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Patrick Walker is co-founder of Revolt Against Plutocracy (RAP) and the Bernie or Bust movement it spawned. Before that, he cut his activist teeth with the anti-fracking and Occupy Scranton PA movements. No longer with RAP, he wields his pen and his activist network to wage holy war for climate justice. Hoping to help build a counterculture of revolt, he also writes quirky, highly literate song lyrics for the rising indie band God's Comics. A happily married man for over 10 years, Patrick has lost his beloved wife Ginger to colon cancer. He resides with his ineffably charming Sheltie dog Jasmine in East Amherst, NY.
OpEd News Member for 606 week(s) and 6 day(s)
150 Articles, 7 Quick Links, 2150 Comments, 0 Diaries, 10 Series, 0 Polls
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Friday, December 6, 2013
Will Billionaire Omidyar Save His Soul--Or Just Corrupt Greenwald's? In an evident desire to "fight fire with fire" and pit billionaire dollars favoring free speech and truthful pro-democracy journalism against the vast billionaire dollars already thwarting it, top-notch investigative journalists Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, and Jeremy Scahill have joined forces with eBay billionaire Pierre Omidyar. I argue that the sheer moral vileness of being a billionaire should make us distrustful.
Friday, December 6, 2013Will Billionaire Omidyar Save His Soul--Or Just Corrupt Greenwald's? In an evident desire to "fight fire with fire" and pit billionaire dollars favoring free speech and truthful pro-democracy journalism against the vast billionaire dollars already thwarting it, top-notch investigative journalists Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, and Jeremy Scahill have joined forces with eBay billionaire Pierre Omidyar. I argue that the sheer moral vileness of being a billionaire should make us distrustful.
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Monday, September 16, 2013
Let's Leverage War Outrage--to Stop TPP from Colonizing Us Syrian war was perhaps deviously concocted to distract us from something FAR more sinister: Congress's intent to fast-track the horrific Trans-Pacific Partnership. But distraction value aside, the war and TPP are linked as "Intolerable Acts": perhaps graver attempts to exploit Americans as second-class colonial citizens than the ones that mobilized our founders' revolution. Let's leverage widespread war outrage to end the TPP.
Monday, September 16, 2013Let's Leverage War Outrage--to Stop TPP from Colonizing Us Syrian war was perhaps deviously concocted to distract us from something FAR more sinister: Congress's intent to fast-track the horrific Trans-Pacific Partnership. But distraction value aside, the war and TPP are linked as "Intolerable Acts": perhaps graver attempts to exploit Americans as second-class colonial citizens than the ones that mobilized our founders' revolution. Let's leverage widespread war outrage to end the TPP.
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Thursday, August 29, 2013
WMDs Justify All-out War--Against Obama and DINO Democrats! As Obama plots a trumped-up "humanitarian" war in Syria worthy of George W. Bush, it's time for progressives--by which I mean America's genuine political Left--to stand up and say we've had enough. We urgently need to declare a war of own against Obama and his style of DINO (Democrat In Name Only) Democrats. In fact, as I argue in this article, the very survival of America's genuine Left may depend on it.
Thursday, August 29, 2013WMDs Justify All-out War--Against Obama and DINO Democrats! As Obama plots a trumped-up "humanitarian" war in Syria worthy of George W. Bush, it's time for progressives--by which I mean America's genuine political Left--to stand up and say we've had enough. We urgently need to declare a war of own against Obama and his style of DINO (Democrat In Name Only) Democrats. In fact, as I argue in this article, the very survival of America's genuine Left may depend on it.
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Monday, August 5, 2013
If Manning Deserves Life, Bush Deserves Torture and Death Few current issues are hotter for Americans committed to justice than securing deserved leniency for Bradley Manning. And I find no firmer ground for pressing Manning's case than Obama's unconscionable differential leniency toward George W. Bush and his war-criminal mob. If Manning deserves life, Bush deserves torture and death. Also, a "Pardon for Manning, Justice for Bush" movement would usefully reignite class-war issues.
Monday, August 5, 2013If Manning Deserves Life, Bush Deserves Torture and Death Few current issues are hotter for Americans committed to justice than securing deserved leniency for Bradley Manning. And I find no firmer ground for pressing Manning's case than Obama's unconscionable differential leniency toward George W. Bush and his war-criminal mob. If Manning deserves life, Bush deserves torture and death. Also, a "Pardon for Manning, Justice for Bush" movement would usefully reignite class-war issues.
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Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Fossil Fuels + Security State = Perfect Fascist Storm In advocating a new mass movement to counter our corrupt Democrat-Republican duopoly, I've long promoted a wiser Occupy movement that includes an electoral strategy and demands. Though acting on the single demand of purging Big Money's undue influence would be great for nonpartisan unity, I try to show here why two dire instances of undue influence--fossil fuels and the security state--need taming for democracy's sake.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013Fossil Fuels + Security State = Perfect Fascist Storm In advocating a new mass movement to counter our corrupt Democrat-Republican duopoly, I've long promoted a wiser Occupy movement that includes an electoral strategy and demands. Though acting on the single demand of purging Big Money's undue influence would be great for nonpartisan unity, I try to show here why two dire instances of undue influence--fossil fuels and the security state--need taming for democracy's sake.
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Thursday, July 18, 2013
Let's Treat Mainstream Pols as Guilty Till Proven Innocent This VERY practical article follows up my earlier OEN piece proposing a "Democracy Unchained" successor to Occupy--expressly targeting the corporate-corrupted Democrat-Republican duopoly. This article reveals how that movement would enforce a "guilty till proven innocent" strategy: namely, by having participants pledge NEVER to vote for a mainstream pol--Republican or Democrat--unless that pol gets explicit movement approval.
Thursday, July 18, 2013Let's Treat Mainstream Pols as Guilty Till Proven Innocent This VERY practical article follows up my earlier OEN piece proposing a "Democracy Unchained" successor to Occupy--expressly targeting the corporate-corrupted Democrat-Republican duopoly. This article reveals how that movement would enforce a "guilty till proven innocent" strategy: namely, by having participants pledge NEVER to vote for a mainstream pol--Republican or Democrat--unless that pol gets explicit movement approval.
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Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Progressives Must Face Their Shameful Political Goiters In religion, there's no path forward for sinners who haven't acknowledged and repented of their sins. Similarly, I see no path forward for progressives without acknowledgment of Democrats' reprehensible role in rubber-stamping Bush's Iraq war. Or, if we need a more recent inexcusable sin, of the support debater Obama shamelessly, irresponsibly gave a potential Romney war in Iran. Proving the deep dangers of selective memory.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013Progressives Must Face Their Shameful Political Goiters In religion, there's no path forward for sinners who haven't acknowledged and repented of their sins. Similarly, I see no path forward for progressives without acknowledgment of Democrats' reprehensible role in rubber-stamping Bush's Iraq war. Or, if we need a more recent inexcusable sin, of the support debater Obama shamelessly, irresponsibly gave a potential Romney war in Iran. Proving the deep dangers of selective memory.
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Wednesday, July 10, 2013
WARNING: Why Fossil Fuels Are Necessarily Fascist Fuels Perhaps my most passionate--and chilling--article, I wrote this piece in a white heat after reflecting on Josh Fox's must-see documentary, "Gasland 2." My conclusion is that the modern fossil-fuel industry is by its inner logic fascist, and its being greedily embraced by our fascist-leaning government makes it likely the leading edge of "jackboot in your face" U.S. fascism. And of dissenters being "Othered" as ecoterrorists.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013WARNING: Why Fossil Fuels Are Necessarily Fascist Fuels Perhaps my most passionate--and chilling--article, I wrote this piece in a white heat after reflecting on Josh Fox's must-see documentary, "Gasland 2." My conclusion is that the modern fossil-fuel industry is by its inner logic fascist, and its being greedily embraced by our fascist-leaning government makes it likely the leading edge of "jackboot in your face" U.S. fascism. And of dissenters being "Othered" as ecoterrorists.
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Sunday, July 7, 2013
Obamaheads, Be Decent Enough to Call Yourself Centrist Democrats My shortest but perhaps most incisive OEN article, this one points out the real harm resulting from Obamaheads' Orwellian usurpation of the word "progressive." Not only are many voters deceived but, what's worse, genuine progressives--the pro-democracy left--have others steal their own most effective rallying banner and are thereby crowded out and marginalized. I offer "centrist Democrats" as an honest alternative for Obamans.
Sunday, July 7, 2013Obamaheads, Be Decent Enough to Call Yourself Centrist Democrats My shortest but perhaps most incisive OEN article, this one points out the real harm resulting from Obamaheads' Orwellian usurpation of the word "progressive." Not only are many voters deceived but, what's worse, genuine progressives--the pro-democracy left--have others steal their own most effective rallying banner and are thereby crowded out and marginalized. I offer "centrist Democrats" as an honest alternative for Obamans.
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Friday, July 5, 2013
Calling Obamaheads "Progressives" Out-Orwells Orwell I here argue that the term "progressive" could play a vital role in today's U.S. political discourse, deriving historically from a homegrown populist pro-democracy and anti-corporate movement that was pragmatic in its approach and free of the scary ideological character represented by many foreign-born "isms." Obama supporters' Orwellian theft of this honorable term is a fascist-style language perversion we need to resist.
Friday, July 5, 2013Calling Obamaheads "Progressives" Out-Orwells Orwell I here argue that the term "progressive" could play a vital role in today's U.S. political discourse, deriving historically from a homegrown populist pro-democracy and anti-corporate movement that was pragmatic in its approach and free of the scary ideological character represented by many foreign-born "isms." Obama supporters' Orwellian theft of this honorable term is a fascist-style language perversion we need to resist.
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Monday, July 1, 2013
Obama's Turning Progressives into Model Fascist Citizens Citing my alarming experience of circulating a petition defending Ed Snowden's right to political asylum on supposedly "progressive" Facebook pages, I point out precisely how close Obama's government is to the monarchical tyranny OPPOSED by our Founders. Or, based on its more modern tools of tyranny, to fascism. And I above all point out the sheer scariness of Obama's turning Democrat "progressives" to model fascist citizens.
Monday, July 1, 2013Obama's Turning Progressives into Model Fascist Citizens Citing my alarming experience of circulating a petition defending Ed Snowden's right to political asylum on supposedly "progressive" Facebook pages, I point out precisely how close Obama's government is to the monarchical tyranny OPPOSED by our Founders. Or, based on its more modern tools of tyranny, to fascism. And I above all point out the sheer scariness of Obama's turning Democrat "progressives" to model fascist citizens.
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Thursday, June 27, 2013
"Climate Hawk" Obama Is Really Fracking's Bird of Prey In considering Obama's recent climate speech, I take issue with leading climate-change blogger Joe Romm over whether Obama IS a "climate-change hawk" or instead a psychopathic "bird of prey" who relentlessly promotes the humanly unjustified and environmentally dangerous--indeed, probably deadly--process of fracking.
Thursday, June 27, 2013"Climate Hawk" Obama Is Really Fracking's Bird of Prey In considering Obama's recent climate speech, I take issue with leading climate-change blogger Joe Romm over whether Obama IS a "climate-change hawk" or instead a psychopathic "bird of prey" who relentlessly promotes the humanly unjustified and environmentally dangerous--indeed, probably deadly--process of fracking.
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Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Against Duopoly's "Twin Towers," Democracy's ONLY Defense Is Full-Court Press Using an analogy derived from pro basketball, I point out that the "Twin Towers" of the Democratic and Republican parties have become such dominant, relentless players for their corporate owners against the "people's team" that only the political equivalent of a basketball full-court press--a mass movement like Occupy but with a political strategy can "get the ball out of their hands" and hope to defeat them.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013Against Duopoly's "Twin Towers," Democracy's ONLY Defense Is Full-Court Press Using an analogy derived from pro basketball, I point out that the "Twin Towers" of the Democratic and Republican parties have become such dominant, relentless players for their corporate owners against the "people's team" that only the political equivalent of a basketball full-court press--a mass movement like Occupy but with a political strategy can "get the ball out of their hands" and hope to defeat them.
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Sunday, June 23, 2013
Totally Purple Partnership: The Lethal Bipartisanship behind TPP My last OEN article promoted a revitalized Occupy movement--called Democracy Unchained--that targets the corrupt Democrat-Republican duopoly. This article provides some incentive by exposing one of the worst instances of that corrupt duopoly at work--the Trans-Pacific Partnership. In fact, the TPP should have us angrily, rebelliously opposing the Totally Purple Partnership, the harmonious, pro-corporate blend of Red and Blue.
Sunday, June 23, 2013Totally Purple Partnership: The Lethal Bipartisanship behind TPP My last OEN article promoted a revitalized Occupy movement--called Democracy Unchained--that targets the corrupt Democrat-Republican duopoly. This article provides some incentive by exposing one of the worst instances of that corrupt duopoly at work--the Trans-Pacific Partnership. In fact, the TPP should have us angrily, rebelliously opposing the Totally Purple Partnership, the harmonious, pro-corporate blend of Red and Blue.
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Sunday, June 16, 2013
"Democracy Unchained"--Blueprint for a Revitalized Occupy Perhaps my most important--and ambitious--OEN article proposes a new but logical reincarnation of the OWS movement, Democracy Unchained, that aims to make Occupy's ideal of a society for everyone, not just the 1%, a political reality. Just as Occupy focused its criticisms on the 1% and corporatocracy, Democracy Unchained attacks the corrupt Democrat-Republican duopoly that maintains corporatocracy. D.U.'s strategy's included
Sunday, June 16, 2013"Democracy Unchained"--Blueprint for a Revitalized Occupy Perhaps my most important--and ambitious--OEN article proposes a new but logical reincarnation of the OWS movement, Democracy Unchained, that aims to make Occupy's ideal of a society for everyone, not just the 1%, a political reality. Just as Occupy focused its criticisms on the 1% and corporatocracy, Democracy Unchained attacks the corrupt Democrat-Republican duopoly that maintains corporatocracy. D.U.'s strategy's included
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Friday, June 14, 2013
What about a Blue-Green Revolt Movement? Faced with burgeoning fascism that excludes progressives' desperately needed voice, we progressives need to build a "big tent" revolt that combines the passionate "movement" aspect of Occupy with a real--and menacing--electoral presence. I offer here a new proposal, a Blue-Green Revolt movement that lets Greens and progressive Dems keep their identity while still collaborating, and offers Dems VERY flexible pressure tactics.
Friday, June 14, 2013What about a Blue-Green Revolt Movement? Faced with burgeoning fascism that excludes progressives' desperately needed voice, we progressives need to build a "big tent" revolt that combines the passionate "movement" aspect of Occupy with a real--and menacing--electoral presence. I offer here a new proposal, a Blue-Green Revolt movement that lets Greens and progressive Dems keep their identity while still collaborating, and offers Dems VERY flexible pressure tactics.
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Tuesday, June 11, 2013
If Obama REALLY Values Transparency, Let's Debate Fracking and Keystone XL Recent revelations of massive NSA spying and DOJ attacks on the press--along with Obama's continued attacks on whistleblowers--have caused legal scholars to brand his administration one of the LEAST transparent ever. If he'd like to redeem his credibility, let him perform one of the greatest services to transparency imaginable: sponsor nationally televised debates on the gravely important issues of fracking and Keystone XL.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013If Obama REALLY Values Transparency, Let's Debate Fracking and Keystone XL Recent revelations of massive NSA spying and DOJ attacks on the press--along with Obama's continued attacks on whistleblowers--have caused legal scholars to brand his administration one of the LEAST transparent ever. If he'd like to redeem his credibility, let him perform one of the greatest services to transparency imaginable: sponsor nationally televised debates on the gravely important issues of fracking and Keystone XL.
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Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Radicalizing the Mainstream: Pragmatism versus PRIGmatism Following up on my rather snide, snarky article about the Green Party, I provide its deeper strategic justification: that the political solutions that have always worked best in troubled times have always involved PRAGMATISM--adopting as much of radical ideas and institutions as the political climate would allow. In a sense, "radicalizing the mainstream." I contrast this with "PRIGmatism"--insistence on purist political dogma.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013Radicalizing the Mainstream: Pragmatism versus PRIGmatism Following up on my rather snide, snarky article about the Green Party, I provide its deeper strategic justification: that the political solutions that have always worked best in troubled times have always involved PRAGMATISM--adopting as much of radical ideas and institutions as the political climate would allow. In a sense, "radicalizing the mainstream." I contrast this with "PRIGmatism"--insistence on purist political dogma.
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Monday, June 10, 2013
"Homeboy Security"--the Foundation of Uncle Tom's White House With the rash of recent NSA scandals--and more soon to come--I think it's important to properly understand what's motivating the growing tyranny and overreach by NSA, by Homeland Security, and by Obama generally. As I deem Obama the Uncle-Tomming savior of corporate fascism, his political need to don jackboots should be clear. Here, I consider his personal, psychological need to do so.
Monday, June 10, 2013"Homeboy Security"--the Foundation of Uncle Tom's White House With the rash of recent NSA scandals--and more soon to come--I think it's important to properly understand what's motivating the growing tyranny and overreach by NSA, by Homeland Security, and by Obama generally. As I deem Obama the Uncle-Tomming savior of corporate fascism, his political need to don jackboots should be clear. Here, I consider his personal, psychological need to do so.
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Thursday, June 6, 2013
Perfect Symbol for Green Party: A Patiently Boiling Frog A typically scathing (for those who know me as author) denunciation of the Green Party, predominantly on target in its views, for a standoffish political self-righteousness that never seeks to recruit--or, more importantly, cooperate with--fellow progressives, whether Democrats of progressive independents.
Thursday, June 6, 2013Perfect Symbol for Green Party: A Patiently Boiling Frog A typically scathing (for those who know me as author) denunciation of the Green Party, predominantly on target in its views, for a standoffish political self-righteousness that never seeks to recruit--or, more importantly, cooperate with--fellow progressives, whether Democrats of progressive independents.
