Roger Peffer wrote:

> > states. Is there a Washington State Green Party? What is
> > it doing? Are any Tweeters involved in it?
>
> Where can I sign up?
>

The Green Party in Europe enjoyed considerable success for a few years. It's
incarnation in Germany provided a focus for a large amount of environmental
concern and was the impetus for all the mainstream parties to take on some
form of green mantle in order to broaden their appeal. Lots of neat
legislation was passed so that Germany is now making billions in pollution
control and environmental cleaup technologies.

In the UK is was considered to be a bit whimsical and not really taken
seriously. The death blow came when one of their spokespersons, David Ike
(former weather presentor on BBC 1 TV) claimed, accurately reported by the
newspapers of course :-), to believe in spacemen and reincarnation. What he
actually said was a lot more plausible, if you had some inkling of what far
eastern spirituality was about. Nevertheless the damage was done.

In Germany the party effectively fell apart when their leader, Petra Kelly
was murdered by her lover. There was some talk of Government Agency
involvement, but no proof - probably the usual conspiracy theory.

The Green Party is now politically extinct.


In reality, the established parties will do their utmost to anihilate such
organisations as it challenges the status quo and all those vested interests.
Unless such a party in the US is going to get the backing of a few hundred
million dollars from corporate sponsors like Exxon (chosen carefully) its
likelihood of any influence whatsoever is zero. Spend your time and dollars
supporting the environmental organisations such as Audubon and the Nature
Conservancy.

Forget the politics and just get on with the job of cleaning the mess up.


Stuart MacKay