Ed Notes Extended

Monday, March 22, 2010

Unity/New Action Relationship a Model for Russia

A Sunday NY Times article titled "Russian Protests Seeking Ouster of Putin Fall Short" contained this nugget:

Two mainstream opposition parties, considered to be under Kremlin control, did not take part.

Clearly, Putin has gone the Unity Caucus policy of having its very own opposition party as a pet one better by owning TWO opposition parties. Maybe New Action should split - call one NEW and the other ACTION. Then they can run two slates that endorse Mulgrew. Just as they endorsed Weingarten for president. Twice. Now explain again exactly where they oppose Unity policies?

2 comments:

  1. They oppose Unity policies every three years, on paper, when they put out those flyers.

    It's great to have an opposition as a wholly owned subsidiary. Really, that was smart of Ms. Weingarten. It's too bad she didn't devote that sort of calculation in the interest of working teachers, rather than the perpetuation of controlling union politics.

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  2. It's also ironic that, having been Cold war, anti-communist stalwarts (support for the Vietnam war until the very end, support for the fascist coup against the Allende government in Chile, etc.) Shanker and the Unity Caucus operate internally much like the Communist Party of old: loyalty oaths, and promises not to publicly diverge from the official party line.

    Having an official, domesticated opposition is an innovation that Breznev might have learned from.

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