[Sosfbay-discuss] Thanks, Wes, for questioning "growth,"

[alexcathy at aol.com]

Dear Green Friends, 

I read Wes Rolley's excellent commentary the founder of California Greening is nothing if not a thought-provoking writer. 

I've been thinking about this, and also the comments by my Milpitas friends, Andi and Rob.? 

There is, however, one important metaphor that I'm surprised Wes Rolley overlooked, the oft-quoted line by John F. Kennedy:

"A rising tide lifts all boats." 

The idea is that a "rising tide" (a growing economy) will raise both the rich man's yacht and the poor man's canoe. This is the promise that has saved capitalism through every crisis for more than a hundred years.? Old Europe threw off "the wretched refuse of your teeming shore" and preventing the spread of revolutionary socialism. I read someplace that something like 10% of the whole population of Ireland immigrated to escape the horrors of the Great Famine.? 

immigrants came to the United States, endured horrible conditions in places like the Lower East Side, "Hells Kitchen," Little Italy, Coney Island, and the Bronx for a couple of generations.? But then their kids got good education, many acquired highly-paid skills, some went to college, and thus, in the period between the Great Depression and World War II down to our own time, there was a tremendous explosion in the so-called middle-class enjoying "the good life."? Indeed, the historic working-class city of Milpitas, Calfornia was founded by just such "salt of the earth" people in the mid-1950s.? 

Today, the great Golden State of California is sort of on a collision course with itself.? People still come here from all over the United States (like me) and from all over the world (like Arnold Schwarzenegger) in search of "the good like."? Middle class Greens, such as ourselves, should take care not to open ourselves to the charge of being "liberal elitists" by trampling on people's dreams.? My neighbor across the street came to this country from El Salvador more than twenty years ago (his family insisted that he leave after he was drafted into the army -- to fight in a terrible war promoted by U.S. imperalist bastards). He worked very hard, raised a family, has a son that just started college at San Francisco State last fall and now my friend is facing foreclosure.? He's not going to be moved by a rap that sounds like *HE* is to blame for this mess by wanting "More! More! More!" for his family.? Furthermore, the fastest "growing" country in the world today is China and the "People's Republic of China" to not going to pay much attention to sermons by Americans that refuses to even acknowledge the contradictions of capitalism. ?? 

This is exactly where the *brilliance* of the 10 Key Values of the Green Party comes into play.? By standing foresquare behind things like social justice, respect for diversity, and grassroots democracy *Along With* ecological wisdom and sustainability, Greens offer a practical alternative to the obsolete "growth" ideologies of Democrats and Republicans. That's why, as I always say, Greens are not just "liberal Democrats in a hurry."? There really is a qualitative difference between us and a standard Democratic Party 'liberal" hack like Diane Feinstein or even Gavin Newsom.? 


Alex Walker 
 
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