The Green Implosion Continues by Joshua Frank
September 7th, 2007

Just when you thought there was nothing more to say about the Green’s self-destructive behavior. In the last few days I’ve taken a gander at what the Greens have been talking about on their discussion list. Nope, they are not talking about how they are going to end the war. Nor how they are going to organize to fight the Democrats. They are instead preparing to cyberlynch John Murphy, the delegate from Pennsylvania that I wrote about in a column earlier this week.

Greg Gerritt, a Green Party leader, violated his party’s rule #186, which forbids members to post personal correspondences from another member to the group’s online discussion group.

Murphy replied off the list to a message he had received from Gerritt in a personal email. Murphy allegedly wrote to Gerritt: “Good! Now Greg, carefully wake up that dozing, peg-legged hamster operating your wheel-powered brain and for once in your life do the decent thing; tie a large rock around your ankle and go swimming in some white water rapids”.

Another way of saying “go jump in a lake”.

Keep in mind that was an off list comment, not something posted to the group. Gerritt apparently cut and pasted this message to the Green delegates who then accused Murphy of posting violent messages and being an all around sour grape.

It looks as if the Green delegates are not only having trouble prioritizing their goals and writing proposals, but they are also committing the worst sin of all: No sense of humor.

Here’s what David Strand representing the Green Party’s “Lavender Caucus” had to say: ” I must say that I have never been part of any organization … that would tolerate this type of threatening communication”.

Then Nan Garrett, also one of the architects of the failed 2004 safe states strategy, who has yet to resign, chimed in: “Thanks for speaking up, David. I agree”.

What a swell bunch of folks these Green delegates truly are. I guess we can forget all about they ever abolishing capital punishment or doing away with the three strikes law. These guys have no mercy and no understanding of justice and fair play. Makes you wonder how their membership drive is going.

So what we have here are the “safe staters” trying to hang Murphy because he called for their resignation, when the person who should actually be disciplined is instead Greg Gerritt. He violated the rules under resolution #186 by posting Murphy’s private, off-line e-mail message to the Green party’s discussion group. I wonder how these guys feel about the government being able to look into our private affairs.

I’m trying to imagine how the Greens in Pennsylvania would deal with the loss of John Murphy, whose forthcoming congressional campaign will bring in 10,000 signatures or more for the Green Party’s presidential candidate in 2008. The Pennsylvania Greens are going to need about 60,000 signatures in order to get their candidate on the ballot. But throwing away 10,000 signatures just doesn’t seem to matter to these lesser-evil progressives. One has to wonder what their goal really is.

From a clinical perspective this is the very essence of passive-aggressive behavior and seems to demonstrate that many of these Green leaders are terrified of criticism, incapable of accepting responsibility, and behave like a bunch of humorless narcissists who have the opportunity to pick on Mr. Murphy because they have removed him from the listserve. Presume guilty with no trial or representation.

I guess the Green delegates have learned a lesson from Alberto Gonzales and are constructing their own virtual online Guantánamo. At least that’s how John Murphy must feel.

Joshua Frank is co-editor of Dissident Voice and author of Left Out! How Liberals Helped Reelect George W. Bush (Common Courage Press, 2005), and along with Jeffrey St. Clair, the editor of the forthcoming Red State Rebels, to be published by AK Press in March 2008. Read other articles by Joshua, or visit Joshua's website.