15,000 Progressive Activists in Detroit: Why No Media or Respect?

AlterNet / By Sally Kohn

15,000 Progressive Activists in Detroit: Why No Media or Respect?
Why the United States Social Forum deserves to have a lot more influence than the negative agenda of the Tea Party crowd.

June 26, 2010 |


It’s not surprising that the mainstream media is paying little attention to the 15,000-plus community organizers and progressive activists gathered in Detroit, Michigan this week for the second United States Social Forum. After all, the center-left political establishment isn’t paying attention either.

Why is it that the Tea Party -- the right-wing edge of the conservative political sphere -- exerts a gravitational pull on the Republican party and the conservative mainstream while the United States Social Forum and the leaders and groups gathered here, who represent the left of the liberal mainstream, are disregarded as marginal and irrelevant -- that is, if they’re regarded at all?

For those of you who, like the center-left political establishment, think the United States Social Forum sounds like some sort of debutante ball, allow me to explain.

In 2001, social movement leaders in Porto Alegre, Brazil, convened the first-ever World Social Forum as a space for progressive activists from around the globe to meet, learn and strategize with one another to strengthen the fight for justice, peace and equality worldwide. The World Social Forum’s guiding vision is summed up in its motto: “Another World is Possible.” Eventually, activists in the United States, wowed by the powerful experience of attending World Social Forums in Brazil, India and Africa and responding to calls from international activists that progressive change in the United States was critical to staunching injustice around the world, initiated the United States Social Forum. The first was held in 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia; the second this week in Detroit. Both U.S. Social Forums grew out of extensive regional and local social forum processes as well as nationwide planning committees, which were integral to the bottom-up formation of the forum

The Tea Party, which few had even heard about a year ago, is courted by prospective political candidates and established Republican leadership alike. Tea Party leaders like Sarah Palin command $100,000 speaking fees and major news outlets write headline stories about Tea Party activists and actions. By comparison, there is not a single nationally recognized speaker on the dais at any of the United States Social Forum plenaries, no Democratic party candidates bombarding the Forum or its constituent organizations for endorsements and no mainstream liberal foundations are backing the effort. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/vision/147341/15%2C000_progressive_activists_in_detroit%3A_why_no_media_or_respect_/

run from Activists.

The GOP embrace their activists. Example: If the Family Research
Council has a meeting, members of Congress witll be there lining
up to give speeches. When the Tea Partiers met on Lawn, remember
how GOP Cong. Members came out, some stood on balcony "egging them
on".

There is a world of difference in the way each party regards
their Activists.

Much of this, I fear, stems from the fact that the M$M is an echo chamber for the various proclamations by right wing think tanks and pundits.

Against all logic the free market deregulation globalist ideology is prevalent. It's clear that marginalizing social justice concerns of the left is in the best interest of the corporatists as witnessed by Beck and Limbaugh diatribes against social justice. Really, why would anyone be against social justice?

I went to many protests in DC during the bush years and never did I see a single Democratic Congressman or politician. They shunned us like leapers. True, there were a few rallies (not ones I attended) that did manage to persuade a few Democratic politicians to come out. But they were very few.

Not only that, but very few liberal or progressive media personalities came out. I never saw the likes of Thom Hartmann, Randi Rhodes or Ed at any of the DC protests I attended. Though I think the Young Turks went to a few, or at least reported live about them.

Yet when 2 tea-baggers get together for a picnic, the RepubliCONs come out in droves. And all their media people come out too. They report it as if it were a million people.

I think we get more coverage now from the progressive media but it still ain't much.

But the Democratic politician still sit on the sidelines and only a few have the guts to attend progressive protests and rallies.

How many participants attended the recent Tea Party convention where Palin was guest speaker? I can't remember. Seems to me it got press far in excess of what they should have considering their numbers.

Detroit is an automatic punchline, and has been for decades--ever since the riots of '67.

But Detroit, because it has been abandoned by the moneyed class, is starting to experiment and develop along the commune-collectivist lines of the Flower Children. the future of the nation will be designed and brought to you by the formerly Motor City.

And my hometown will finally rise from the ashes of 1967.

commited just because the perp is in the right party