Since the debacle of 2000, the Green Party has been under attack primarily by the Democratic Party and their media allies. We were told (fibs) how Ralph Nader was the reason that George W. Bush was elected in a stolen election that relied upon disenfranchising tens of thousands of voters in Florida. Clearly Nader was not the factor, but Jeb Bush -- the candidate's brother -- was involved and should have been investigated for election fraud and conspiracy. This was exposed by Greg Palast of BBC at the time, and a procession of protests on the floor of Congress -- by thoroughly ignored African-American representatives -- can be seen in Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11.
The 2000 Florida vote theft was permitted to stand, and the United States transformed into a banana republic.
I have even talked to rabid right wingers who winked and smiled and said, " Bush stole the election fair and square ."
Al Gore, by choosing the most unlikable US running-mate in modern history, Joseph Lieberman, put his own election at risk. Again, nothing to do with the Green Party, or Ralph Nader, but everything to do with business as usual with the corporatist Democrats.
When the Democrats sent these "blame Nader" attack messages out to their gullible legions, they made a conscious effort to undermine the legitimate third party challenge that the Greens represented. This was strategic psychological warfare.
I have heard time and again how the Green Party was subsequently " infiltrated " by wolf in sheep's clothing Democrats whose mission was to eliminate the Green threat to that party's entrenched power. Sabotage from within.
Some archaic procedural rules that deny equal representation to all Green Party members have taken a toll on the party. It is not one-green / one-vote for national candidates, and this singular issue has divided the party and derailed efforts at unity and solidarity. It skews and distorts the balance... enough to topple the whole thing over?
I'll not harp on this, as my own interest in the party was primarily to help on the state and local level: to build. And this brings me to my real topic: a completely broken system of bringing in new members.
Let me explain in more concrete terms. I live in Northern California, the wellspring of the Green movement right? How hard can it be to simply join the Green Party here and talk to someone about what I can do to help?
It turns out that years later I am still talking to myself.
Several years ago I attended a Green meeting or two. The topics of the meetings were alternative energy and organic food. Nothing whatsoever concerned what political parties actually do to attain power. This local "chapter" seems to have simply disintegrated.
I've emailed the chapter address, as listed on the greens.org website multiple times, perhaps half a dozen. But it's a black hole. No response at all.
I've filled in the form at the same website, informing them that this chapter appears to be defunct. I've listed how I want to assist in new recruitment. I've mentioned some special skills in the areas that could help bring in new blood.
I get no response at all. Nothing.
Does the Green Party of California still exist?
While the world moved to web 2.0, social networking, videos everywhere, multi dimensional platforms and the whatnot, the Green's website is apparently stuck in 1995, and it doesn't even acknowledge that you exist -- nevermind give you anything to actually do.
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