Letters to the Editor
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27 years of rightwing misery: we've had enough
From the torturer-loving Ronald Reagan, through the thoroughly corrupt and religiously insane GOP congressional class of 1994, and up to the torture-loving George W. Bush, America has been led by political fanatics and their soulless media puppets through a period of dark national shame. The comfortable were comforted, the oppressed were further oppressed, and what was once vice was considered virtue, and virtue vice.
We've had enough of this gang of creeps. It's too bad that J.K. Rowling already coined it, because "Death Eaters" is a perfect description of today's Republicans and conservatives in general. "Brownshirts" and "plutocrats" fit nicely, too.
The pendulum is swinging back, thankfully. That, or perhaps America is growing up. We're shedding our arrogance and finding humility. We might even, finally, become a good world neighbor instead of imperial bully.
The Presidential election of 2008 will let us know if we're making a U-turn towards national greatness, or continuing on our present dark path to ruin.
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Is a sea change in the national political mood enough?
RealName wrote (on the previous thread), "But instead actually getting up and doing something. Sitting and typing and backslapping one another is not in reality the same thing as getting out there. How do you think the RNC apparatus is so successful? By blogging? No by door to door grass roots work. By getting on the phone. But hey, if you think metacommenting on the metacomments of others, then that's great."
Blogging and commenting and metacommenting are a valuable way for contrarian and "dissenting" ideas to spread, virally. But I think RealName is quite correct in that efforts must also be made on a very local, grassroots level. It's not enough just to comment on a blog. One must be engaged in other ways.
Reading GG's blog & the comments makes me feel part of a likeminded community, and that does give me a sense of hope. (Also, for me it has been a great education.) But I look around my community in upstate NY. For the most part, entrenched right-wing anti-government idealogues dominate small town politics here. Those who do not believe in government... govern badly. To such a great extent that recently - despite strenuous, sustained and impassioned community activism - an enormous mega-development was rubberstamped - without being subjected to comprehensive environmental review, which would at least have generated some project impact mitigations. (I'm talking a HUGE development - 565,000 s.f. of big-box stores and other retail, on 130 acres, including wetlands.) Before long a huge amount of acreage in our beautiful countryside will be paved over. Despite global warming. Despite the fact that the WalMart Supercenter will hurt existing local businesses (its express intent). Despite the fact that local taxes will go up as the municipality provides services to the mall. Despite, despite, despite.
(I digress - but in the neocon worldview of course there's no need for a universal draft. The rich get richer. The poor get poorer. In small towns all over America, local farms and businesses are threatened, eroded, eliminated by the arms-race march of Walmart & Lowes. For impoverished youth, the choices will be ever more limited - a job at LowMart or Woes. The alternative? Enlisting to fight in the Permanent War.)
So, anyway, when I read GG and see Moyers, I feel some hope. But when I look around my local community, I also feel a little hopeless, in light of the recent community defeat (the totalitarian forces won). But I do sense that there are stirrings in the community, efforts to organize and speak up, efforts to work towards a vision, not just fight against a monster something. I'm trying on some level to get involved. I should do more, really I should. Talking myself into it, as I comment on this blog.
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It can happen if we make it happen
No one has said it so far, so I will. This political sea change is manifesting itself in the candidacy of Barack Obama. Many of us do not consider Obama as just another political candidate but as a unique change agent that has the potential to really shake things up. He represents the most compelling antidote to the corrosiveness of the Bush administration, divisive politics and beltway conventional wisdom. Though Obama has flaws, he is the best positioned to start with a clean slate and lead this movement.
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I hope too...
When DCLaw1 writes, we are much obliged and ought to heed attention, and quietly listen. He almost makes me begin to hate lawyer jokes.
I'm not yet exuberant, far from being out of the woods, scroungy, but, I too became less embittered when DCLaw1 'felt' that healthy emotion after the doc' Moyers spoke up. Got to love those principled law folk, yes.
I'm afraid after being sent to sea from the other site, and it seems like a epoch ago, the read about micro-marine-biologist--'stuff' about Frank Zappa. Ah Nonie, no. Che Pasta can be a good-danger. I'm trying to stop cussing, so after a read about the deep murky wine colored sea-- a 5th.
W.T.-- not rye...yet..too early. I want to be able to throw stones less crooked the next tomb I'm thinking at the public scroll. no 'scroll' 'TM' brand of chew tobaccy..too yucky. Chew Wrigley's spearmint gum and walk and march high those knees like a sole marching band idiot. Stupid. yes sir rhea...Let's perfect what it feels like to get slobbered sober and pretend we are in DC's White House as lunch guest, and honored...
...neo-state-men/lady...Look like drunk bums on the drums. no. remain very alert and sober as animated marching believers, not pinching out from a scroll tin can, but, in demand for some RealJustice. Yea. thanks...and remain non-caustic and look non-bitter like a wanna be demsrepubs neo-slaveholders. O, what 'Puck 4th-Prison's they are actually in...Stupid.
Why be made-up like a sad-clown with a scowl-pale-face...jelly fish? Huck to stinging politico. Bye by, bye, bye, bye, no buy a lie.
Dang Che Pasa. Good DCLaw1. I hope too... no go-let a hold-slip from always clinging to real hope... ever, ever, ever...never die. bye g-d, we are animated human, not automaton political salamander's, or a poll cat watcher's, and, if,if,if.if.if.if.if, you you ever heed what they mouth and dare wonder...What! 'um saying while chewing, it's ___.
It is not cute. It's slimey. A dog face lie. a dog (backward spell) chewing a bloody bone lie. Ever see a dog chew his/bloody lips and gums? Drip, drip, drip. That can caste a grey day in the east. It is a pretty Zappa silver light shed everywhere outside. It's an Alive feel. thanks