Reply #102: We ought not give up so easily. Just because it hasn't happened yet (the revolution)

[gtar100]

doesn't mean it won't. We have a lot of dead-weight to carry with us for now. Namely people who don't vote and those who continue to float through life with their only concern being their entertainment.

We are also a nation that is *very* spread out and action in one part of the country doesn't always resonate in another, yet this great spread of a country is lumped together as if it were equal to any European or Asian country. The wealthy have one thing on us that we never question - we are divided into 50 separate states and therefore more easily manipulated. They just need to focus media attention where it benefits them the most. They'll ignore the mass demonstrations in New York or Wisconsin by going so far away it's not even a peep. But they'll broadcast it out to "America" as if what they say is important to us all. Wall Street is bleeding us dry, yet that's a 3,000 mile trek from the west coast, not a partial day's drive to the capital as it is in almost every other country in the world. If things get too tough for the execs who leech off their workers, they can fly their private jets out to Idaho where they are isolated from the shit storms they cause so far, far away. They take advantage of these things which is why it is so hard for any one demonstration to make its mark anymore.

If they bankrupt this nation into a severe, long-term depression, the outcome of that is already written in history and their downfall is inevitable. But we have a choice ourselves to not wait for things to get so terribly bad. We have *got* to get people to vote, even if the miracle-maker isn't quite for real. Because if you pay any attention to politics, you know there is still a big difference between Democrats and Republicans. There are no sainthood medals forthcoming for either party but if you look at the votes coming out of congress, Democratic representatives and senators are still voting in large numbers for the things we care about, i.e., New Deal programs, environmental protection, education, affordable health care, etc. On the other side the aisle, god-all-mighty they vote like a bunch of lemmings for policies that are destroying our country and our communities...and blaming it on us!!

Liberals have not done a good job of promoting just how good and just liberal policies really are. Nothing is perfect, but if it's not clear to you that all that we fought for through the 1800's and 1900's is worth continuing to fight for, then you're just leaving it up to somebody else, maybe even another generation. The United States isn't going to change for the better through demonstrations alone. We need a fundamental change in our collective consciousness. But that shouldn't be so esoteric - it's you and me talking about this stuff, letting others know that it's important they vote and that the current state of the Republican party is as anti-American as it comes. What we can't afford is to stay silent in our own communities about our concerns and our values. Otherwise, we're letting fundamentalists and narrow-minded bigots just run the show. They are more than happy to, but if we don't put up a fight with them (and they can be brutally unpleasant to talk to), then we have only ourselves to blame. Our strength is in our numbers and by speaking out, we help resonate that strength with others who are of like mind.