An open letter to DU: I am to blame for the state of the Union.

[Selwynn]

Dear beloved members of Democratic Undeground,

I am to blame for the state of the Union. I'll try to explain:

Another thread mentioned the new rules concerning overtime that could rob up to 8 million Americans of Overtime Pay. The question was asked: why is this not a top story?

Here's the answer:

Because we don't care. Oh sure, in our Rhetoric we care – rhetoric which really only serves some kind of cathartic purpose that changes nothing. We care just enough to write posts about it and make ourselves feel a little better about ourselves. But this affects potentially 8 million people, right? You know how many protests, marches and demonstrations I saw over the issue? Zero. How much public activism was there over the issue? Next to none.

Why should “anyone” – namely lawmakers – care if the people don't? Just a question. The people who this law affects don't really seem to care. It's a well known obvious truism that the government (even a good government) will basically get away with whatever it can, unless the public, forcefully, emphatically said no.

If Bush knew that this issue would cost him the election - it wouldn't be approved. But he knows no one cares really - other than a few "left wing" blow hard couch commandos who like to post a lot of rhetoric with no real action.

For those of you who have the fur on your backs standing up from these statement - you should know I write this for me as much as anyone else. In fact, I’m writing primary in chastisement of myself, though I believe this shame chastisement could apply to many. We have got to find better ways to mobilize, organize and stand together. Just complaining about how crappy everything is on these boards does absolutely nothing. Every time a horrible law gets passed, and we haven't done anything to stop it WE SHARE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT

This truth is starting to really hit home with me. I live in one of the most conservative states in the union, and yet I'm trying to figure out ways to put my feet, my time, my money, my energy and my action where my big fat mouth is. I'm sick of feeling morally superior because I can make posts on a "liberal" board and complain about how bad things are, as if it isn't my fault that things are as bad as they are.

It is my fault things are as bad as they are. Do you know what I did for the 2000 election? I punched a hole in a ballot in Idaho for Gore. That's it. I didn't devote any time, any money, I didn't volunteer. I just patted myself on the back for casting a vote for Gore in Idaho, where it didn't matter anyway. Do you know what I did when the Patriot Act was going through congress? I complained about it to people like you. That's all. You know what I did when Bush started backing out of treaties? I complained about it to myself and the shmoes around me. Know what I've done about the Medicare bill in congress? I've allowed myself to feel like I'm such a great, responsible and active patriot because I read a lot of credible news sources and stay informed on the issues. What did I do? Nothing really.

I am to blame of the state of the Union. Why? Because I am a big fat blow hard who talks a big tough talk and who hasn’t done jack crap to make a difference. I've let myself feel good by making Bush a scapegoat. I've allowed myself to feel better about myself and the nation and appease my guilt by shifting all responsibility for the horrible state of things to Bush and company. And to be sure, they are a rotten and contemptible group of folks. However, the fact remains: they're only powerful because I've allowed them to have power. And now they have so much power that the task of undoing that disaster seems nearly impossible.

Why am I being so hard on myself? Why I am so comfortable in pointing out how I have personally contributed to the state of the nation? Because a great many of the 33,000+ members of the Democratic Underground are in EXACTLY the same place I am.

I most certainly am to blame. But to some extent, all we who find ourselves in the same place of rhetoric without action are to blame. And I am sick and tire of making excuses. Oh, it’s those horrible Bushites, oh its the DNC's fault with its poor leadership, oh its Congresses fault, oh it’s everyone else's fault. It is out fault. How do we expect anything to ever be any different unless we begin to take real action. We need to discover real ways to organize.

I don't pretend to have all the answers, only desire and ideas. Perhaps we should start by establishing/election leaders in each of the fifty states to coordinate news and activism locally, then we should report than into a central council or committee to organize letter writing campaigns, publish leaflets, go door to door, hold ralleys, create fundraising events, lobby congress, set up accounts for group donations to the right kinds of organizations - the ACLU, PFAW, and so on. When the Democratic Party selects its nominee we should make headlines as the most powerful grassroots organization that sprang from nowhere to campaign for the next president of the United States, we should have fund raising drives for candidates, and coordinate events, and on and on. I know that for me, for the first time in my young life, I will be budgeting out a way to make as many campaign contributions as I possibly can, with the small amount of money that I have.

We should have an action team that doesn't just post stories about how bad everything is, but who organizes action to oppose bad legislation, protest against injustice and make our voices heard. And most importantly, above all else, we should get this message out, and continually evangelize the nation to the fact that if they're not involved then they're to blame for what's wrong.

We ought to swear a solemn oath right here and right now: I solemnly swear to never again complain about an issue that I'm not ready to fight for. I swear never again to look around everywhere else for a scapegoat and avoid the fact that my own lackadaisical attitude and pathological commitment to inaction and passivity are a bigger problem than whoever happens to currently be in administrative office. I swear to fight against hypocrisy in my own life by not saying with my lips things I am not ready or willing to do in action. For this point forward, I assume responsibility for the state of the country, and right now I'm not doing a very good job. But I intend to rectify these failings in the future.

I'm done blaming Bush for the country, though I'll continue to oppose his every breath. I blame me for the state of the country, and quite frankly I blame you for the state of the country, for with out the passivity and inaction of big blowhards like me, we would not be in this mess of a place. And I intend to stop being derelict with my duty to defend the ideals of compassionate social justice and equality that I hold so dear to my heart.

EDIT - removed profanity per rules for first post.

[Selwynn]

1. If I missed a profanity edit, just PM me.

I wasn't meaning to deliberately break the rules - I forgot about them.

[Booberdawg]

2. Excellent rant Selwynn

I've been feeling some of that same "shouldn't I be getting into more action rather than bitching about it with like minds on a message board" for some time.

In my case, I feel I still need to be a lot better informed before I can take larger steps, and so I've taken up a lot of reading lately related to politics. To make a long story short, I started out with 8 books, read them and ordered 12 more. I took a break but now have to get back to the other 12.

Then on to the next step, then the next step, .....

Thanks for the kick in the pants. :hi:

[Selwynn]

3. Ooh can you list the books? Maybe we can share resources!

I do fully agree that being informed is the necessary first step.

[Booberdawg]

5. Yes! Coming right up!

I've read the first several on this list and just I'm just now getting to The Clinton Wars.


Big Lies: The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How It Distorts the Truth Joe Conason

Bushwhacked: Life in George W. Bush's America Molly Ivins

The Best Democracy Money Can Buy: The Truth About Corporate Cons, Globalization and High-Finance Fraudsters Greg Palast

What Liberal Media? The Truth About Bias and the News Eric Alterman

Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right Al Franken

Thieves in High Places: They've Stolen Our Country--And Its Time to Take It Back Jim Hightower

We're Right, They're Wrong: A Handbook for Spirited Progressives James Carville

The Bush Dyslexicon: Observations on a National Disorder
By: Mark Crispin Miller

The Clinton Wars
By: Sidney Blumenthal

Buck Up, Suck Up . . . and Come Back When You Foul Up : 12 Winning Secrets from the War Room
By: James Carville , Paul Begala

Dude, Where's My Country?
By: Michael Moore

The Radical Center: The Future of American Politics
By: Ted Halstead, Michael Lind

Stupid White Men ...and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation!
By: Michael Moore

The Greatest Sedition Is Silence: Four Years in America
By: William Rivers Pitt

The Lies of George W. Bush: Mastering the Politics of Deception
By: David Corn

It's Still the Economy, Stupid : George W. Bush, The GOP's CEO
By: Paul Begala

The Great Unraveling: Losing Our Way in the New Century
By: Paul Krugman

Shrub : The Short but Happy Political Life of George W. Bush
By: Molly Ivins, Lou Dubose

Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative By: David Brock

The Hunting of the President: The Ten-Year Campaign to Destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton by Joe Conason, Gene Lyons

[Selwynn]

18. We have a lot of books in common - here's a couple others:

Understanding Power - Noam Chomsky (I consider this indespensible reading, because I believe it does precisely what the title suggests: help up understand power.)

Declarations of Independance: Cross Examining America's Ideologies - Howard Zinn ( I REALLY liked this book!)

I need to get The Clinton Wars. I'd really like to read that.

[Booberdawg]

22. I have a few on my wish list to order later - I'll just added those

Thanks. :thumbsup:

[Booberdawg]

20. Okay, now I have to put my money where my mouth is

and get away from this PC and crack the book NOW. ;)

[darkstar]

4. powerful, self-examinig

:kick:

Thanks for that.

[calimary]

9. Here's a start: 1 (800) 839 - 5276. TOLL FREE Capitol Hill switchboard.

Call it first thing Monday morning and ask to be transfered to anybody's office in the House and/or Senate.

GET ACTIVE!! Call the Washington number, and then go to www.congress.org to find the LOCAL numbers (plus emails, fax numbers and snailmail addresses) and call them, too!

EVERY time you see a petition, sign it and forward it to friends. EVERY time you have a chance to give even the tiniest amount - FIVE DOLLARS or even ONE OR TWO DOLLARS to your favorite campaign, or the Democratic Party, do it.
EVERY time you have a chance to voice your feelings, DO IT. Consult takebackthemedia.com for media email addresses and other info.

Here's another really good one:
EVERY time you see somebody here posting a link to some columnist in some newspaper, check out that column. Or an article in a newsweekly or some such by a reporter, or an editorial by an editorial writer or editorial board. Note the email address for the writer. SEND A NOTE TO THAT WRITER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Email them your comments!!! In the subject line, particularly if you liked what was said, BANNER it appropriately - as in - some TRUE fan mail or GREAT ARTICLE!!! or some such language.

Reason is, these people get lots of feedback. If they see something positive in the subject line, they're apt to look at it because it appeals to their ego - they can expect a compliment (and if they've earned it, so much the better). They will ALWAYS check out such an email. Furthermore, you are very likely to get a response! I know this because I've done it numerous times, and I DO INDEEd get responses.

WHEN you write them, try to put in a very succinct buzz phrase or one-liner - about "bush lied, people died," or refer to yourself as a member of "The Silenced Majority" or something else clever and memorable, AND potentially quotable. I got comments back from one Canadian reporter who specifically singled out my use of the phrase "The Silenced Majority" as being noteworthy and a good line. Hopefully that also means she may use it in print someday!

YOU CAN PLANT SEEDS THIS WAY!!!!!!!!!!!

Another good buzzphrase to start circulating thusly - always refer to the enemy as "republi-CONS." Or "republi-CON-ARTISTS." And what they're up to as "republi-CON-JOBS." If they're male, they're "republi-CON-MEN." Get the idea? A good seed to plant. It starts people thinking, it's quick, memorable, and it is more likely to sink in, and hopefully, get repeated!

And that is what we need!

YOU MUST DO THIS!!!!! I know it takes time and energy, and it seems like just a tiny pebble thrown against a huge, monolithic enemy. But a little pebble worked for David when he had to face Goliath, too.

You MUST DO THIS!!!!!!!!! AND YOU MUST GIVE UP WHEN IT APPEARS NOT TO HAVE HAD ANY EFFECT!!!!!!!!! YOU NEVER KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!

When I first started calling around, making generous use of that TOLL FREE number, I repeated the meme "bush lied, people died." And you'd be surprised at the number of Democratic staffers in various House and Senate office who commented - favorably - on that. A bit annoying how many of them also said they had not heard that before, and that "gee, that's a GOOD one!" So now they have, and hopefully, it'll get USED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It'll start spreading if more people start doing stuff like this!!!!! You MUST NOT LOSE HEART! That's what the enemy is counting on. And they ARE the enemy. They are NOT our friends. To try and make nice-nice with them only serves them to make us easier push-overs. It DOES NOT WORK!!! FIGHTING BACK, on the other hand, DOES!!!

[Booberdawg]

12. Thanks for the tips

I do some of this now, including a few sites that are on my regular reading list. Moveon.org is another one I signed on with.

Bookmarking this thread nevertheless. :thumbsup:

[Kanary]

13. Thanks for the organized push, calimary!

Only one teeensy suggestion...

Rather than waiting until Monday, pleeeeeez call the number NOW and tell your Senators to Vote AGAINST that @(%)#$@#$ Medicare bill. It's up now, and Monday may be too late.

I called a little while ago, got Kennedy's office, and requested he fillibuster that danged bill. Only takes literally seconds....may make one big difference.

Now, I'm off to write a thank you to a columnist who has been deserving of it...

Thanks again,

Kanary

[Selwynn]

15. Great and hear hear! :D

[Kanary]

17. I also used Capitol switchboard - 1-800-648-3516

Got through fine...

[theorist]

6. I'm with you.

You're more than right. We've got some work to do...

[Kanary]

7. You made my Saturday!

Yes, yes and YES!!!

You're right... it's soooo satisfying to be able to complain about stuff, and know you're in the right. But, taking action...?

My problem is.... I'm a child of the 60's.... we were on the "front lines".... we *did* take action. So, I find it very difficult now to NOT see people making an issue of these things, and not doing something about them. But, one can't stand on a street corner with a sign all alone, time after time. This is one of those things that is done in COMMUNITY. Are we yet ready to form COMMUNITY?

I will say one other thing about working for issues...... it's time to get beyond the thinking of "Does this affect *me*?" That's how we are divided and conquered. We all have to do what the politicians do, and scratch each other's backs. We have to see that we are all in this together. I stopped worrying about farmers problems, and the problem with overtime being defeated, etc., because for so many years, none of those people were at all concerned about what was happening to me, and how cuts were affecting me. You can only care for others with no return for so long, before burnout rears it's ugly head.

This is where Dems have fallen down... it's time to energize everyone to see that what happens to one happens to us all. We have to be concerned about our neighbor as much as about ourselves.

Kanary

[artr2]

8. It sounds like you want to start a political party

Which in itself is not a bad idea. My idea would be to take back the Democratic party. In the county that I live in a bunch of us got together and started working on the party. We are changing it from a fiefdom of fatheaded ego trippers into an organization that elects democrats and works together to accomplish these goals. The party structure already exists, you and like minded LIBERAL people should take it back

[Tinoire]

10. Glad to have you as a fellow Democrat Selwynn

That was excellent... So spot on! Thanks

May we do this one differently and I think we are.

Peace

[SharonAnn]

11. Thank you, thank you! May I forward your words to my list?

I was just putting together my notes from our Thursday Democratic Party Executive Committee meeting and reviewing them I noticed that my notes showed that people complained about a lot of things but only one person (besides me) committed to actually DO something!

So, I realized that I want to find a way to communicate to them that it's not enough to come to a meeting once a month, complain, and then go home. We were talking about voter registration, getting new voters registered, and the old guard just sat there. Not one offered a suggestion, offered their time, or even seemed interested. One man said he'd work with me and walk the subsidized housing area and get voters registered. That's it! One!

(Shaking my head) I just don't get it. They think their job is to just maintain the status quo and complain about how Democrats don't get a fair chance.

Anyway, thanks for your eloquent writing.

[Selwynn]

14. Sure. I going to try hard to live up to my desires stated here...

[Kanary]

21. Getting the jump on your New Year's resolutions? ^_^

Thanks again!

Kanary

[Classical_Liberal]

16. They don't cover this in the news to the laws are almost passed

There is never much time to organize anything.

[Selwynn]

19. WE knew about it long, long ago...

[spooky3]

24. I'm not making an excuse but simply adding to your comments....

the media's descriptions of the legal changes under consideration are simply incomprehensible even to those of us who know something about it. It should not be hard to explain to the American people, with some boxes and diagrams with examples, what these changes mean. :-(

This doesn't negate anything you have said, but is just another example of how the media have also contributed to the "apathy" by not clearly informing John and Jane Q. Public.

[tom_paine]

23. You're right, Selwynn, we are all to blame...

Many of us dozed through the 90s, assured that everything was fine.

Even during the Attempted Coup of 1998, which so reminded me of an episode of "I, Claudius", I did nothing.

We, all of us, slept our way through the beginning of the end. No excuse for it. We all fell for the illusion.

I still remember talking with wingnut co-worker in October 2000, and sort of agreeing, "Yes, the media is sort of liberal."

What a blind fool I was. What fools we all were. There are very few who can make the legitimate claim that they understood the dark hand of Goebbels v2.0 and the rise of the Imperial Family prior to January 2001, when it was laughingly shoved in our faces by those who knew it was a 100-yard dash, they were standing on the 80-yard mark and we were still poised on the starting blocks.

And I agree, Selwynn, that the only thing to do is to take action as you describe and more. Use your magination, like the freeway blogger. Write on money, do eevrything. Volunteer and work...donate, battle as if your very life depends on it because, let's not kid ourselves, if Lame-Duck Fuhrer* arises in 2005, anything...your most horrific nightmares...is possible.

And if not, then why the PATRIOT Act and it's add-ons being snuck through? To protect us from terrorists? (insert the bitter laugh of the Soviet Citizen, circa 1980)

To the Busheviks, we ARE the terrorists...simply because we believe in liberty and won't march lockstep with them to their perceived Imperial Destiny. And Goebbels v2.0 ensures them plenty of people who will staff the Gulags, if that the direction their Bushevik masters want them to go.

What else can I say but well said, Selwynn.

:toast: :toast:

[Selwynn]

25. Well said... My post shouldn't be seen as anti-us....

...I just feel bad at how asleep I've been, how asleep we've been.

I'm twenty-six, and in my life this is really the first time I've truly awakened to the realization that the country is MY responsibility - not other people's responsibility. I'm not a "kid" anymore. I'm an adult and what happens is my responsibility...

I'm just trying to get used to this truth.

[Kanary]

26. It's not "Them", it's "Us"

This last post of yours really put it into perspective.

It was the Vietnam war that woke up my generation. I still remember the pain and confusion and sense of betrayal. So, I empathize with you, and cheer you on for your "awakening". I hope you infect the rest of your generation with this "awakening"!

Thanks again.... I appreciate your words even more, now.

Kanary

[Booberdawg]

27. You seem to have your eyes open further than

most other 26 year olds I've ever known. I would have sworn from your past posts you were a lot older. ;-)

[Selwynn]

30. You just caught me on a good day...

Believe me, in my not so proud moments on DU I've sounded much more juvenille.

I'm encouraged by the response to the thread so far. I realize that sounds kind of pretentious, but what I mean by that is that it reminds me that (forgive the cliche) there is more than unites DUers than divdes us.

[foreigncorrespondent]

28. Selwynn, excellent post.

I would love to help, I really would. But I am afraid that as a foreigner my voice doesn't carry any weight.

I have done a bit of activism where I can in regards to getting the Permanent Partners Immigration Act passed, because that is an issue which affects my every day way of life.

I do talk to American friends about politics over there and try to teach those who either don't vote or who just vote for the sake of voting, without actually doing any ground work to know the person they are voting for in the first place.

I also write articles and get them placed on Web sites hoping that just one person will read what I am saying and realize there is some truth to my words and go on to research what I only touched on in articles. (A recent article I wrote was concerning the religious right and the LGBT community. I talked about Christian Reconstructionism and the Center for National Policy, just so I could plant seeds about these two subjects.)

But, I can't write to your politicians. I am not an American, and as such my letters don't carry any weight, so apart from what I am doing, I don't know what else I can do, do you have any ideas?

People look at me and and say why are you so concerned with the state of the U.S. I always answer, if we don't come together as people and stand up for what is right, then what is happening over there will happen here and in every other corner of the globe.

[PaDUer]

29. Thank You..

eom

[LeahMira]

31. You are right!

We should have an action team that doesn't just post stories about how bad everything is, but who organizes action to oppose bad legislation, protest against injustice and make our voices heard.

This is a great idea, and there is already plenty of information on the web about the most effective ways to write letters, make phone calls, etc. Maybe someone would like to organize a "Best of the Web" sort of list of these.

There are also links that exist between and among various human rights groups. Word of the protest marches that ANSWER organized was spread first on the internet. Michael Moore has on his website links to sites like Buzzflash where people can get good information... and of course there's Truthout which I wish he would list!

There does need to be some way of reaching people who aren't on the internet and/or who don't have access to computers. I'd think these are the people who are low income, maybe working two or three jobs just to make ends meet, etc., and they are the ones who have the most to lose right now because they are struggling just to hang on (while we can always sell the computer if we're really strapped!) I guess I really don't quite know how you do that unless you post notices on telephone poles.

There also needs to be some sort of rapid response network that can get hundreds of people to one place at any given time. There's something going on with what they are calling "thumb warriors" where people get a message to show up at a certain time and do some sort of crazy thing and then they disperse. Can we use this technology?


And most importantly, above all else, we should get this message out, and continually evangelize the nation to the fact that if they're not involved then they're to blame for what's wrong.

I totally agree that complaining to one another has its purpose, but unless that complaining is directed into action it's just complaining. Still, most folks need direction and organization, because although they may be upset about things they are not sure what they can do about it.

The lady who cleans our office, for instance, has a hard time reading and writing, and she gets flustered even when she has to make a phone call to her kids' school. But, sometimes we talk about politics and if I can show her a letter on the MoveOn site or the TrueMajority site, etc. that she can just put in her name and address, she will send it... and she feels good about doing that.

So, please don't be too hard on people you think aren't involved. Sometimes they don't know how to get involved.

[Booberdawg]

32. I think your open letter deserves another look

:kick:

[Booberdawg]

33. kick