Investigative reporter and essayist Russ Baker is
a longtime contributor to TomPaine.com. He is the
founder of the Real News Project, a new organization dedicated
to producing groundbreaking investigative journalism. He can
be reached at russ@russbaker.com.
Patrick Fitzgerald’s indictment of Scooter
Libby for lying about how he learned of the Valerie Plame
affair is an interesting and important development. But the
narrowness of that focus, absent further developments, shows
again the limitations of “the system” in confronting the sheer
magnitude of an entire government subverted, and with it a
proud people, from all that we once revered.
For those disturbed by the deceit and the intrigues, the
reckless warmongering, the wholesale looting of the common
trust to benefit the privileged, the clampdown on rights and
liberties, the unconscionable enthusiasm for torture, the
embracing of a Know-Nothing attitude toward science, the
hastening of environmental collapse, the buying of the
legislative process and the neutering of the judicial one,
waiting for indictments is no longer sufficient.
One difficulty with opposing the current malefactors of
power is that they are so venal, so mean-spirited, so
incompetent on so many fronts that it’s hard to focus the
public’s attention on the true magnitude of the threat, which
dwarfs any single instance of wrong-doing, as egregious as
this or that outrage may be. Essential to any successful
anti-Bush campaign is the constant reminder that the president
and his cronies are dangerous across the board, from the
selection of a science textbook in a small town in Kansas to
the mobilization of the “shock and awe” war machine for
political purposes.
What to do? Tomorrow, on the one-year anniversary of George
W. Bush’s contested re-election victory, many Americans will
go the direct action route, taking off from work and from
school to make their voices heard and their faces seen.
At locations throughout the country, gatherings and marches
will sound a wake-up call. Some of those endorsing “The World
Can’t Wait: Drive out the Bush Regime” are Gore Vidal, Cindy
Sheehan, Cornel West, Studs Terkel, Alice Walker and Harold
Pinter. But in such times, of course, you don’t need celebrity
endorsements.
It’s possible that the turnout will be underwhelming. It is
possible that these events will make no difference at all.
Many former activists find themselves discouraged by the
prospects of direct expression, or are just too busy—or too
comfortable.
But then again, the world has copious examples, from
Argentina to Ukraine, where crowds gathered, and chanted or
banged pots, and began to change history. Perhaps this will be
the beginning of a return to the honored tradition of
democracy speaking directly.
Increasingly, we’re seeing signs that the American public
is fed up. Polls show Bush’s approval ratings at near-record
lows. And a combined and weighted set of fifty statewide
surveys from SurveyUSA shows that just 29 percent
of American adults think the country is going in the right
direction. A remarkable 66 percent think it is going in the
wrong direction. And given all the red state/blue state
rhetoric, it’s particularly striking that in not a single
state do 50 percent of adults believe the country is on the
right path. And in 25 states, fewer than 30 percent of adults
think so.
We’ve seen growth of a variety of protests from
mainstreamers, including the families of those who have died
or been injured in Iraq. Even the iconic soccer moms and
NASCAR Joes are leavening the mix with the more eccentric
birds of plumage who usually come out. And to be sure, the
vanguard of popular movements often includes some more
strident and conspiracy-minded elements whose viewpoints don’t
necessarily reflect the broader sentiments.
As for tomorrow: One day will not in and of itself a
difference make. But it could be the invitation to the dance,
the tantalizing seeds for a gradual mass awakening, a
slumbering beast beginning to rouse itself.
In New York City, participants will gather at noon in Union
Square, and then march up 8th Ave. But essentially, the
organizers are asking people, wherever they live, to skip
work, skip classes and converge on public spaces, from town
squares to major downtowns. For those interested, more
information can be found at http://www.worldcantwait.net/.
Recent examples of civic participation at its best
include nationwide vigils held last week in recognition of the
2,000-troop death milestone. And we’re seeing, thanks to the
Internet, a rapid growth in petition campaigns on a host of
issues. With the spectacle of Rosa Parks, a woman who wouldn’t
get up from a bus seat, lying in honor this weekend in the
Capitol Rotunda, we’re reminded that there’s scarcely a more
honorable pursuit than putting one’s principles into
action.
.gif){kind=spacer}
.gif){kind=spacer}
.gif){kind=spacer}
