As the New Orleans disaster recedes from the headlines, citizen activists face a choice. We can focus exclusively on other newer issues. Or we can work to make the disaster one of those key turning points with the potential to transform American politics. For this to happen, we need to consciously create new dialogue, reaching well beyond the core converted.

If we think back to the 9/11 attacks, which have shaped American politics ever since, a brief window of critical reflection opened up in their immediate wake. Middle East experts critical of U.S. policies had op-eds in our largest newspapers and appeared on network TV. Ordinary citizens mourned the victims, while asking what would make the attackers so embittered they'd be willing to murder 3,000 innocent people. The next day, when I spoke about possible root causes, with even more frankness than usual, at a community college in the overwhelmingly Republican suburbs just north of Dallas, the response was amazingly receptive.

But by a few weeks later visible public questioning had largely ceased. Most Americans accepted the Bush administration's definition of a war of absolute

“It wouldn't surprise me if the election was rigged,” said a U.S. Army officer in Mosul who requested anonymity from Time and who worked on security arrangements for the poll with Iraqi security and election officials. “I don't even trust our election process.”

If democracy is supposed to provide legitimacy to government – what does a fraudulent election provide? The U.S. occupation, already suffering a host of problems – false reasons for the invasion, lack of international support, wanning support in the U.S., Abu Gharib prison scandals, the Fallujah attack, the killing of civilians, a strengthening insurgency, lack of support by former generals and foreign service officers, and generals on the ground saying the presence of U.S. troops are increasing the strength of the insurgency – now has a voting scandal on its hands.

Thanks for the on-site report of the stolen Ohio, etc. vote. But when I tried to forward this a dozen people I know who would appreciate this info, I find your web guy has limited the number addresses you can input to only TWO! Help. Who has time to enter two at a time and then start all over or am I missing something?

Hello,

I didn't see the articles that you refer to in your piece b/c I don't read mother jones or tom paine's website. But I just wanted to send the criticism your way that you folks shouldn't act as if the left is not embracing that the election was stolen. You guys are obviously aware that Jon Conyers, Ralph Nader, David Cobb, Amy Goodman, Jesse Jackson and many other notables of the left have supported your ideas about the election. I think also In These Times has printed articles on the stolen election, and articles on the voting fraud have been up on commondreams.org and buzzflash.com. So anyway keep on keeping on, your latest piece that I have seen is informative like all your articles, and i think a good portion of the left does believe that the Republicans stole the 2004 election. I wonder how long elections have been stolen in this country I don't know if anyone has done the investigating/research to answer that. I of course don't know the full extent to which your efforts are being attacked and undermined by your supposed comrades at arms, but I think you have more support than you realize.

All the best,

-Sean

AUSTIN, Texas -- I have been collecting material for a series of columns on the peppy topic, "How Do We Fix This Mess?" The news is dandy in that there are a lot of a sound ideas being passed around. Really serious messes, like the one this country is in, do not, in my experience, have simple, definitive solutions. And if they do, such solutions are politically impossible. We are looking for progress, not perfection, so anyone who tells you the entire tax code should fit on a postcard is a bona fide, certified, chicken-fried moron.

But listening to the Democratic debate on what to do now, it seems to me some of the brethren and sistren are asking the wrong questions. The question is not, "How Do We Win?" That's a technical question that comes after, "What the Hell Can We Do About This Disaster?"

I personally think some good ideas and a plan should come first -- and to this end, let me chime in on a note of agreement with some Actual Moderates, William A. Galston and Elaine C. Kamarck, a couple of Clintonites still carrying on in that old Third Way that was good enough for Bill C.