Radicalism begins at home
May 25th, 2008
Over at SaveRichmond.com, Don Harrison has a great writeup on Doug Wilder's hypocrisy, broken promises, and disappointments as he prepares to leave the office of mayor. Here's a taste:
The Richmond native and former governor even ended up contradicting the original reason he says he got involved in city politics again. He had originally fought to have Richmond’s mayor directly elected instead of appointed by City Council — promising to empower all voters. In the end, he installed himself, Dick Cheney-like, into the candidate’s seat. Once in office, he seemed to be the catalyst behind a plan endorsed by the area’s “business leaders” to take the voting rights of everyday citizens away by having Richmond school board members appointed rather than directly elected. To quote Robby the Robot, “this does not compute.”
When the latest actions of the President, Congress, military, or giant corporations leave you feeling hopeless, don't worry - there's plenty to do right here at home. Let's organize to show these local scammers that we're not interested in their elite plans, schemes, and crooked deals - we demand that they leave us alone and give us our money back!
Swinging back into gear
May 25th, 2008
I'm pleased to announce that after a long and unfortunate hiatus, the Richmond Left Libertarian Alliance is finally back! Soon we'll be announcing a meeting, but right now I'm just getting the site back up. It's a shame I've allowed the project to linger, and special thanks to Brady Campbell for helping re-energize the local movement against privilege.
A lot has changed in the central Virginia area since last we met: first of all, the whole Ron Paul thing. Yes, I know "left libertarians" are supposed to find him unacceptable, but in my work with the Paulistas I've witnessed a high demand for the left libertarian perspective, especially the radical economics. Also, the Virginia Anarchist Federation has started up since our last meeting, promising to build a network for radical activists throughout the state for comunication and mutual aid. There's a real opportunity for us to finally make common cause with the larger radical anti-state and social justice movements.
I think a year has made a big difference in the type of group we can be and the actions we can take. I hope you'll stay tuned to this blog, come to our next meeting, and help us make Richmond a more just and free place to live!