For those of us who are joining the Green Party...

[More Than A Feeling]

How much of their program and platform do you support? I have been reading both and it seems to me as though what they are proposing a massive change in our economic system, made possible by massive increases in the size and responsibilities of the government. Not sure how feasible it all is, but I am interested in all of your thoughts.

[w4rma]

1. Greens are whacked. Join the DFA instead of joining a group that Repugs

donate to in order to split the folks who will take down the Repugs in the end.

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/

[More Than A Feeling]

2. I haven't said that I am going anywhere.

I was just reading their stuff, because it seemed like a lot of people see them as a viable alternative to the Democratic Party. I wanted to see what they were signing on to.

[ChairOne]

9. Actually, you did. Check your subject line again...

EDIT: My bad - it is possible to interpret your subject line so that it doesn't mean what I thought it meant - apologies if this is the case...

[htuttle]

3. I vote Green in local races all the time. Whose platform are you reading?

Here's the platform they ratified in Milwaukee this year:
http://www.gp.org/platform/2004/index.html

The most expensive item I see on there in Universal Health Care. Considering that they can afford it in many other places in the world, I don't see why we can't afford it here. It's a hell of a lot cheaper than invading Iraq. There are several studies that show it would save money overall (if you look at more than just the government expenditure). Providing universal preventative care would cut way down on emergency room and critical care costs, for example.

Where is this massive increase in the size and responsibility of government? That hasn't been my experience with the local Green politicians at all (the ones that have been elected).

[More Than A Feeling]

4. I was reading the one at greenparty.org

It had things on it such as strengthen various environmental acts which would significantly increase the costs of enforcing those things. We can't even afford to enforce those things as they stand now. However, I shall read this one as well, and get back to you.

[htuttle]

5. That's the 'other' Green party. They don't run candidates

It's complicated. And a long story.

[More Than A Feeling]

6. Oh. They really ought to clear that up, then.

Clearly, people might get the wrong impression. That other party had really strange things. Like, elected officials should donate their salaries to the party and receive a moderately skilled workers income in return?

[latteromden]

7. You were at greenparty.org? Oh, you were reading a different party's

platform.

I'm not considering moving to the Green Party - been there, done that, made my way back to the Democrats after Wellstone died and such.

But GPUSA is a COMPLETELY different party from the Green Party.

The major Green Party (Nader's, Cobb's, etc.): Green Party of the United States, the Green Party

The party whose platform you were reading: G/GPUSA, GPUSA, the Green Party USA

Where it gets REALLY confusing is when they both start referring to themselves as "the Greens."

G/GPUSA is the smaller, more, well, I suppose closer to communist, but that's not really correct, but it's not entirely socialist either. The Green Party is the one everyone knows.

Really weird stuff. Confuses a lot of people though, not just your fault.

[More Than A Feeling]

8. ok, this is much better, much more realistic

That other one had me going :wtf:

[InvisibleBallots]

10. this is bad how?

Spending more money to enforce anti-pollution laws will save us a lot more money in the long run than we'd spend cleaning it up.

[More Than A Feeling]

12. I am glad you are so sure

I am not so sure that command and control regulations are the most efficient way to stop pollution. Pollution taxes and permits are much more efficient in most situtations. They allow market forces to create the socially beneficial level of pollution, rather than having government mandate the level and the technology to be used. Regulations such as the Endangered Species Act would require a lot more money to work as intended (many of the species on it don't have recovery plans. it creates incentives for landowners to destroy endangered species before they are discovered by the authorities, etc), and it is not clear to me that the benefits would be worth it.

[Placebo]

11. Ha. Why even waste the brain power on thoughts like that?

It's not like the Green Party is getting any political capital anytime soon.

[Disturbed]

13. The Green Party...

is the best altetrnative for progressive Dems that are sick of the Dem lite party that is moving further to the right. If a large majority of Dems that are no longer pleased with the present Dem party would join GP then the party would be able to expand and perhaps be able to get candidates into the U.S. Congress.