
Again, Arnold and California giving America it's latest unanswered wake-up call. Waaaaake-aaa-up.
In the November issue of Paper Magazine,Glenn O’Brien calls for the secession of New York and New England if Bush wins the election. Well, well it’s seems as if FC is not the only media outlet thinking big when deciding how to control the United State’s backward-cracker problem. The only problem I have with Mr. O’Brien is that, being a sycophantic NY jackass, is part of the problem.
He states, and we quote,
“Once New York have has seceded from the Union, I’m sure like-minded states like Connecticut and Massachusetts will come along. Maybe even a chunk of the Great Lakes states. We could call it the United States of Atlantis or something. Undoubtedly California, that other big blue state, would drop out, too, perhaps Washington and Oregon with it. The United States of Pacifica? We could form a bicoastal alliance against the overfed and intolerant heartland that is ruled by the Christian Coalition Right to Life Rifle Association.”
Mr. O’Brien the only thing we can say is screw you! While the red states may be overfed and intolerant, you and your kind are overfed and power hungry. You cannot feed yourself and suck on to the rest of this nation like a gigantic remora. If we go, we will go alone and gladly strip ourselves of New York as fast as cheerfully as we would Texas.
Nice try but fight your own battle we want not part of your mess.
We have had real trouble real freeing California...until now.
Now, we have a perch from which we can liberate the the westside in a way unimagined by Huntington, Jobs or Lucas. From this perch - 27 west 11th Street, for now - we can gutter the Eastside beyond measure.
Tonight, we will take it easy.
Here it is: The Apprentice TV's #1 slag-fest is a fraud...natch.
Raj, that cocky mixed raced Anglo-Indian, who would get his ass kicked in Fremont, CA. and could not even speak jive in Kabul is actually an Upper Eastsider (via Vail, CO.), as crusty as Hilton, Paltrow or any of the other safety dancers you have seen on TV for the last 20 years.
Yes, Raj is, frankly, a ringer. He made the cover of TV Guide and like Trump, he is a lie. Mammy and Hindu Pappy got little Raji into the Hill School, crusty boys and girls rooming house (Pottstown, PA.) alongside Trumpy's Son. Is that a fair fight? Not.
Yes, you got it Westsiders, now crush him, and Los Appen'tice.
Welcome to the next episode of Free California.
California has had more than its share of spooky murders and infamous crimes, Manson worked his magic here, Jim Jones, was a San Francisco minister before he led his flock to the swamps of Guyana and convinced them to drink his deadly kool-aid and, just recently, Lacy Peterson’s murder reminded the nation of our unique California macabre.
And, now we can add this news to our log of dark transgressions. Monday night, two campers from the Midwest, who had been working at a Christian/adventure camp in Coloma called Rock-N-Water, were murdered on the beach in the town of Jenner, 1 1⁄2 hours north of San Francisco. What makes this case especially odd and horrifying is that the campers were shot while lying in their sleeping bags, there was no evidence of a struggle and no valuables appeared missing; spooky. Jenner is an exceedingly sleepy town over looking the mouth of the Russian River and the Pacific Ocean. Up until this grizzly affair it’s only real claim to fame had been that it is one town over from the site of Bohemian Grove, The Bohemian Clubs annual July retreat where the rich and powerful come to make merry, let their hair down and bark at the moon.
Keep an eye on this one, folks, because knowing California it will only get weirder.
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