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Opinion/Articles
Political SystemLetter from Roger HollanderFebruary 18, 2005 Thank you for your letter. I am pleased that you found my letter it of value. The first thing you must know is that I was very much an anomaly as a "politician." I had very strong socialist philosophical political views when I was elected, I had been a political scientist and political activist all my life, and I knew that getting into the world of elected government, even at the local government, would go against the grain of my orientation. Nothing that happened in the seven years I served on Toronto Metro Council changed my mind about how government is structured basically to serve those who already have power, and that the powerless, the marginalized, at best get the left overs. I found it an alien world to be a part of, and I was glad to get out of it. My belief remains that the important democratic political activity remains "in the streets," and not in the seats of government. It is interesting that you have asked me about recall. I went to school in California (UC Berkeley, 1958-1962, where I was active in what lead up to the Free Speech Movement of 1964), so I know something about California government. There was a reform movement there in the early part of the 20th century lead by a progressive governor named Hiram Johnson. The movement was successful in getting three important items on the California State ballot at election: the initiative, the referendum, and the recall. Unfortunately, all three have turned out to be largely used against progressive causes and working people. Corporate interests spend huge amounts of money in putting legislative issues directly on the ballot, flood the airwaves with misinformation, and almost always win. There were several examples of this in last November's election. But speaking directly to your question of recall, you must have read about the Arnold Schwarzenegger fiasco. The Democratic governor, Gray Davis, was unpopular because the State had been screwed out of millions of dollars in a manufactured energy crisis. A wealthy Republican congressman spent millions of dollars of his own money to get the signatures required to demand a recall election of Governor Davis (this involved paying hundreds if not thousands of individuals to set up tables in large shopping centers to collect the signatures). This unprincipled congressman thought that this would lead to his replacing Davis as governor, which would have been bad enough. What happened is that Schwarzenegger stepped in with his celebrity status and his high financed super-pro business agenda. He got Davis recalled and himself elected; and he has proceeded to with his anti-health, anti-education, anti-environment and anti-labor program (the fact that he is pro-choice on abortion rights and in favor of civil partner status for gays and lesbians is a very small consolation and no different from his predecessor). OK, I am starting with the worse possible scenario. I do that to make the point that political democracy without economic democracy cannot in the long run possible serve the interests of ordinary working people and the needs of our ecosystem (Schwarzenegger is out to destroy the forests and rivers in California as well, by the way). Nevertheless, and it is a big NEVERTHELESS, any activity, including recall campaigns, that originate at the grass roots level and take on the unprincipled politicians, has to potential to make important gains. I would not want to discourage you from this, even though it might sound that way from what I wrote above. Just be careful. Be strategic. Don't be naive. Don't waste your own and other's time and energies running around in circles where nothing can be achieved. Pick you targets carefully. Above all, be principled. Be idealistic. Be creative. And be tenacious. The media may or may not take you seriously. During my political career, I was often not taken very seriously by the mainstream media (the Sun hated my guts, the Star and Globe sometimes supported me as well as some of their columnists). My strategy was never to work alone, but always to be lead by the community. Together we made some significant achievements, including the shutting down of the pollution spewing Commissioner Street Incinerator (in the midst of a garbage crisis!). I wish you all the best, and please feel free to call on me again if I can be of further assistance. Yours in struggle, |