We all have dark sides. None of us are pure, although once in a while, you get lucky and have a chance to stake the moral high ground. Generally, though, I think many of us strive to create a better world, trying to suppress and atone for that criminal lurking deep in our own hearts.

The neocons, the right, the center, the left, and the ultra-left all disagree on the best way to create a better world.

Out politicking on Saturday, I saw it at the North Haven Fair while waiting to introduce Cliff Thornton, Green Party candidate for Governor, to sitting Gov. Jodi Rell.

Lurking near us, waiting for a photo of the Governatress was Deanfan84, a blogger who inhabits spheres like CTLocalPolitics and MyLeftNutmeg. His real name is Ed, and he sported an orange baseball cap, the bill of which was autographed by Howard Dean, I think.

Ed suggested that the Green Party should be a wing of the Democratic party. Neither Cliff nor I could convince Deanfan84 of the legitimate need for multiple electoral voices.

Because our stances seemed so hard line to him - like free college tuition, like an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, like letting third party candidates into debates – Deanfan84 accused us of moral purity.

He said he didn't feel pure enough for us.

Political compromise makes us all feel dirty – that's life's daily reality. I really want to do this, but I can't, so I'll settle for that. There is nothing clean about democracy.

For me, I prefer the intellectual clarity of entering a negotiation asking for what I want, understanding that less people will join me because it seems too difficult, rather than asking for less than what I want because more people might agree with me, and hoping to later change the terms of the debate.

That contradiction at the heart of the disarray in America's anti-war movement was on display at Sunday's fifth annual Hope Out Loud festival in Hartford's Bushnell Park.

More than 300 people enjoyed the sun while perusing about 50 booths promoting progressive platforms. All the usual lefties, from the Communist Party USA to the Central Connecticut State University Progressive Student Alliance to Donnelly-Colt printers sold their non-violent ideas and pro-peace wares.

Everyone at Hope Out Loud sought peace, and an end to war and militarism. But we all espouse different theories of action to that end. Case in point was all the Ned Lamont buttons, t-shirts and lawn signs.

Because Ned seems better than Joe, anti-war progressives, at one point myself included, have found Ned more palatable. But Ned does not seek total withdrawal from Iraq.

His website states that "While we will continue to provide logistical and training support as long as we are asked, our frontline military troops should begin to be redeployed and our troops should start heading home."

Redeployed to where? Kuwait? When considered alongside Ned's position that the U.S. military budget shouldn't be cut, I question if he is a better hope for progressives.

Not that the Green Party is either, and neither are pure. So how do we choose between the twin illusions of electability and moral ground?

A group of women from Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and Connecticut had the best answer for me. More than 20 of them donned black belly dance outfits, and calling themselves Pure, they danced away the frustrations of modern life.

Pure, which stands for Public Urban Ritual Experiment, was the hit of Hope Out Loud. The dance performance drew the biggest crowd of the afternoon. Everyone stopped to look when their congo drummer finger tapped the opening notes.

The dancers, with their Middle Eastern undulations and witchy ululations, mesmerized the audience.

"We are about bringing healing and peace to the community through dance," said Neylan, the troupe leader from Providence. The small Pure movement of ethnic tribal fusion dance claims adherents all across the planet.

That's because throughout human history, roving bands of artists have always nurtured communities with dance and song.

"Humans are social creatures," Neylan said. "We have always relied on each other. Dance is one way to foster health and growth in the community."

It makes sense. The toyi-toyi helped end apartheid in South Africa, perhaps Pure can show America to shake and shimmy out of the big muddy.

9/13/06

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Pure dancers mesmerize the crowd at Hope Out Loud in Hartford, Sept. 10, 2006. Could this help America find its toyi-toyi, the dance that helped end apartheid in South Africa?

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