It's 4:30 A.M. and I've been up for a couple hours

[PCIntern]

Tossing and turning, thinking about how this had best better go our way or the America which we at least pretended we knew is going to accelerate towards extinction. I think that the President is going to win handily: for a Dem that means by four points overall, but I'm a-scared and paranoid ideation has set in.

But I was thinking whilst tossing and turning that even if we win this fight, these forces, like the Terminator, will not give up, will not stop, and the country's temperature will be raised higher and higher past the point of no return and past the point where the vessel which contains it will, of necessity, burst. As a Constitutional Democracy, we may be doomed in the long-run- that the so-called globalization has irrevocably split our nation into two, or twelve, parts which cannot be reassembled.

I believe that the real crime perpetrated following the 9/11 disaster was the destruction of the national coalition and resolve by the Cheney/Bush administration. Once we were betrayed emotionally and splintered politically by the immorality and illogic of the national response, it is akin to a patient rescued from physical abuse being abused by his or her rescuer. The trust is lost and we are in the Wilderness, wherein we may wander for more than forty years. We may be out here forever.

[Berlum]

1. .

[mattclearing]

2. Right now there is something of an ideological civil war going on.

Hence the political polarization. It's not quite erupted into violence yet, but people have made threats, and no matter what happens with the presidential election, some people are going to be REALLY unhappy.

Think of all of these people hopped up on fear with their assault rifles who have been convinced that the world is going to end if President Obama is re-elected.

Or if President Obama is defeated, think of all of the people who will rightly see that the presidency was stolen from him by rich plutocrats who, with the aid of a complicit corporate media, did everything they could to subvert democracy?

[PCIntern]

3. Ed Zachary!

You are correct in your assertions....

I might add that if the election is stolen from the Dems or perceived to be stolen, then it's going to get dicey. Real dicey.

[Nostradammit]

4. I think the outcome the gun-totin' righties fear will be easier for the country to endure

than if our worst fears are realized.

The RWNJ's have had four years to get accustomed to the idea, and will burrow in and wait for Jesus to return. They'll be every bit as loud and obnoxious as they are today, but they'll feel just that much more defeated.

If the Koch-suckers steal it from us, it's on to plan B - and who knows where that will eventually lead.

[fasttense]

13. Yes there is a civil war but it is NOT between you and your neighbor.

It is between the 1 percenters who have stolen most of the wealth of nations.

There are the old hard liners, rich beyond your wildest dreams, who want to keep things as they were. Who don't really want whole nations filled with starving people, but 49 percent starving is just fine. Who see that the last grab for excessive wealth almost destroyed the whole world economy. They want semi-prosperity for most and a calm society to live in. Think Rockefeller's and the British royals, old European money and oldish rich American families. They are backing Obama.

Then there are the new hedge fund billionaires, ruthless and greedy, they don't care if whole nations fall into mass destruction. They want their money, they want it now and they don't care how they get it. They want it all and if it causes billions of people to die then so what. Think Mitt Romney, Koch (their money is older but they side with this group), Hedge fund CEOs, new money. I think the last time this group of people decided to go for it all, they created Hitler.

Either way the little guy loses but they don't lose as much, as fast, if Obama and his pals win.

[Shrike47]

5. It never seems to occur to them that we have guns too.

[heaven05]

7. +++

1000

[Bonhomme Richard]

16. +++ N/T

[heaven05]

6. yep

very well said and yes, the danger of ignorant rush-joe-hannity-beckbots is a reality. But the counterbalance is here. People like us burnt twice, three times shy. No turning the other cheek this time. With loud enough voices we can make those bots fear our wrath this time. I won't give in to right wing putridity and racism, ever. They will be fought to my dying day. Sorry a little dramatic, been up since 4am with my dog. Got hurt, had to let him outside and watch him and stuff. Had my 14 year old American foxhound pass this week, so has not been a good week for me or my pets, although my sasha is without pain now. So have hope. Ignorance, stupidity and racism can and will be defeated every time by a well informed and prepared populace. We are the hope of Amerika! Not those reactionary clowns.

[RedSpartan]

8. You're correct to compare the GOP to the Terminator.

As Reese describes to Sarah in the original... "It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop. Ever. Until you are dead."

[freedom fighter jh]

9. All real power in this world derives from the people.

And there have always been some who have striven to divert that power to their own control. World history is a long tale of struggle between people retaining their own power and dictators taking it from them.

We do seem to find ourselves caught up in the flow of the near-democracy we had 20 or 30 years ago whooshing us more and more under the control of the oligarchs. How can we pull our nation out of this?

On a personal level, one big step in reclaiming your power is recognizing how much power is really yours. Could that also be true on a political level? Why are people like the Koch brothers so very powerful? Simply because they have money. Why is money enough to make a person powerful? Because people believe in it. I want money because I know, for example, that if I get hungry I can go to Safeway and they will accept my money in exchange for food. It all has to do with trust in the system. The Koch brothers have a powerful operation because they are able to pay people to work in that operation. The security guard who guards their house needs his pay so that his family can eat. This is the glue that keeps people working and keeps the whole system running.

That is the system that keeps us under control. We cannot destroy it by direct confrontation. If there is hope, I think it is in building an alternative system that promises more -- if not more material goods, then more respect for each person, more response to people's needs, more of a part for each person to play in running the system, more equality in rights and power. The Occupy movement has made strides in that direction. They still exist, even if we don't hear much about them. (See http://www.occupytogether.org/) Whether it's Occupy or something else, the people need to come together in a movement that respects the rights of all and works for the benefit of all -- something like what the American Revolution did in its limited way, with the difference that this time it includes all human beings -- of all sexes, races, and social classes. If enough people come together in a movement in which they invest as much trust and energy as most of us now do in our money, we can beat this monster.

These are the things such a movement requires:

1) It must work for the benefit of the people.
2) People must trust that it works for the benefit of the people.
3) It must be truly democratic, giving each adult a chance to participate.
4) People must be willing to work as hard for it as they now work for money.

It will be a challenge to establish this level of trust, but the worse the established system gets, the more willing people will be to jump ship. This system will have to find a way to do many things -- among them a way to produce food to support those who are willing to give up money to join it. Perhaps the new system will manifest as a network of organic farms owned and run by people willing to reach out and take in anyone who wants to be part of them.

It's still early and I too have been up for hours after tossing and turning and now I seem to be going off the deep end. I'm not sure about what I just wrote but I do believe all power resides somehow with the people, whatever that means, and our challenge now is to claim it and if we find the right way, whatever that is, then Mitt Romney will be no match for us.

[Katashi_itto]

10. I'm not worried, I have my passport and in 2 years I will have

my masters.

I plan on getting out if Romney is elected.

I am sorry for our country but I will not invest anymore time in something half the country is to stupid to appreciate. As a vet I don't even recognize the Republican party who don't seem to realize what they've become.

[formercia]

11. Do not become Ronin

Your Master, Democracy, needs you to fight.

[Katashi_itto]

15. Hehe...very well spoken! :)

[Vinca]

12. I was afraid it was just me going nuts.

I haven't felt so much stress in years. I used to think it would take the election of someone like Romney to finally wake people up, but I've come to the conclusion half the country cares more about the Kardashians than anything else so it really doesn't matter. If we end up in a war with Iran they won't be affected unless satellite television goes out.

[mstinamotorcity2]

14. Okay you need a little rest and some comforting thoughts!!!

The republican Party is holding on for their dear lives. They are facing distinction. Most Republicans have been fed the ridiculous stereotypes since birth. Their thought process has been confused with bullshit. They are in a republican induced coma. I think that is considered a pre-existing condition. Thanks for Obamacare. The republican base is shrinking. Every entity that is of republican leaning is feeling the heat. From loss of advertisement dollars to viewership.From loss of product sales to loss of respect. The people that are doing this let's beat up on America, are the very ones profiting from our Great Country. They really should be pitied. Look at the amount of money they will spend to defeat the will of the American people. They don't want to feed the hungry,shelter the homeless,or provide health care to those without it. What does this say???Losers. And if that doesn't bring you comfort maybe this will. The thought of Sununu crawling under a rock and never to re-emerge is enough to make me do phone calls and make sure everyone I know is voting for Our President!!!!!

[Shankapotomus]

17. That's why, once we win this,

we should form a group that will begin negotiations with the Right to help them secede peacefully from the union. Give them a "homeland" where they can pursue all the self-destructive policies they want with minimal to no consequence to liberals and democrats.

I think we should send representatives over to freeperville right now to start coordinating with them the peaceful division of this country. It makes no sense to fight and hate each other over different politics in one nation when we can be two separate nations and should be.

[Thekaspervote]

18. A great post

Sorry to hear you've been up tossing and turning so long... But thank you for this post, and to the others that have given such thoughtful replys.

The radical right as mentioned is dying. It's like a fire breathing dragon that's been backed into a corner. Their money is all they have. No heart, no soul. Not to be unrealistic or too "spiritual" but the universe will simply not support that kind of energy. Lincoln once said and I may not have the quote exactly "to test a mans Character give him power." I think everyone would agree it's on full display here.

The easy part is to talk about it, the fix will be much harder. And some of it will have to play itself out beforehand. I agree, I think the occupy movement was a fledgling start albeit a good one. We, they will have to keep some resolve to help it find it's self, organize and move forward. I do firmly believe one has to wrk within the system, be happy with small victories and never take your eyes off the prize.

Small victories- crazy joe walsh is going away, as are the two rs, Scott walker in Wisconsin has lost a lot of his collective bargaining and union stripping laws thru court battles, we will keep the senate and the presidency, (no small victory) so let's celebrate those and others but push forward.

Thank you pc intern, we need good people such as yourself to raise the questions and push towards solutions. I hope you can sleep in a bit this morning