has america jumped the shark?

[unblock]

for the shrubbies, political offices are just pieces in a larger political game of amassing power.
the rules they play by are the rules of power. if they can do something, then it's permitted. the rules are whatever they can get away with.

laws and courts are just pawns in the process. laws aren't the rules. that's a quaint view of what america once was. if they can put a democrat in jail for something, then that something is against the rules. if a republican can get away with doing the exact same thing, then that's also part of the rules.

to understand what's really going on, you have to look at the power structure. while these banana republicans have power, 'laws' are meaningless, except to keep opposition down.

once we understand this, then we see what's really going on. our institutions are being so corrupted as to say that america has jumped the shark. it's obsolete. it's all a banana republican power lock. they retain only the veneer of the venerable institutions to feign the legitimacy that keeps people from revolting.

republicans are beyond the law and know they can get away with it provided they make the right donation.
courts have been diminished to simple political voting offices -- the intellectual rationales for legal decisions are no meaningless; 5-4 republican vs. democrat is the norm now, there's no justice in that, just power.


if we want america back, if we want to give our institutions the meaening they once had, we must first figure out a way to fight the power the banana republicans hold. and we must learn their rules. we cannot be constrained by the quaint rules that no longer apply to them, unless and until we can enforce those rules on them.

[Birthmark]

1. Yup.

We actually jumped the shark during (because of) Reagan's Administration. Most people didn't notice until the downward trajectory started to be a bit more obvious.

[Tesha]

10. We passed over the dorsal fin on December 12th, 2000. (NT)

[BlueEyedSon]

2. kick, voted

[PurgedVoter]

4. Democracy means never jumping the shark!

Oh, wait a minute, I forgot entirely that the last two elections were obviously rigged. Yeah, I think we may have jumped the shark.
Still if we are really great actors, maybe, there can be a reunion show later. Heck the plot may even be about shark hunting.

[KansDem]

17. Yeah! The "United States of America Reunion Show!"

maybe, there can be a reunion show later

Film in front of a live audience, of course.

[Ravenseye]

3. I don't think so

I think America is in a mid-season doldrums and we need some new writers. Last episode was entirely disheartening, and this current one seems to be another turd. The two before that though were actually some of the best in the series so far. I think if we get a new writing staff in for the next episode we won't look at this as a jump the shark moment, but just a blip on the radar.

IF they keep the same writers though, and we have another bad episode, or two, then I might just have to agree with you that America has jumped the shark.

[ixion]

5. yeah, and the cast is truly as bad as "That's My Bush"

and the writing, too.

Goodness knows there was plenty of material to work with. :freak:

[kenny blankenship]

6. If Thomas Jefferson were alive he'd answer your questions

but no one would hear him.

[unblock]

7. yeah, they'd run that liberal traitor out of town on a rail!

way too friendly with the french!

[Ravenseye]

11. Would they not hear him because....

...he'd be six feet underground in a casket screaming "LET ME OUT! I'M NOT DEAD! HELP!"

[Al-CIAda]

16. Thomas Jefferson would be hauled off to gitmo. n/t

[Junkdrawer]

8. They have discovered the two or three key vulnerabilities of democracy:

All the institutions of democracy have rules and discretion. Discretion is necessary as rules can never anticipate all contingencies.

Now, abuse of this discretion is supposed to be monitored by an informed electorate - informed by a free press. Thus the key vulnerabilities can be exploited if:

1.) The press is compromised

2.) The electoral processes are compromised

and, ideally for them 3.) The opposition party is compromised

Sadly, I have long since come to the conclusion that all three have occurred.

At this point in time, I think our best option is to use their use of "feigning legitimacy" to build viable alternatives. That is why I support the formation of an alternative media.

[wli]

9. that's pretty much the size of it

Indira Singh knows what's coming, but won't say it openly.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

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

[justinsb]

13. Yes, this is pretty much a last moment in the spotlight

a final curtain call if you will, paid for with money borrowed from China, but the sooner Americans realize this and start adjusting to the new reality, the better off they'll be in the long run. Rome was not built in a day, and didn't collapse in a day but the stubborn denial of Romans lead to what you see in Italy today.

[KharmaTrain]

14. We Have To Find Common Cause..

Problem with many of us are we hold our principles so dearly or are so loaded with angst and frustration, we find more fights within our own ranks than we do in fighting the real enemies to our nation's best interests. We can agree on 90% of things, but that 10% turns our own sharks upon each other.

I'd say Repugnicans have jumped many sharks in the past decade...the last being their sliming of Joe Wilson & Val Plame which I'm certain will lead to the demonizing of Pat Fitzgerald. With each hypocrisy, each new living lie, they have distanced themselves further and further from reality. However, I think they've jumped one time too many...the bills they've piled up in their wreckless power grabs are about to come due.

There's a growing sense that our very Constitution is being attacked, and if there's any form of conspiracy or obstruction charges coming from the Fitzgerald investigation, we could start looking at new assaults and tests on that very document. I saw this with Watergate and with the Clinton Inquisition...and both times the Constitution and the vast majority of us who believe in it have prevailed.

Sadly Democrats are in a weak position and our options are very limited. Too many are playing 2008 games that have no relevence since if Democrats lose more seats in 2006, we risk facing a veto proof House and/or Senate. Even a fillibuster then would be useless.

The focus has to change to what it will take to put the Repugnicans in a minority status in as many places as quickly as possible. This means supporting the candidates that best can win elections and reduce the power of a DeLay or Frist and send a chilling message to Bunnypants and all others (including some Democrats) that the winds of change are blowing and they better come along, or get out of the way.

Peace...

[applegrove]

15. Terrifying. But Americans are getting wiser and seeing the pattern

of propaganda not based on fact.