Dear RN,
Long time subscribers to this list will surely remember Carolyn Chute, a
woman I have never had the pleasure to meet but who I have kept in touch
with over the years. She wrote to Richard in 1998 I think it was, enthused
by his call for people to unite against corporate globalization. Rather than
allowing ourselves to be divided along left/right lines, we could join with
Carolyn in her "no-wing" approach.
Here is a press statement released by Thomas H. Naylor, Professor Emeritus
of Economics at Duke University and co-author of _The Technofascist
Manifesto_, (New River Press, Woonsocket, Rhode Island).
all the best, Jan
PS I just called Thomas. I mentioned that I cannot share his enthusiasm for
the New Atlantic Republic idea (which, as you will see, Carolyn advocates).
I just don't care that much about where we draw borders. Then he says that,
ultimately, that is not his primary interest either; it is the break-up of
the empire. Yes. Me too!
Thomas also says that he follows the stock market closely (although he does
not invest) and that he feels certain that we are on the verge of economic
collapse. Thomas and I agree that it becomes, then, more and more important
for us to build up the networks of care and mutual help in our local
communities. And self-sufficiency.
...Since Carolyn has no phone, no fax, no e-mail (& no paved road!), Thomas
has become the phone contact for her candidacy. Apparently the St. John (New
Brunswick) CBC is interested in her campaign... It occurs to me, that, for
as long as this marginal computer system I have holds out, I may end up
being the e-mail connection.
*****************************************************************
From: Thomas H. Naylor, (802) 425-4133, 202 Stockbridge Road, Charlotte, VT
05445
MOTHER OF THE NEW ATLANTIC CONFEDERACY
Maine's most famous literary novelist, Carolyn Chute, is running for
governor on a platform calling for, among other things, sucession from the
United States. If elected next year, Chute would immediately convene a
statewide constitutional convention to consider whether the Pine Tree State
should leave the Union; join forces with New Hampshire, Vermont and the four
Canadian Atlantic provinces; and create a New Atlantic Confederacy the size
of Denmark.
The award-winning author of _The Beans of Egypt, Maine_, which sold
over 350,000 copies, is also cofounder and secretary of the 450-member 2nd
Maine Militia. She and her low-key, kind and gentle husband Michael are
ardent supporters of the constitutional right to bear arms. Michael is the
town of Parsonsfield's pensive graveyard man who sports a spiffy two-foot
long black beard and a green felt crusher hat.
The 54 year-old grandmother often appears at militia meetings
carrying her AK-47 of SKS assault rifle on a shoulder strap, wearing a camo
jacket, a colorful kerchief, work boots, and military sun glasses. The
return address on all corrrespondence from Carolyn reads "No Fax/ No Phone /
No Paved Road".
Before summarily dismissing Carolyn and the 2nd Maine Militia (2MM)
as just a bunch of right-wing, backwoods kooks, one should take a much
closer second look. The role of the 2MM is similar to that of hundreds of
small shooting clubs scattered through Switzerland, one of the most heavily
armed, peaceful nations in the world. Above all, 2MM is a social
organization of men and women who use target shooting as a means of coping
with their feelings of separation, alienation, meaninglessness, and
powerlessness engendered by our government and Corporate America.
Unfortunately, Carolyn paid dearly for her politically incorrect
attempt to humanize a Maine militia man in her latest novel, _Snow Man_. The
New York literary set would have no part of it.
The 2MM is an ideologically diverse group of working class people
living all over Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. There is even a
small division in North Carolina. The Militia includes Democrats,
Republicans, Greens, lefties, libertarians, feminists, patriots and
anarchists. What they all share in common is an extreme distrust of some or
all of the following: the Fortune 500, Wall Street, the U.S. government, the
United Nations, and the proposed Multinational Agreement on Investment.
When they gather to target shoot, members of the 2MM also talk a lot
about life in Maine and how it has changed. They bemoan Maine's loss of
political will, civil liberties, economic security, collective memory,
traditional culture, and sense of community. The recoil at the dehumanized,
mass production, mass marketing, mass consumption, narcissistic lifestyle
that pervades most of America. Some are fed up with consumerism,
technomania, robotism, globalization, and american imperialism. Many just
want to be left alone. But an increasing number of them want out - out of
the United States of America.
Occasionally some membes of the 2MM have been known to demonstrate
at the Statehouse in Augusta and elsewhere natinoally. Their battle cry
could easily be, "Remember the 2nd Maine", which would be a not-so-subtle
reminder of American imperialism in the Spanish American War.
Most members of the 2MM realize that Maine has a lot more in common
with New Hampshire, Vermont, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and
Prince Edward Island than it does with Boston, New York, Washington,
Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, or Beverly Hills.
Although Carolyn's constituencts come from the far left, the centre
and the far right, she describes herself as "no-wing". Unlike most
conservatives, she hates big corporations. Unlike most liberals, she scorns
big government. Carolyn supports the disadvantaged, the down trodden, and
those whose lives have been made miserable by big business and big government.
She has nothing but contempt for transnational megacompanies,
accountable to no one, who tell us what to buy, how much to pay for it, and
when to replace it as well as where we can work, how much we will be paid,
and what the working conditions will be like.
Carolyn believes the United States has become too big, too powerful,
too intrusive, too commercialized, too high-tech, too globalized, too
imperialistic, too authoritarian, and too undemocratic. Her candidacy is
nothing less than a call for peaceful revolution against the American Empire.
She wants the people of Maine to (1) regain control of their lives
from big government, big business, big banks, big cities, big schools, and
big computer networks; (2) relearn how to take care of themselves by
decentralizing, downsizing, localizing, demilitarizing, and humanizing their
lives; and (3) learn how to help others take care of themselves so that they
all become less dependent on big business and big government.
Although Carolyn, who is quite shy, denies being a political
activist, some have compared her to Polish Solidarity leader Lech Walesa and
French anti-globalization activist José Bové.
Other planks of the Chute no-wing platform include "the right of
castle", which would eliminate SWAT-team home entries for non-violent
offenses and what she calls government "baby-snatching" programs. Taking
human rights away from corporations is also a high priority with her. "On
the freedom elevator," says Chute, "there's not enough room for citizens and
a 900-pound gorilla. Somebody has to get off."
Although Carolyn is staunchly committed to her no-wing, libertarian
vision of families and small local communities, the right to live and let
live, and the urgent need to break up the Empire, she abhors politics and is
suspicious of all politicians. Recently she confided that she might be a
much better Mother of Maine rather than either governor or president.
Be that as it may, many think Carolyn would make on helluva Mother
of the Confederacy, the New Atlantic Confederacy, that is!
Long live the Mother of the Confederacy and the 2nd Maine.
Thomas H. Naylor
September 1, 2001
__________________________________________________________
Professor Emeritus of Economics at Duke University, _NAylor has never owned
a gun and has no plans to do so_. he went hunting back in '54, saw the same
squirrel both times, and never fired a shot. During high school R.O.T.C.
target practice he almost shot the sergeant.
********************************************************
And as for me, Jan, well, I often say I seem to have been born a pacifist,
(broke out in tears when a policeman who came to speak to our nursery school
pulled out his gun to show it to us) although I know that a person carrying
a gun may be much more nonviolent than another who is unarmed.
********************************************************
