The fourteen present episodes of "Progressive Politics:Tennessee Style", or PPTS, have dealt with the initiation of a new voice for Southern Progressives.
Our beginning segments gave us some clear and strong indications of what Progressives are about in the "Southern Tier", and we have proudly reported the fact that there are those who matter, who are really beginning to find the show useful, informative, and motivational.
For that, we are very grateful. We got involved very early in the show with the shenanigans ongoing from The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) because it seems this questionable corporate orifice is directly, purposely and with malice aforethought usurping the citizen's role in their own governance. I still hold that to be be case. This past week, corporate giant Dell Computers agreed with me, and withdrew from ALEC, along with the statement they would not be participating, financially or otherwise, in the future. This is very good news to those of us who have been pressuring corporate members to refute the agenda of forced legislation for the purpose of profit. Cumulatively, such august operations as The Center for Media and Democracy, PRWatch, etc. are working tirelessly to mitigate the already present dangers this bunch of legislative thugs has pervaded upon American democracy. They, and this show will continue that work until it is successfully completed.
But, there is more that must be dealt with in this particular bucket of filth, as our show's staff, and especially the volunteer staff of researchers so capably led by our Reasearch Director "Progressive Becky" (not her real name, to protect her operatives and keep her resources pure and available). This latest foray began with yesterday's episode, in which we again addressed the larger issue of national vote suppression, the activities surrounding it (AG Holder, etc.), and it's implications for the November, 2012 election.
I hope you will listen to Episode 14, and listen to the information that was presented. I have, since the inception of the show, intimated that I did expect, at some point, for those whose communication through the readership of my blogs (and others) would call the show, or show up in our chat room, or comment on the shows episodic blog, and begin a larger discussion, aimed at identifying, quantifying and qualifying an even larger, and much more nefarious operation--of which ALEC and her sister demons are but a part. Yesterday's show, and the show blog, begin that process.
Follow me just below the squggledoodlethingey fold. I'll explain at least some of the ambiguities we are suddenly encountering, why they are so important to you, and what we might be able to do about them...while we still can.
Yet, the investigation has taken us to a larger ambiguity, and more (and more important) questions, as well.
First, however, the shameless plugs:
The growing list of contact points for "Progressive Politics:Tennessee Style" (PPTS):
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
We urge and invite you to join us on our discussion forums, where we offer our listeners, members, and supporters the opportunity to engage each other in expanded discussion and debate of issues presented during the episodes of the radio show. Please register, log in, and participate in the debate; just another opportunity to "exercise the franchise". Thanks to the show's radio team for accepting the challenge to create this important opportunity for the show!
To find the show: "Progressive Politics:Tennessee Style" (PPTS)
To find the show Blog: "The Southern Progressive"
To follow the show on Twitter: @TNProgressive
To share in the FaceBook Fun: Fans of PPTS
To join the community, you can join at the PPTS Nation PLEASE NOTE: this is also where you can directly donate to the ongoing costs and successes of the show. We do need your voluntary, non tax deductible donations to keep this important radio show alive. As of this writing, we have more than 2,500 listeners. Surely we can all commit to the small dollar donations each month that will allow the show to grow and prosper for the important work, and workers of the American Progressive South. PLEASE DONATE TODAY.
Yes, even as we struggle to continue to bring the show to you, because we (as in, I) cannot continue to personally underwrite the now more than $100 per month required to create, present, maintain, and grow the episodes, the show continues to grow and reach the approval of a larger, greater, more diverse, and much more Progressive audience around the Progressive Southern United States--and the world.
It seems as if the show has caused readers of these words to mutter aloud: "So what is the big deal? This is YOUR show, Bud. It's not, after all, a production or somehow other obligation of The Daily Kos. Why should we give a damn?"
If that's what you are thinking, please don't worry about it. Move past this diary, and read some other Progressive Diary that you DO believe is representative of this amazing community. Please.
If the question answers itself for you, please consider donating to our cause. You have seen that the show, begun by and for Kossacks has received no additional support from Kos. We don't get our episodes listed on the weekend reports, and we are not (yet) a part of Kos Radio. Thanks for the support.
But, I am perfectly willing to accept the responsibility that the show must somehow prove it's value to this community; the community the show itself purports to serve. (I do hope someone who is a much more significant and authoritative voice of our community will send up a flare, a smoke signal, or a kind word when that has sufficiently happened.)
Until then, for as long as we can feasibly and financially, not to mention physically provide the hours of preparation, presentation, and preservation of "Progressive Politics:Tennessee Style" (PPTS) required to make 2:30 PM-4:30 PM (Central Time) every single Sunday of the year a dedicated time slot that invites your attendance and participation, that is precisely what YOUR growing show staff fully intends to do. We intend to do this (speaking for the show's staff of now three dedicated volunteer specialists) because WE are the show's "first believers". The satellite opportunities the show has created to provide for the fuller and further participation by the supporters, members, listeners and fans of the show have been created exclusively for those who agree with us first believers. I do not see much further expansion of such satellite activities, with the possible exceptions of expanding the listening opportunities into two distinctly valuable, yet disparate markets. (More on that as it develops.)
Believe it or not, that is, in a very real way, the wrap-up of Episode #14 itself. This is important to understand, because this particular episode begins the third series, in a continuing dynamic flow of continuing series' that PPTS will pursue.
First, we spent some time explaining the projected purpose, scope, mission and audience targets for the show. Secondly, we got involuntarily involved in a growing public exposure of The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which took us into a projected three part series of series'. The first was a factual explanation of this purported 501(c)(3): who and what it was, what it does, and why. The second was a series of investigative discussions about why these issues matter, to whom, and to what (so far as we can reasonably and factually determine) extent. During that examination, we discovered a much larger, and much more disconcerting reality that we feel must be dealt with. Is it possible that ALEC is but one of many such activities currently being actively perpetrated upon the American People? If so, by whom, and to what extent? For what specific verifiable reason? Which brings us to Episode 14.
The show's title says much: "ALEC and the Larger Plan"
I can tell you that, with deep and lasting gratitude to our amazing Research Director and her growing team of volunteer investigators, we have uncovered at least a few answers to these important questions--and several much more important, better questions.
In order to expose, explain and understand these larger ambiguities, however, we had to go back into the inner workings of ALEC itself. I, nor the show's staff are suffering under a delusion that we are, in fact, the sharpest knives in the drawer, the brightest crayon in the box, OR the...well, you get my point. I hope.
We found it. Not necessarily because of our (admittedly) superior investigative skills, by any means. As has been the case with ALEC and those other satellites pursuing like outcomes, we have found that, yet once again, the best place to hide is out in the open, with just enough silence and mysterious operating systems as to be simply skipped over, as eyes scan the horizon. It has, until recently worked very well. This week, the 20th major corporation announced not only it's intent not to renew, but to immediately withdraw from The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Dell Computers has what they came for, as has other corporations and private activities. (Don't make them moral martyrs just yet, friends.) On the surface, this would appear to be a major victory for those of us Progressives who are of the belief and message that ALEC must be completely exposed and undone in the best interests of democracy.
Sometimes, however, we must truly learn something "all over again for the first time", before we can grasp the newest acquired knowledge which now lies directly before us. That is what our most recent research has required of us, so we went back to a basic truth of ALEC: Voter Suppression legislation which the activity created, perpetrated through some 33 State House legislatures upon the American people; legislations which could, as of this writing, potentially disenfranchise upwards of some 36 million registered voting citizens of our country...in 2012. With the new knowledge before us, we again posed the questions to understand, in a new way, what can only be described as a much larger purpose and plan, of which ALEC is only one of many, satellites in an over-arching organization of purpose that, when factually explained to the American people, would both starkly describe the intended purpose of the complete elimination of democracy in America in ways that could simply NOT be overcome.
Fortunately for the show, once having posed the questions necessary to begin such discovery, a caller who is quickly becoming a returning caller asked a couple of simple questions. They were reasonable, fair questions which I could not have possibly hoped for as this series of the greatest ambiguities begins. What ensued was a two-hour call conversation which took us to some necessary points of continuing disagreements, but which also brought us to some previously unheard of agreement.
There is some slight expansion of those conversations, as well as my written apology to that caller for some unseemly host behavior on my part, at the wrap-up blog entry. As a proposed solution to what could be quickly seen as a potentially devastating problem for the show, I created a discussion/debate forum for the show where such vigorous interaction can be taken in the future without endangering either the intended neutrality of, or time constraints of the show. The dynamic of the show, which could be said at one point to be intentional, had been somewhat lost. I want it back. So, future questions and comments of callers of the show will be heard, and respected with reiteration, then given to the listening community to call in or chat their responses to.
I hope you will read, and comment on the Blog entry for Episode 14. I hope you will register at the fans forums, and engage the ongoing debate. I hope you will make a date, a personal commitment for the show next Sunday at 2:30 PM (Central Time), and then listen again to the show once it is archived. I hope you will send a link to the show to your friends, and colleagues. If you hear an error (and you doubtless will. I DO have a belly button, after all!), I hope you will call in, or comment on the show blog, or create a discussion in the forum. I hope you will understand that, if it is true as alleged, that Progressives generally and Southern Progressives particularly do not have a place for their voice, you, they and we will understand that what we once believed or thought ourselves to understand no longer applies. "Progressive Politics:Tennessee Style" (PPTS) very definitely IS one place where anyone can, in fact voice their activists, activities, and/or activism across the Progressive South (even Southern Minnesota!).
Join us, won't you?