[New-imc] Nothing to prevent Right-Wing IMC

[xare at sindominio.net]

>
> This is a problem I raised back when I was trying to start
> IMC-Binghamton (currently on-hold). It seems to me that there are two
> process features which are going to ultimately cause problems:
>
> 1) Strict Consensus -- I know this is has been discussed ad nauseum, but
>    we all witnessed the global blocks by IMC Ithaca, and this has never
> properly addressed, IMHO. Banning Arc simply swept this problem under
> the carpet for a while. I suggest a 2/3 super-majority, assuming the
> mission statement is never violated.
>
> 2) Lack of any kind of lefty-radical-progressive-counterculture
> political
>    litmus test.
Well we do not have to go that far, in order to become an indymedia site
you need to approve Principles of unity and Membership criteria.

We have strong reasons to reject Beach cities:
Principles of Unity
10. All IMC's shall be committed to the principle of human equality, and
shall not discriminate, including discrimination based upon race, gender,
age, class or sexual orientation. Recognizing the vast cultural traditions
within the network, we are committed to building [diversity] within our
localities.

Well watching the features they offer it is clear that this collective in
the Beach cities area cannot fulfill this minimum rule.

And now membership criteria asks us to:

Have open and public meetings (no one group can have exclusionary
"ownership" of an IMC).

Let's ask them to publish a public meeting. And start with their reach out
they may found some leftwingers, also I know that maybe there are not as
many of them as desired in the area.

j. (NOT FINALIZED): Have no official affiliation with any political party,
state or candidate for office (comments: but individual producers have
freedom to do whatever they like and local IMCs can "feature" stories
about various political parties and initiatives),

Here again they do not respect the equality principle and they ask for the
vote to Arnold Schwartzeneger.

So things being like that:
1. We have to see if it is not a hoax and there is a collective asking us
to belong to the network. I personally know what I will ask them. If the
answers do not convince me then my answer will be a big NO.
2. Here in the "thing" (Spanis State) we try to help other indymedias
(better sometimes worse other times not for political reasons anyway)
flourishing near here (now Indymedia Asturies is on the way), would not be
interesting if people from LA collective visit that collective and we get
to know first hand what is going on? I don´t know how easy it would be.
I've never been to the US, and I don´t know the dimensions. Here in Europe
everything is so small... :-)) (small people, small villages, small
countries...) and we even want it smaller ;-)

Now seriously I think there is no much to matter, there are clear reasons
IMHO to say No to this collective if they ever asked.

If not it would just enter the collection of anecdotas of indymedia's
history.

Bye