I see a lot of text here on what should be done, but little to none on -how- to do it

[jpgray]

To take an example I've banged on about for a long time (too long), impeachment. -Everybody- here agrees Cheney and Bush deserve impeachment. Half or more of his administration is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors by any definition you'd care to name. -Everybody- here thinks that. So why is there so much contention when people criticize (or defend) the Democrats for not holding the administration accountable?

I think it boils down to people disagreeing about -why- the Democrats have failed in this regard. There are simplistic explanations galore, such as basic complicity, cowardice, incompetence, corruption, etc. There are more complex explanations that outline the obstacles and risks inherent in launching the total legislative war that is needed to truly defeat a stubborn and intractable administration and their almost wholly lockstep congressional delegation. And here I think is where all the hostility and lack of understanding or consideration comes in.

Without for the moment considering which side is "right," this much is immediately obvious:

To someone who adheres to the simpler explanations for the lack of action, the Democrats are contemptible and wrong in a absolute sense. To these folks, those who defend Pelosi or Reid for their inaction are exasperating. Instead of considering that those defenders might see the causes for the behavior differently, these people can't help but think the defenders don't care about the crimes of the administration or the Constitution. It seems to them that the defenders are confused about the basic meaning of the Constitution and the oath of office.

To someone who adheres to the more complex explanations for the lack of action, the Democratic behavior is frustrating but understandable. To these folks, those who call for Pelosi's immediate removal for her failure to impeach are -equally- exasperating. Instead of considering that attackers of the leadership see the causes for their behavior differently, these people are convinced the attackers are totally ignorant about Congressional deal-making, or the impotence of a tiny disunited majority when a united minority is allied to the criminal administration. It seems to them that the attackers don't know a thing about the basic political realities the leadership is faced with.

So we argue in circles. Nobody talks about the crux of the dilemma. We agree on what's wrong--this administration is not being held accountable. We don't agree on the cause--what is making our majority so ineffective? Arguing about -this- is slightly more productive.

But the most productive discussion would be on -fixing- or otherwise responding to the causes, -whatever- you believe they are. So you believe the leadership's complicity/corrupt/etc. is the problem? Fine. What can realistically be done, given that? So you believe the obstacles endemic to our tiny, disunited majority are the problem? Fine. What can realistically be done, given that?

I'd like to see people indicate what they believe is the cause of our ineffective opposition. And I'd like to hear ideas on how to fix the problem. Why is there so little reasonable discussion of that here? To me variable descriptions of the problem and facile blame-assignment is mostly worthless--everybody can see the problem. The heart of the issue is identifying the cause of the problem, and how a potential response could be carried out.

Agree? Disagree?

[Tuesday Afternoon]

1. .

[Blashyrkh]

6. Grey exists you know. So does Switzerland.

Way to buy into the "with us or against us" mentality.

Automatically casting anyone who doesn't agree with you as "the problem" *IS* the fucking problem.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

9. You totally misunderstood what I was saying.

Thanks for the negative vibes.

[Blashyrkh]

10. Not many ways to understand such a black and white statement.

What did I totally misunderstand?

And you've redacted the historical record to leave my post out of context. Subtle.

And you're welcome.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

11. I am saying that we need some viable solutions to be presented

in a positive manner. If we don't come together to find solutions, then what are we doing? The statement while on the surface was black and white. If you really think about it, ran the gamut of all shades of grey.

[Blashyrkh]

12. I don't know, what *are* we doing?

I for one, am just enjoying the entertainment provided.

I take a small consolation from knowing that at some point, somewhere down the timeline of our meagre species, we will learn the true nature of existence. We'll see ourselves for what we truly are and we will all know true freedom.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

13. cool

peace out.

[crispini]

2. k & r

:kick:

[BuyingThyme]

3. This IS what we "do" in a democracy.

Pelosi bad? Stone Pelosi.

That's how we "do" it.

[mmonk]

4. If I had that knowledge or ability, I might be in line for the Nobel

Peace Prize. Systems are currently broken. The only thing I can think of is continue to voice my feelings to representatives and raise hell. I don't have a golden parachute job for them when they leave office so it's the best I can do.

[slipslidingaway]

5. Great post, my belief is that our ineffective opposition is due,

in large part, to the fact that our votes are almost guaranteed. Putting aside election fraud, it still is one of the most powerful expressions of approval or disapproval.

:shrug:

K&R

[mike_c]

7. damn, you had to post this excellent invitation just when...

...I was about to go run some errands! I'll be necessarily brief.

I am generally in the former group, the one that believes congressional dems are complicit-- and I believe that more strongly each day. I won't review the arguments here, but I will say that I think they are REALLY complicit, as in complicit with most of the basic objectives of the neocon agenda-- not just enabling the criminal misadministration to stay in office, but actively seeking many of the same goals, especially with respect to foreign policy.

OK, what to do? Ultimately, I think the best solution is the destruction of numerous political careers-- removing the complicit individuals from office and replacing them with liberals who are not ashamed to represent the left wing of the party. That will be up to the voters in each congress critter's constituency, but nationally we need to build a movement for truly liberal change in government-- that movement is necessary to galvanize widespread change in the democratic party, just like Dean's fifty state program galvanized voters in 2006.

We also need to work to break the stranglehold of the two-party system on American politics. It has done far more damage to American governance than good, at least during my lifetime. It's either polarized and gridlocked, or the two parties collude to preserve their own power. I want real, POWERFUL alternatives to corporate republicrats.

Until congressional dems perceive some genuine risk to their power base, they will continue to enable the neocons because both parties OF POLITICIANS ultimately benefit when the neocons get their way-- the threat to complacency must come from the grassroots.

[MannyGoldstein]

8. The "We Suck Less, Who Else Ya Gonna Vote For, Assholes?!" Strategy

The Congressional Democrats have embraced triangulation en mass. They simply sit *slightly* to the left of the Republicans, and don't get into any controversial disagreements. They know that we Democrats *have* to vote for them, and by moving pretty far to the right, they can grab the middle as well.

They feel no compelling need to impeach - their first priority is to stay in office. Actual *governance* is pretty far down on their to-do list, between "pick up Crest WhiteStrips" and "look into gutter cleaning services".

[stillcool]

14. I think the problem is..

that the problem is too big. I have no solution. Sometimes I wonder if all forms of government reach this place...just by the nature of human beings. It does seem to have been a long time coming, but I was...probably still am... one of those lazy, spoiled, stupid Americans. Maybe we just need more muscle. More muscle to get the truth out, so ideas are fermented. More truth to get more voters out. Maybe we are sitting on the cusp?