Letters to the Editor
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fear of spying
What a load of crap! I'm so surprised! As usual, the architects of Democratic Defeat over the past 20 years cower in their booties while being unable to communicate a simple and effective message that a solid majority of
Americans agree with which is: no spying on innocent American citizens! Even if a majority did not agree today, it is extremely important to make loud and clear our opposition to such a major infringement on the rights of American citizens and such an extraordinary and illegal usurpation of power on the part of the executive branch. I've worked with our DC consultant corps and they are a bunch of careerist chickens. They don't understand regular people and they have been responsible for blowing almost all of the Presidential and Congressional elections of the past 20 years. To hell with them! The reason the negative sterotype of weak Democrats exists is because of this lilly-livered, wimpy, cowardly kind of approach. If Democrats had backbone they would stomp the Republicans every time. That was what swift boating Kerry was all about, that's what it is always about: putting the chickenhearts on display. Our DC consultant corps is willing every time to dance to the GOP tune because they have no clue how to dominate and control the debate or even how to frame an issue: any issue. To hell with em!
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Sit down all you Neville Chamberlains
I'm not sure where the harshest criticism is going to be targeted in the history books that review these years: George W. Bush or the Democrats that appeased him. As I watch history unfold in this apathetic nation, my outrage turns into grief over the death of a republic. And guess who I blame the most?
A republic can't survive if it has no opposition party to an aspiring despot and its citizens don't care.
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NSA Spying
There was a country in which spying on citizens to "protect the state" was more important than preserving the civil rights of the citizens. This was such a phenomenally bad idea that the country no longer exists. (Hint: It's capitol was Moscow).
The Democrats should make preservation of our democracy the main theme of the next election campaign. The country is in danger of becoming a corrupt totalitarian state in which corporations and their political lap-dogs rule the citizens with an iron fist.
Dear Democrats: Grow a spine and fight for this beloved country!
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Am I Just Kidding Myself?
Your Honor, I object.
This is silly hand-wringing on the part of the Democrats, and a huge miscalculation on the part of the American public if they believe, respectively, that the wiretapping issue will make the Democrats look weak on the war on terror, and if the public believes, well they won't get spied on because no one in this country would sympathize with terrorists. These are baseless and naive arguments. The truth is, this is a perfect time for Democrats and progressives to say this is precisely what corruption in this administration is leading us to: warrantless spying, influence peddling, ideologues on the courts who have a partisan agenda, not to mention an uneven economy, tax cuts for the rich and a hollowed out health care system. And if that weren't enough, now we have another ominous transmission from he who must not be named.
We are not safe with this administration in power, is what Democrats ought to be saying. We are much safer when we respect the rule of law. The truth is that there are people in this country that sympathize with those trying to hurt us. Their activities should be monitored. But you don't circumvent the law to do it. We are much safer when we co-operate with our partners around the world. We are much safer when we work together to end our dependency on Mideast Oil. The events and revelations of the past few weeks only underscore that. Are we really so jaded as to believe that the truth won't come out? It's coming out as we speak. Who didn't think we wouldn't hear from the bad guys again? All this madness and going off half-cocked has only shown that we botched our response in this whole affair. We're running scared, killing people in Iraq who have nothing to do with this, and the people who actually hurt us are laughing.
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Representative government
Pew found that 46 percent of the electorate worry that the government "has not gone far enough" in fighting terrorism, while only 33 percent said that the government "has gone too far in restricting civil liberties."
Wow. 46 percent cowards, 33 percent patriots. I think it's about time for Democrats to start calling them cowards. Republicans certainly don't hesitate to call us cowards - when we oppose an illegal war, for example.
Here's the thing about polls: it would be easy for the Democratic party to win by doing what the polls say to do. All they would have to do is become clones of the Republicans. But that's rather defeating the purpose. At some point, we have to start doing what's right, not simply what's expedient, and having faith in Americans. If the majority of Americans really are a puddle of stinky wet socks, no power on earth can get them a decent representative government.
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Fear of Spying (by Walter Shapiro, 1/20/06)
It is beyond belief that Dems would even consider acquiescing to consultants on the issue of domestic spying. Do they think Bush's illegal spying is utilized only against those suspected of being terrorists? HELL-o! Watergate! Why would you believe anything this administration says anyway, since what we do know is that it is secretive, paranoid, and vindictive. Based on those attributes alone, Dems should shout loudly and often against this abuse of power! Surely the administration already uses the warrantless wiretaps (and probably other illegal tools) to spy on ALL of their opponents and critics. That would explain why the administration's response to criticisms shows up so quickly in the media - sometimes even before I've read what the criticism is! If the Dems let this issue die a quiet death, we all lose.
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How about some leadership?
How about convicing the public that their civil liberties matter?
THis is not looking good. I'm going to choose to blame Clinton.
I can't get that picture out of my mind of Clinton all buddy buddy with Trent Lott when he signed that non-binding House resolution to ban all scientific research into the medicinal uses of marijuana.
That was such an idiotic, regressive and downright bitchy piece of anti-science legislation, and the Democrats were right there, licking conservative boots, heping them along in their relentless manipuation of public fear.
Because they didn't want to appear weak on drugs.
It's always the same thing with the Democrats.
We're afraid to look weak, so we're going to refuse to be strong.