Ever have a day when you wanted to surrender?

[Cyrano]

I’m having one. It’s probably the result of the never-ending right wing assault on everything in which we believe. Either that, or it’s not having had any coffee this morning.

But as long as I’m in the depths of depression, let me indulge myself by sharing what’s going on in my head.

We have won many battles. But the ignorant, know-nothings are winning the war. Their politicians are more ruthless, devious and amoral than ours who are mostly spineless, weak and clueless.

Obama is playing against a deck that was stacked by Cheney/Bush. Nonetheless, he won’t stand up and demand a new deck. Unlike most DUers, I don’t condemn him or compliment him. I just don’t have the slightest idea what the hell he’s doing. And I often wonder if he does.

The Democratic Party of my youth is gone. And I think that’s what depresses me the most. We are living in a world in which insane Republican politicians, pundits and assorted maniacs have a microphone that can reach the entire world. And the Democrats have a kazoo with which to refute the never ending avalanche of propaganda and lies.

I know about FDR, Truman, JFK, and I know all about what was accomplished (and destroyed) by Lyndon Johnson. We are the descendants of a political party that brought this country social security, the minimum wage, the right to join a workers union, Medicare, Medicaid, the Voting Rights Act, The Civil Rights Act, and so much more.

What happened to us? What in the world happened to us???

[asdjrocky]

1. They found out you could buy things with money. nt

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. How exactly does one go about "demanding a new deck"?

Obama: I demand that Bush/Cheney didn't deficit spend us into oblivion.
Obama: I demand that Bush/Cheney retroactively not get us into a war in Iraq.
Obama: I demand that Bush/Cheney didn't destroy the economy.
Obama: I demand that Bush/Cheney didn't not amend the filibuster so we can get more progressive legislation passed.

I could go on and on and on. You get the point here. The deck that's stacked against him isn't going to just disappear because he "demands" it. It's not that easy.

[Cyrano]

6. Nonetheless, he seems content to keep playing with the old one.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

11. No, he doesn't seem content at all.

And you present absolutely nothing to either support that remark or to say how he might do something otherwise.

[Cyrano]

16. If I knew how he "might do something otherwise," I'd shout it from

the roof tops.

And as far as supporting my remarks, sites like DU exist for people to voice their opinions. If you don't like my opinion, there's nothing I can do about that.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

17. I'm just questioning what you're basing this opinion on.

Because frankly, it seems like nothing.

[Cyrano]

21. Christ, I'm so sorry for having an opinion. Please, please forgive me.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

22. It's only curious that you can't explain your opinion.

Or that you're utterly unwilling to do so.

[obxhead]

30. For starters he could remove people from powerful positions

that were installed by the Bush admin and helped create the mess.

Then he could possibly stop putting the others that helped stack that deck into even more powerful positions.

I think that would be a great place to start.

[treestar]

32. all of these people are just carrying out the law the way it is

the rule of law, not personalities.

[obxhead]

35. Kinda like the MMS. They did such a grand job of carrying out

what very few laws and regulations are in place.

:eyes:

[rusty quoin]

3. Yes! I share your feelings. K&R.

(BTW, you wrote "...have a kazoo with which to refute...". I think you mean refudiate.)

[jdlh8894]

4. We elected "mostly spineless, weak and clueless" Reps? n/t

[Cyrano]

8. And our other choice was ... ???

[jdlh8894]

10. None of the above?

:evilfrown:

[hfojvt]

20. that's kinda ironic

considering your own cluelessness.

Like "none of the above" from progressive voters is gonna do anything more than help Republicans to win.

[jdlh8894]

23. Guess you have never seen the movie

or get sarcasm. Sorry, in more ways than one.

[hfojvt]

28. Which movie?

I know it is inconceivable, but many people have not seen lots of movies, even geezers like me.
this one?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1027862/

or this one?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0325911/

And it's very hard to 'get' sarcasm when so many on DU announce their unwillingness to vote for Democrats.

[jdlh8894]

33. Which movie?

I thought I was a "geezer"!I guess CRS settles in earlier than I remember.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Ozymanithrax]

7. Since Johnson, the political spectrum moved so far right Bill Clinton is considered a liberal... n/t

Clinton was a classic conservative, before Reagan redefined Conservatism. In his point of view he is remarkably similar to Eisenhower or even Teddy Roosevelt. Hell, most of our elected Congressmen and Senators would have been considered honest conservatives n the 50's.

I think the pendulum is starting to swing back the other direction, but it went a very long way and has a long way to go back.

Legislation under the Obama administration has made a start, beginning the progress back in the other direction. Since the pendulum is still at the end of its conservative arc, it hasn't managed to gain a great deal of energy. That will take time, and surrendering arrests the momentum. Republicans will be more than happy if we surrender and let them back in power. They can infuse enough conservative energy to keep the pendulum way to the right for a while. The longer the inevitable swing is stopped, the worse the consequences will be to return to some balance. All systems, political or otherwise will ballance themselves.

[Javaman]

9. Our want for a better life for us and our children were supplanted with

big screen tv's and fast food.

When you give up value for instant gratification, you get nothing in the end.

(a variation on Franklin's quote: giving up a little freedom for a little security, ultimately gives you neither).

[cliffordu]

14. Best analysis I've seen in a while. Perfect.

[Zorra]

12. No. When the historical progression of thought and events hits critical mass, it will

be unstoppable, and we will prevail.

Not giving up is a very important part of this progression.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

13. With the exception of Carter, the last two Democratic

administrations have been led by Corporatists. Both Clinton and Obama are men that came from humble beginnings.
They have earned their way into a society of the privileged few. As the climate crisis increases and resources become
scarce, they have guaranteed their families protection and survival in what will become an increasingly fragile planet.

You really have to hand it to them. They're brilliant men and have accomplished what few from the class they were born
into could have achieved. How they are historically remembered is of great importance so what amounts to mere crumbs
are scattered to the masses. You say you don't have the slightest idea what he is doing, really? You honestly don't understand
why Obama isn't bucking the system his own interests be damned?

[JHB]

15. Television

And I don't (just) mean the "boob tube" aspect...

Politics has always been a money chase, but when television became the main way for politicians to "get the message out" and gain visiblility it racheted that up by at least an order of magnitude.

And there are so many aspects of The Mess That We're In that flow from the constant need for politicians to fundraise and chase the bucks.

[hfojvt]

18. Surrender

but don't give yourself away

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sAm5UCJ9vA

Or is that a cheap trick?


The even more depressing thing is when Democrats get the microphone and use it to also broadcast Republican talking points.

A few examples. Kansas, like most other states, had budget troubles in 2008. So what does our Democratic Governor say at the start of the legislative session? Does she point out how Kansas taxes are regressive, and that schools still need to be adequately funded and that for the state to cut jobs and spending in a recession only makes things worse? No, what Governor Sebelius said was that "a tax increase would hurt Kansas families". Way to give bi-partisan approval to a Republican talking point, something they are already gonna claim anyway http://journals.democraticunderground.com/hfojvt/120

A second example would be Raj Goyle, Democratic candidate for the US House in Kansas' 4th district. I am not gonna look for his flyer now that I got at the Democratic convention, but it said something like "I have worked across party lines to cut spending and cut taxes". Apparently he does not know that the Republican frame on taxes is "tax cuts always good, tax increases always bad". Okay, maybe he has to sound like a Republican to get elected, but if you talk like a Republican to get elected and then walk like a Democrat once in office, then voters are gonna be angry with you, for good reason. Raj has $800,000 to spend. I hope he uses it to promote Democratic messages and talking points, rather than Republican ones.

Finally though, on DU we have a chance to take the pulpit and give a progressive sermon. Thousands, or tens of thousands of people might read an OP that is on the front page of DU. We could, or I would say should, be using this forum to spread progressive messages. Instead the message we mainly spread is "I am disgusted by the Democratic Party". As I said before

"Look, I share a desire to move both Obama and the Democratic Party to the left. I really do, but I don't think a strategy of constantly castigating them for not being progressive enough is a way to accomplish that. I think that if people came to DU and got information, they might walk away thinking "wow, single payer really is better" or "wow, Reaganomics really does suck (if I may put forward my own not so humble attempts in this regard http://journals.democraticunderground.com/... ). Instead they walk away thinking things like "wow, Obama and Democrats really do suck (thus why bother electing them)" or "wow, liberals really are arrogant and hateful". It seems to me we are our own worst enemy in moving the country in the right direction."
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/hfojvt/127

It seems to me that we already have surrendered, or given up. We have given up on fighting the Republicans and have decided instead to fight the Democratic Party and/or each other.



A se

[jotsy]

19. A variety of factors.

The people have been dumbed down and drummed up or drowned out for failure to comply and believe.

Virtue is now viewed as vulnerability and vice valued.

We live in a soulless age of means over merit.

Congress is focused on fund raising for the next campaign while the front men known as lobbyists provide the language in laws that benefit the corporate mantra, a demonstrably proven sociopathic mindset, as per the documentary 'The Corporation'.

You asked me once to write and post a piece on authoritarianism, my response was not intended to be disrespectful or snarky. People here by and large have made it abundantly clear nothing I say is anything they want to hear. I wanted for someone the crowd favors more to take on the task so any remedy or consoling would actually be taken seriously.

Try not to be sad, the fact that you see it is proof you're aware and know to fix, more than can be said of the bulk of us.

I see it as a bit of how a second marriage can benefit from divorce. The first go round may not turn out to be what you thought, but you end up with a much better idea of what you want looks like.

[robdogbucky]

24. Cyrano, you asked "What happened to us? What in the world happened to us???"

Remember John Mitchell in 1972 or so?

Testifying at the Sam Ervin-led Watergate hearings?

He said "When America turns right Senator, it will turn so far you won't recognize it," or words very much to that effect.

They have planned this (the dismantling of our democracy) for a very long time, much longer than the oft-cited Reagan years, which should be viewed as the kick-off of the campaign with the frontman selling it. That was just the implementation of plans to co-opt the Dems w/money and to seize the public imagination by control of the media outlets. Hence, it is much easier to impose their will and do away with New Deal reforms, etc.



Hands off my Social Security!
Hands off Latin America!





Just my dos centavos


robdogbucky

[treestar]

25. Nope. That is a self defeating attitude.

In the end it is a self indulgence.

I have felt like that about other things, but realize its uselessness and that one can't surrender to it. In politics, there's always hope. Even during the Nazi regime there were people trying to fight it from the inside.

[Cyrano]

29. Gimme a break. Can't I have one day of

depression, self-pity and surrender?

Okay, so I've gone AWOL for a day. I'll be back tomorrow. Promise.

But what about you? Don't you get weary once in a while?

[zipplewrath]

26. We're not defeated, we're diluted

The GOP has wandered so far to the right, that it leaves the "left" wide open. We've become a party that anyone can join because only the craziest nuts fit in the GOP. The end result is that true progressive policy gets watered down by conservative democrats, and Obama can credible claim to be governing "from the center".

[The Straight Story]

27. Yeah, but she charges by the hour and the cuffs hurt

:evilgrin:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

31. The "impractical" principles of the Democratic Party were triangulated away by ambitious politicians

[HughBeaumont]

34. There was never an attack on those who have everything by those who have nothing.

It's been the other way around for the past 40 (or 400, depending on which historian you ask) years. A stealth looting that never stopped.

Voters bought the Reagan bullshit hook, line and sinker. They bought the Bewsh bullshit hook, line and sinker . . . three times . The previous Democratic president was about as economically progressive as Jack Welch.

The wealthy fuck us and continue to fuck us and don't care. I think it's because they don't care is why they're wealthy.

[Ganja Ninja]

36. Sometimes I wonder if fighting them is the wrong way to go.

Sometimes I just want to give the right the government they want and deserve. Imagine where the GOP would be right now if McCain/Palin were in power and the GOP held both houses. Imagine where the country would be. They would be dealing with the mess they created. If people were pissed off 18 months ago they would be in lynch mob mode today. Voting for the GOP as a form of revenge? I'm almost to that point. The only problem is we all suffer along with them.

[bvar22]

37. What happened ?

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
We Reformed the Democratic Party the Old Fashioned Way.

We BOUGHT it !!!!!
Hahahahahahahahaha....

When NOTHING "changed" after the Democratic Victories of 2006,
my wife & I DID "give up".

We sold everything, moved to The Woods, and planted a BIG garden.
Wall Street can live or die without our money or concern.
Our focus changed to local Humanitarian Issues,
and finding new ways to deny funding for the BIG Corporations, the WAR machine, AND their bought politicians.
Less is More.
Low Taxable income, low cost of living.
We buy almost nothing new or "packaged".
We build it ourselves or buy 2nd hand or salvage and make it work.
Its a process.
Next year, we will !CONSUME! even less.

So far, so good.