Subject:  [LPNY DISCUSS] CUNY Forum: "Independent Politics and Third Parties
           in America"
   Date:  Sun, 09 Apr 2000 06:44:12 -0000
   From:  botkan97@aol.com
     To:  lpny_discuss@egroups.com

The City Univeristy of New York (CUNY) is hosting its "premier
season" of its "Continuing Education & Public Programs" at its new
Graduate Center in the old B. Altman department store. (You'll
remember Altman's as one of the many "marginal businesses" driven out
of business several years ago by NYC's oppressive taxes and
regulations.) The program or forum that will most interest us is one
from the "Political Voices" group entitled: "Independent Politics and
Third Parties in America." The description of this forum is from
CUNY's CEPP web site and it follows:

"Today, between one-half and two-thirds of the American public
supports the formation of a third major political party. Despite
numerous barriers, the United States has a long tradition of
disparate and vibrant third parties. Tensions in the major parties
and popular support for independent efforts foreshadow new political
trends. This forum is intended to examine the historical and current
status of third parties in America and analyze future prospects for
independent electoral politics. In addition, we will explore the
influence and prospects for independent politics inside the two-party
framework. Our overall goal is to expand the public's understanding
of what it would mean to have a political process that is genuinely
open, fair and representative of all Americans. This forum will lead
to a conference in October 2000."

The presenters of this forum follows:

Dan Cantor -executive director, Working Families Party;
Frances Fox Piven-Professor, Political Science, The Graduate Center,
CUNY and co-author of Why Americans Don't Vote;
Christopher Hitchens-columnist, The Nation;
Arianna Huffington- political commentator and author of How to
Overthrow the Government;
Adolph Reed - Labor Party, Interim National Council member
Micah Sifry - senior analyst, Public Campaign and author, The People
Want More Democracy (forthcoming);

As you can see from this list of presenters whose political
persuasions are no doubt pinkish, and given CUNY's left leaning
proclivities, guess which "Major Third Party" will probably be left
out of the discussion. Yes, it's our venerable LP.

If you want the LP to be included in this "forum," and to make the
forum more "rounded" and "fairer," why not attend? Besides, here's a
chance to try out your skills in the gentle art of political
persuasion.

Its course number is 1033. And it'll be held on Tues., April 11 7-9pm
in the Proshansky Auditorium at The Graduate Center (34th Street and
Fifth Avenue). It'll cost $10. To register and for more information
about this and other CUNY "CEPP" programs, go to their web site at:
http://web.gc.cuny.edu/cepp.

Thanks for reading. And when you attend, don't forget to bring your
LP literature to hand out. BK

~~~   LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF NEW YORK   ~~~
~~~~~~    http://www.ny.lp.org     ~~~~~~

  ============================: TUE.APR,000411 :============================
|19:14| Francis : Strangulating effect of 2 party system . Encyclopedia of
 3rd ptys . Janitors , seattle , WTO , 3rd pty - Calamity
 Flood of public money -0 K st lobiest  Right Wing Propiganda apparatus .
 19 cent Lase fair , mkts mus be un fettered . Result catistrof for pub pol .
 lack of interest .  Should be op for compe pols .
 People car - shold be rise of party pol .  Inevitable conservatism of 2 pty
 . All that advertising money - cute toddler pix .
 this  campaign boring .
|19:21| Mika : Is the moment right for 3rd pty ? think so .
 Hi independent - low traditional registration .
 Discouraged voters - Welstone , Berny Sanders . Ventoura .
 Ventura changed expectations . now mix of serious & circus .
 Cable & internet . Internet itself changing how we communicate each other .
 Promises to help outsiders -  Ventura , Working People getting 50K votes .
|19:27| 5 x 8 |>| 40 | min % panelists .
 Christopher Hitchens - no one left to lie to - not on Nations Website .
  Our rigged elections - called for intnl monitors for US elections .
 How same country that product anti vietnam produced current stagnation .
 Jim Lerher - non debates .  is thes fucking farce free or fair .
 American Liberalism has lost moral claim . NOt what you think but how
  John Anderson outside CSPAN as curiosity .  Stupid proposal to make
  US Christian nation.
 WDC ready for any protestors - w be contained .
 Reform Pty stupidest slogan - hi time run like a corporation .
 Most 3rd ptys desolve themselves into existing .
 Dems & liberals think they can tell evil -  Not being tactically smart .
 utopianism w cynisism . Jerry Brown `92 against Clinton .
 Libertarianism real factor .
|19:39| F : Adolf Reed - Yale , Northwestern , now New School . book : WEB
 Debois , Jesse Jackson phinominon , Class Notes . meanest journalism .
 Q : Labor ptys stratigy for solving cur problems ? Need second pty i vs
 the corporate pty . Dems Welfare reform , odious crime bill . Attack low
 income housing . By declaring slum - clear for " affordable housing "
 What would look like if governed for vast majority ? How build org ?
 AFL-CIO largest black & probably largest Latino org in US .
 As political scientist best at predicting past .
 Can`t rely on Corp media . Moses didn`t send the Pharoh no e-mail .
 John Anderson - no program but lasted until last 30 days before election
 Corp dom of media . Screaming RW lunitics on news channels .
 Resivior of talent .  Corp Capitalism vs labor movement .
|19:51| Angelo Falcon : Latino , PR politcal sci . Left .
 Latino power : most intro me as ' that asshole '  .  Now even repubs who
  virtually lifting us and throwing us at dems . Majority on welfare Latino
  Clinton did well after welfare reform . Racial demension . Complexion
  darkening . Apartide - centers all white . Bull ! Political incoherance &
  crisis . more crumbs falling from white folks .
  Composition less non-whites than should be .  Answered Q .
|19:59| Ariana Huffington - Newt - ' I was completely fooled ' now clean
 money , Campaign fin laws .  Sys breoken can not be fixed by same class that
 broke it .  Are there others like you ?
  Newt Gingriinc . not going to convince how rotten 2 pty sys : latest :
   Columibia hires Vernon Jorden - 1.8B$ - money to both lobbiests .
  shows why package passed house . Latest corruption .
  Why no more 3rd ptys when fewer voting . w evolve to 1 voter .
  Reform pty Tray not in upright p
  Civil rights around 2 or 3 issues : Poverty in midst of plenty ,
   provides moral imparitive - clean money has to link w poverty issue
  and ties to Drug War issue . 40B$ % yr - neither candidate w qestion .
  Vote for None of the above .
  Conventions in Phil & LA . Take 3 major issues . conventions w b
  meaningless . Going to Shadow conventions .
|20:9| Danny Cantor : Union Organizers . Jessy Jackson`s labor coord in `80
 WorkingFamilies pty .  Organizer for 23 yrs . Been working full time on
 founding WF p . 3M$ to take case to Supreme Ct for ballot access .
 125 yrs - 1000 prtys formed , only 10 ever got > .06 of vote .
 How do you build one - laws will not allow . No new National Pty w b built .
 Main reason - rigged duopoly - tho time ripe .  Demobalized .
 plurality voting - voter take all single member districts . - must undo
  that system .  great incentive to aim for  Dead  center .
 We in 1 state , NY , where 3rd pty growing in that minor ptys play role =
  only w Fusion voting legal . Used to be common , now legal only in 7 ,
  practiced only here . Allows voters to vote there line of conscious .
  Way to cast a 'hold your nose '  vote .  Conservatives sway Repubs ,
  Liberals ( harding family ) sway dems . must raise money - hire organizers
|20:23| Was first . |20:44| Danny for soft money |20:46| CH : Morris hired by
 Hillary from Helms Debates : Dr Fulani - Debate comttee wholy owned sub of
 duopoly . Jereme Raskin brought suit - sold corp logos . He won suit . Oct
 6-7 pres debates for all theoretially able to Gush or Bore For CH :
 GeneMcCarthy endorsed Regan . for Danny
 For 1st time people actulally angry @ 2 ptys . |  she in trenchs for Greens
 Unity pty & Green get include . | CH : make sur | Conf in Fall .
|20:57| 3rd Pty convention ? Albany had 1000 people - any way to help
 Increasing militarization ? AH : Kosovo disaster .
 New , WP , liberal , Green should have been represented .
 Greens , Labor ptys don`t cross endorse .
|21:7| last formal Q : Fin bubble may break . devistation around world .
 ThereIsNoAlternative ?   36M$ below poverty , record bankrupty ,
 Dan : VictorRabinowitz .  | against capiatalist power .
 |21:11|

1 min time limit on ?s .