Progressive Values Stories: Zeus Yiamouyiannis on Innovation and Caring

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jul 14, 2008 11:10 AM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA, DFA at Netroots Nation (formerly YearlyKos) July 17-20

Linked to campaigns: Obama for America

“Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity - not a threat”

In this interview  Zeus Yiamouyiannis talks about how innovation is a progressive value. He also sees caring and nurture as progressive values and talks about having learned these values growing up on an organic farm and tending to the animals. On one hand,  conservatives talk about their traditional values of self interest and selfishness, on the other hand, innovation, caring and nurture are some of the traditional progressive values.

Progressive Values Stories: Zeus Yiamouyiannis on Innovation and Caring

My name is Zeus Yiamouyiannis.  I'm a progressive person.  I'm actually a progressive at heart, who worked on the Dean campaign.  Part of being a progressive is not just innovation and new ideas, and this pragmatism, fiscal responsibility, along with idealism, this ability to be creative, to believe in the goodness of the human spirit, innovate with regard to being able to collaborate.  These kinds of skills tend to go beyond the typical traditions.  But I think part of being a progressive is really collecting and honoring the best of both of those traditions as we go forward.

I like to tell people I'm an old-school conservative, with personal responsibility in the sense of honoring traditions, the wisdom that's gone before you -- particularly during the depression era generation -- incredible wisdom around sticking together, in terms of getting by on very little.

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Progressive Values Stories: Jeremy Rothe-Kushel on Caring

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jul 13, 2008 2:49 PM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA, DFA at Netroots Nation (formerly YearlyKos) July 17-20

Linked to campaigns: Obama for America

"Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community." Anthony J. D'Angelo

In this interview, Jeremy Rothe-Kushel  talks about the progressive value of caring. He recounts learning to care more deeply by being with his family at  his great-grandmother's death bed.  It's a learning process to expand your sense of care beyond just thinking of yourself -  to caring for your family, community, nation and the world.

Progressive Values Stories: Jeremy Rothe-Kushel on Caring

My name is Jeremy Rothe-Kushel, and I was born and raised in L.A., and I’ve been a Peace and Social Justice activist for about a decade of my life.  I’m a teacher of young people.  I do hip-hop, word props, after school programs, and I’m a hip-hop artist myself.

To me progressive values would be – first, I would start that in order to make progress as a human species, we have always had to remember from the past.  Meaning that the only way that we are here is because our ancestors made it through, through all kinds of trials and tribulations.

And, so I would say, progress would be taking on the best, the highest values that have come through our thousands of years of human history, and  parsing through them, because some things have to be left and composted, and other things need to be taken up.

And also allowing for the fact that the human condition and human beings in general are just like the universe, that we are unfinished beings.

Edwin:  So what are those values from the past that you want to bring forward?

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Oakland DFA members write disapproval letters to Diane Feinstein on FISA

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jul 10, 2008 10:21 PM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup

This is just a short post showing a video of  Oakland DFA members writing letters to Diane Feinstein and expressing  their disapproval of the way she voted on FISA.

 (using my new mini camera which doesn't have good low light capabilities, so it's a bit dark)

 Oakland DFA letters to Diane Feinstein on FISA - July 9 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTd9LdXEN80

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The Fatally Flawed Conservative Value of Hypocrisy

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jul 6, 2008 3:45 PM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA, DFA at Netroots Nation (formerly YearlyKos) July 17-20

 The only vice that can not be forgiven is hypocrisy. The repentance of a hypocrite is itself hypocrisy.  William Hazlitt
 

Several people I asked about the failure of conservative values mentioned hypocrisy.   Michelle, Owen and Steve  brought up areas of conservative hypocrisy in;  family values, education,  finance, the economy,  the occupation of Iraq and in human rights.  While we all may exhibit varying degrees of hypocrisy in our lives, it seems that the conservative movement has embraced and institutionalized this value.

 Failed Conservative Values: Michelle on Hypocrisy

I’m Michelle Gabriel from Oakland, California.  I think that they fail because they say one thing and they do another.  Talk about family values – look at all the Republican candidates.  They have all these divorces and scandals.

You say family values, yet there is no issue about killing a million Iraqis.  I mean, 4,000 of our citizens, you keep hearing about them.  You don’t hear about all the Iraqis that got killed also.  You hear about the strength of our country and the fact that we have such a great population from immigration.  Yet, they have all this immigration reform to stop immigrants from coming in.

They say one thing and they do another.  And that’s the real failure.  And unfortunately, people listen to the rhetoric, and they don’t follow the reality.  

A metaphor for Failed Conservative Values?:  I can’t think of an animal or machine.  I just think it’s kind of like selling your soul

Hypocrite: the man who murdered both his parents... pleaded for mercy on the grounds that he was an orphan.  Abraham Lincoln
 

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Failed Conservative Values: Congresswoman Maxine Waters on Blame, Hate & Lying

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jul 1, 2008 1:18 PM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA, DFA at Netroots Nation (formerly YearlyKos) July 17-20

Men are conservatives when they are least vigorous, or when they are most luxurious. They are conservatives after dinner."  Ralph Waldo Emerson

I interviewed Congresswoman Maxine Waters and asked her about progressive and conservative values. In this section, Maxine mentions that conservatives have tricked people with the failed conservative values of  blame, hate and lying.   These values are also failing because more people are not following them anymore and in fact, people are starting to turn toward progressives values. She goes on to talk about how the occupation of Iraq is a metaphor for the failure of conservative values.

Failed Conservative Values: Congresswoman Maxine Waters on Blame, Hate & Lying

Edwin:  Do you think that conservative values have failed?

Maxine Waters:  I think that conservative values have failed.  But I’m always stunned and amazed at how the conservative message penetrates our society, and how people are tricked by it.  I think poor people are preyed upon, and I think that vulnerable people are preyed upon. 

I think that when people are feeling neglected and they are feeling isolated, they hear some of these conservative messages, they buy into them.  Because all of a sudden they’ve got somebody to blame, to hate, they’ve got somebody to point a finger at. 

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Failed Conservative Values: Gordon Wright on Psychopaths and Fear

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jun 28, 2008 1:54 PM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA

  “It is a characteristic of all movements and crusades that the psychopathic element rises to the top”  Robert Lindner  

Gordon Wright values freedom but was raised by a conservative, autocratic, dictatorial and bully of a father. He feels conservatives fear life's changes and it's spontaneity. An example is how all of George Bush's public events are totally choreographed and controlled events.   He also thinks that the corporate conservatives value of heartlessness and unfettered self-interest, are the same values as a psychopaths. 
 

Failed Conservative Values: Gordon Wright on Psychopaths and Fear

Gordon:   I think real and true conservative values would probably involve conservation and conserving the best in tradition – you know, the best that is part of tradition.  And I think where conservatism in this country has virtually completely failed is that I think it got paranoid with some of the changes.  It got tied up with corporate values, and The Corporation – if you have seen the movie – the corporate values are the same values as a psychopath. 

So the people with money that have taken over the Republican Party, and now the insane lunatics that are called the neocons, are the example of that.  The trouble is that I hesitate to label these people conservatives.  They are reactionary corporatists.  They are psychopathic war criminals. 

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The Failed Conservative Values of James Dobson

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jun 26, 2008 6:12 PM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA

Religious factions will go on imposing their will on others unless the decent people connected to them recognize that religion has no place in public policy. They must learn to make their views known without trying to make their views the only alternatives.  Barry Goldwater

James Dobson is a major leader of the social conservatives. He is considered one of the more moderate of the 'Value Voters' leaders because he doesn't support spanking any child under the age of 18 months, while other conservative leaders do.

  
 I’m the conservative leader who can unite the party, John McCain

James Dobson  is now attacking Barrack Obama for "deliberately distorting the Bible" and "dragging biblical understanding through the gutter." Isn't it time for progressives to start unmasking how the values of  the conservative movement have failed? Isn't it time to ask them some questions about their failed values? How about asking your family,  friends, neighbors and colleges, "Have Conservative Values Failed?"

 Let's raise the question. It should be easy for anyone to answer.  It's time for progressives to take back the  values debate and promote an open and honest discussion about values.  Document what you find out and share it with the rest of us. 

Here are some progressives who have taken up the challenge.

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Failed Conservative Values: Elaine Charkowski on Patriarchy Family Values

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jun 26, 2008 12:52 PM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA

Women cannot serve two masters at once who are urgently beaming antithetical orders.... Either we believe in patriarchy the rule of men over women -- or we believe in equality.  Sonia Johnson

Elaine Charkowski talked to me about how conservative values have failed. She says, Conservative Family Values is  about  patriarchy and fear of authority. It’s about not using your own mind and woman are to be subservient to the man. The type of power used is random punishment and reward, which studies show is the best way to drive animals crazy.

Failed Conservative Values: Elaine Charkowski on Patriarchy Family Values

My name is Elaine Charkowski.  I’m a feminist and an environmentalist, because I believe that both go hand-in-hand.  An issue that goes beneath politics are universal human rights.  Sure, family values, but they don’t go deeper. 

When you say family values, you picture a Walt Disney nice little family.  Everybody is happy with the kids and the dog.  But they are talking patriarchal family values, with the male leader of the household who gets to set the tone, and the wife and the kids just have to play along and listen.

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Failed Conservative Values: Louise Specht on Hierarchy-Authoritarian-Narcissism

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jun 25, 2008 12:30 PM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA

 
 Narcissism and self-deception are survival mechanisms without which many of us might just jump off a bridge.  Todd Solondz

I asked Louise Specht about the the failure of conservative values. She addressed the hierarchal and authoritarian nature of conservativism and how this can lead  to narcissism for the people at the top. Steven Colbert does a great job of imitating a conservative on the Colbert Report. I just saw him begin his show lately by saying, "Did I tell you I love me lately?"  He hit's the nail on the head, as does Louise.

Failed Conservative Values: Louise Specht on Hierarchy-Authoritarian-Narcissism

Conservatives seem to be very invested in hierarchy, so that what I want, is irrelevant to a conservative, and what you want, is also irrelevant.  What is relevant is where each of us fits in the overall scheme of things, and how well we fulfill our roles. 

When I get around conservatives, I feel like I’m going to suffocate.  I think it’s very undermining to moral values to have that kind of a system.  Because in a hierarchy, you have people who have too much authority over other people, and not enough questioning.  So that the person who has the authority does not have the opportunity to examine what they think the people under them should be doing.

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Failed Conservative Values: Dona Ridgeway on Authoritarianism

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jun 24, 2008 12:59 PM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA

 Authoritarian political ideologies have a vested interest in promoting fear, a sense of the imminence of takeover by aliens --and real diseases are useful material.
Susan Sontag

Donna Ridgeway is a blogger living in the Santa Cruz, California area. She was raised republican and was in the military, but then started questioning.   She says the Failed Conservative Value is authoritarianism, it's a lose lose situation because if the authoritarian fails, everything fails. However she sees a lot of problems with progressives as well. There's a lot of egos with progressives and herding cats is hard.

Failed Conservative Values: Dona Ridgeway - it's Authoritarianism

 My name is Donna Ridgeway.  I live in the Santa Cruz area.  I’m a blogger.  I go by the name of Momma Donna on all my sites.

Conservative values to me are one of conservation.  We are conserving and learning from the past, planning for the future, and living in the present.  That’s a good conservative to me.

Edwin:  And that would be what present conservatives are?

 Donna:  Well, I’m not sure where a present conservative is.  I think there are a lot of people that cloak themselves in that kind of multi-colored coat, but they each have their own flavor of conservatism.  From what I can see now, they are spreading into the military conservative -- strength, power, progress through power, Pax Americana. 

Economic conservatism, which I believe in, which is a good thing to go for, and then social conservatism, which I think are a bunch of really not very knowledgeable people.  They aren’t really into going out and finding out new facts about life.

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