What's Your Slogan? Use Bankruptcy Bill to PROMOTE A NEW CONGRESS!

[cyberpj]

If this travesty could just be explained clearly to ALL THE PEOPLE and then used as a campaign to completely overhaul CONGRESS --- now THAT would be a People's Revolution.

Publicizing the affirmative voters is only a start. We the people must become outraged as a huge voting group!

Slogans?

"They protected big business but sold you out: auto, home and future..... it's time for an ALL NEW CONGRESS!"

[Itsthetruth]

1. Do The Math

Look at the positive side. Since about one third of Democrats will vote with Republicans on anti-consumer and anti-worker legislation here's all you'd have to do to "win" a peoples revolution in Congress.

Elect 350 Democrats to the House of Representatives

Elect 75 Democrats to the U.S. Senate.

That's all. Better get to work now!

[cyberpj]

2. The problem is we need a large movement and money to advertise -

Since Dems are implicated - we can't get them to help with this one.

What non-political groups could promote this change big time?

[cyberpj]

14. "Since about one third of Democrats will vote with Republicans on

...anti-consumer and anti-worker legislation"


Show me.

[cyberpj]

3. Here's a site to support re the bankruptcy bill battle -

Bankruptcy Bill Battle is Just the Beginning

Bankruptcy Bill Opponents Thank Congress Members Who Voted No, Promise to Hold Accountable Those Who Voted Yea, and Prepare for Upcoming Battles

Following Senate passage of the bankruptcy bill on March 10, Democrats.com and Progressive Democrats of America created a coalition at www.DebtSlavery.org

http://elandslide.org/elandslide/index.cfm?campaign=debt

[Itsthetruth]

5. Didn't Accomplish Much

No matter how well intentioned, the coalition didn't accomplish much except, along with other bigger groups, convince 3 Democrats to vote against the bill who might have voted for it otherwise.

Does PDA really expect to elect 350 Democrats to the House and 75 to the Senate, or at least elect 235 Democrats to the House who will join the Congressional "Progressive Caucus" (35 are members now) and at least 50 Democratic Senators who will also commit to that caucus?

I wish PDA luck but many, many similiar political organizations have been trying to accomplish that objective for decades now. And such organizations are farther from achieving that goal than anytime in the past 50 years.

I haven't seen any clear explanation of how they hope to end such corporate control and domination of the major parties. There has always been a small marginalized group of Congressional Democrats who have supported working people and organized labor. Their numbers are growing smaller, not larger, and they never have any real political power or influence in Washington, D.C.

Again .... good luck but I think you're spinning your wheels and the chances of PDA accomplishing that goal are somewhere between none and zero.

So PDA is working inside and outside of the Democratic Party. Well, at least you might get a few good paying staff positions working on the "inside".

[cyberpj]

6. I know - but I'm assuming they won't stop trying.

And I'm hoping you're wrong about the number of Con Dems that support working people. I understand that organized labor is also risky but has become the lesser of two evils when paired with corporations.

PDA is at least trying to create larger groups of dissent by throwing it's weight and personnel in with other groups of similar philosophy.

Since there are such numbers and varieties of Dem groups perhaps that's the answer for getting BIG numbers on BIG issues?

We're SO disorganized.

[cyberpj]

17. -

[scarletwoman]

4. "If this travesty could just be explained clearly to ALL THE PEOPLE..."

Well, there's the rub. We've seen one "travesty" after another for years, decades even -- how the hell has the Taft-Hartley Act been countenanced all this time? Or Reagan's destruction of the Fairness Act?

The fact is, Congress pretty much ALWAYS protects Big Business at the expense of the common citizen. How do you suppose it happens that most of the biggest U.S. corporations pay NO taxes?

The bankruptcy bill is just one more outrage piled atop a huge mountain of outrages -- it's still not going to change how the masses vote, because no matter how many times all these various "travesties" HAVE been "explained clearly", the masses just don't pay attention.

sw

[cyberpj]

7. Part of that is their selling us distractions - the other part

is our buying them.

South Park said it best: "Look at the monkey!"

Aside from the TERROR! TERROR! FEAR! WAR! TERRORISTS!

We're participating in inane entertainment and entertainers as if hypnotized as zombies while we buy the propagandads and consume everything we're told to.

Then, we have no media on our side and even mass demonstrations are ignored.

You know what I think any movement needs?

A dynamic leader! Plain spoken, concise and totally believable. We need someone inspiring with magnatism that the press won't be able to ignore!

[scarletwoman]

8. A leader would, of course, be great. But I doubt she/he would live long.

The kind of leadership you're talking about is certainly NOT going to arise out the ranks of our current politicians. (I would cite Dennis Kucinich as the exception, but he is ignored as a matter of course, and mocked when he isn't being ignored.)

Paul Wellstone was very close to being such a leader, but he didn't last very long after his anti-Iraq Invasion vote.

Now if Oprah were to have a sudden epiphany and decide to turn her considerable influence to issuing a call to arms in the class war, SHE would be someone the media couldn't ignore -- but that's a fantasy that AIN'T gonna happen.

The fact is, unless this inspiring, magnetic leader is someone who ALREADY has BIG public platform, she/he WILL be ignored, marginalized, mocked, demonized, discredited, etc. by the gigantic machine that protects the status quo. And if none of the preceding proves to be sufficiently effective, an "accidental death" or "suicide" will be arranged in short order.

I think we're better off realizing that there's not going to be any hero riding in to the rescue. It's up to each of us as individuals to educate ourselves and those around us, consume less and tend to our gardens (either metaphorically or literally). Our work is to wake up how ever many others we can, and meanwhile live our lives with integrity.

sw

[cyberpj]

9. I'll continue to do the work you mention - but I'm posting my leader quest

as a new thread just to keep hope alive.

Fully understanding the danger you revealed.

[scarletwoman]

11. Yep, I saw your new thread.

Funny thing, you even posted the quote that I had in my own mind as I was writing my previous reply to you: "We are the ones we have been waiting for." (Next logical piece of my argument? Or maybe you're just psychic. ;-) )

I won't interfere with your new thread, and I wish you well.

For myself, I do not believe in hope. As a Buddhist, I think that "hope" keeps us caught in the realm of duality where we suffer through our attachment to desires and preferences. Hope is just the other side of fear, and both keep us trapped in Samsara.

But that's just my humble opinion...

Peace,
sw

[cyberpj]

12. Slam! Dunk!

I HATE it when I'm so very into my own position and someone calmly exposes it in a way I might expose it myself if I were in my right mind. But really I love it.

A Course In Miracles is very similar in philosophy - we're the ones who continue making duality and living in it...we could choose to stop.

I have dabbled in reading about Buddhism and am attracted to it. Soemthing about "wanting other than reality creates want". Another phrase that's stuck with me; "we long for permanence and as a result we suffer for we find none."

Can we each be that peaceful, give up guilt?

(Now I need to go yoga.)

pj

[JI7]

10. how about those Democrats who voted for it like Robert Byrd ?

[cyberpj]

13. OUT! The time for lobby rewards over serving constituents is NOW. eom.

[DinahMoeHum]

15. Slogan: They Sold You Out, America. . .

Time For A New Congress

:kick:

[cyberpj]

16. Nicer than "America, you've been f---ed". eom.

[a kennedy]

18. I still like "corporate welfare".

It's short, to the point, everyone will listen to the welfare part, and it's the truth.