I can`t hold this back any longer

[democrank]

Perhaps it`s my age...mid-sixties, or fatigue from decades-long fights for civil rights, women`s rights, social and economic justice. Maybe it`s the sickening occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan after the heartbreak of Vietnam. Maybe it`s knowing that so many Americans willingly overlook homeless children and veterans while they name every single American Idol winner. Whatever it is, I honestly can`t take any more of it. My feet are sore from marching and my heart is sick from watching.

This human, wildlife and environmental catastrophe in the Gulf is nothing short of a crime and the responsibility rests on the shoulders of not only greedy, callous BP executives but every single Washington enabler and governmental "leader" that voted for, worked for, or supported deregulation in exchange for campaign backing or contributions. How the hell many more times are we going to dredge up excuses for gluttonous, shallow "leaders"? When every shrimper is sitting on the curb with a tin cup? When every textile worker ends up in a soup kitchen? We take real, good care of the fat cats (and other people that matter) in this country. Just check out some of the loopholes Congress designed. There may not be enough cash to repair the falling-down ceiling in an inner city school but there is always plenty for another bronze statue in a gerrymandered district or another load of clusterbombs.

As the oil-coated wildlife pile up in Louisiana and elsewhere (like the dead soldiers and maimed children piled up in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the drowning victims piled up in New Orleans) we should ask ourselves how much lower we`ll allow the bar to go. How many more excuses will we come up with? How many more principles will we be willing to sacrifice?

This is one old Democrat sickened and saddened by the state of my country and my party. If we keep making excuses for the corporate takeover of our party then we should forgo the outrage when the big boys get their way and there`s another disaster to deal with. Although there are many leaders that claim to be "for the working people" they almost always figure out a back room deal that favors anyone but.

The catastrophe in the Gulf should be our wake-up call. That, like the legless Iraq War veterans and the 57-year old unemployed steelworker, is in part the result of citizens asleep at their switches, lulled into Neverland by group-tested sound bites and multi-million dollar image makers.We should be ashamed of how much we`ve been willing to overlook.

I`ll bet anything there are a few older DUers that know exactly what I mean when I say how sad it is that we`ve given up so much. The oil-coated birds are much like many American citizens...devastated by the arrogance of shallow, self-serving chislers. It`s time we put a stop to it. Enough!

[muffin1]

1. K&R

:thumbsup:

[BeFree]

204. X's 2 kick n/t

[notesdev]

2. Amen

[blindpig]

3. k&r

Kill Capitalism

[mzmolly]

4. My goodness, I relate. I feel like the first damn thing we need to do

is override the SCOTUS ruling that allows corporations to buy our elections. If we don't do that, we've only seen the tip of the corporate driven iceberg.

[OneGrassRoot]

26. Do you know of any groups you respect who are focused on this issue?

Focused on getting that ruling overturned?

Thanks. :hi:

[mzmolly]

41. Moveon.org is the only group I know of with a large enough movement to perhaps effect change.

http://s3.moveon.org/pdfs/move_on_supreme_court_ad.pdf

:hi:

[OneGrassRoot]

111. Thank you!

:hi:

[defendandprotect]

82. Thom Hartman publicizes a group . . . think it's Free Speech . . .

I'll check -- I get e-mail from them occasionally --

MoveOn e-mailed me on a demonstration in another town this evening --

can't make it.

[OneGrassRoot]

112. Thank you as well...

I'll check Thom Hartman's site to see if I can find more.

:hi:

[defendandprotect]

130. Yes, I check my e-mail and no current message . . .

I'm pretty sure it's "Free speech" -- and I'll also try to run it down in a

search later --

They're working on a Constitutional amendment to wipe out any notions of corporate "personhood."

:)

[CrispyQ]

94. A few more to check out.

Public Citizen: http://www.citizen.org/Page.aspx?pid=183

Reclaim Democracy: http://reclaimdemocracy.org/political_reform/

Citizen Works: http://citizenworks.org/

I hope others can contribute more.

[OneGrassRoot]

113. Awesome! Many thanks....

:hi:

[OneGrassRoot]

115. Via the reclaimdemocracy link I found this targeted campaign....

http://movetoamend.org/

Bingo!

Thanks again. :)

:patriot:

[CrispyQ]

136. Nice!

Thank you!

[mzmolly]

148. Sheesh!

I should have also named Public Citizen. Thank you! :hi:

[roguevalley]

95. democrank, you read my mind. I remember when we were America.

[snappyturtle]

124. I, too, remember. Like democrank I'm in my sixties and remember

'good times'. I am packing to move....looking to pare back as much as possible. Found some old pictures my mother sent me. In going through them I ran across two promotional menus from United Airlines! They are from 1977. I flew from Chicago to Las Vegas (Mom and I and my one year old flew to visit a cousin. Mom saved these menus!). Back then 'coach' had a choice of three entrees, salad and dessert. The drinks and children's menu was included. So, it wasn't too long ago that airlines cared about their customer relations. Now when I fly, I feel like part of a herd of cattle. I feel dismissed by airline employees for just being in their presence. How times have changed! I hear you roguevalley.

edit: Just an example of how corporations were 'back then'.

[mod mom]

116. I used to think we needed to get D's in power to make sure our election reflected the will of the

people, but then when they did get in power, I realized they didn't care to do anything much about it. :( I don't know the answer-it's so frustrating. All I know is I won't vote for any corporate candidate (even the better of 2 evils ) again.

[mzmolly]

147. I still think Dems are worlds better than the alternative.

I just want it to stay that way. sigh

[peacetalksforall]

5. k n r. The top crime of all history.

[BeFree]

6. Hear, here!!

You said it so well.

Enough!! No more excuses.

I'd recommend this but my rec button is broke.

[AndyA]

7. I'm younger than you, but I see it as well.

Greed, corruption, and arrogance have taken over government. People EXPECT politicians to lie, and not be held accountable.

Our forefathers are spinning in their graves, as they see everything they fought and died for being taken away from us. People today are STUPID, they don't see it until it's too late, and that's usually when they are effected by it.

If our forefathers had been as lazy and stupid as we are, we'd still be under British rule! (Maybe we are, seeing how BP is calling the shots in the Gulf.) :(

K & R.

[raccoon]

198. I wish we were under British rule--we might have a national health plan. nt

[glitch]

8. I am with you democrank. nt

[Uncle Joe]

9. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, democrank.

[End Of The Road]

10. I remember how hard we worked back in the 70s

for the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, cleaning up the (was it burning?) Cuyahoga River & Lake Erie, and hundreds of local problems. In the short run, it mattered. In the long run, against corporate power, it was a failure.

[lyonn]

47. 8 years of Reagan, 4 years of Bush I

and 8 years of Bush II equals 20 years of turning the U.S. into a corporate run country. Look at our Supreme Court. All the regulations of the past that sorta protected the common person got squashed. In all that time only one Democratic President, Clinton, had 8 years to restore some of our rights that had been ripped away. We saw a glimmer of what this country once thought was important for the people. Clinton had an eight year battle in the courts and the press and still managed to keep some semblance of Democracy.

Most of us don't expect perfection from our leaders on the Hill, much less expect Obama to be some sort of Savior. Today's Primaries may be very telling, will they still fall into the corporate trap or start thinking about what really is causing our country to become either the super rich or the ones begging for a decent wage?

The Tea Party people want their country back - ya gotta wonder what they have in mind?

[wolfgangmo]

122. What does the tea party have in mind?

Strange Fruit.

[truedelphi]

174. Yeah look at our Supreme Court, those

F___ wads.

They recently overturned the multi-billion dollar payoffs from Big Oil to those who survived the Exxon Valdez spill. Took thirty one years to arbitrate that - with Big Oil appealing all the way.

But in the end, the Big Oil firm of Exxon was able to pay a much, much smaller penalty -as after all, when that oil catastrophe destroyed people's lives - those were middle class people's lives.

Apparently, the middle class is not entitled to be made whole, because in the eyes of the Uber Elite, they were never very whole to begin with.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

192. Perfection? I'd settle for a little GUMPTION

A little FIGHT. Not the heap of corruption and dissing of ordinary people that we're seeing now.

I KNEW Obama was no populist. I saw it through his fake mannerisms and content-free speeches, but I never imagined he'd be such a complete corporate tool.

[Paper Roses]

11. Been around a while myself. Never saw the likes of today's

situation.

No matter where you look, it is one crisis after another. I fear for all of us, especially the very young. What are they to do with this messed up planet they have inherited?

[freebrew]

102. Do you remember the 'Jesus Freaks'?

I think that movement started us in the direction we're taking now.

It didn't make sense then, to me, that with all of the protesting and marching, where did these people come from.

That's also about the same time the Moonies started gaining power. I guess some folks just can't make decisions for themselves and are OK with others running their lives for them.

Can you say cult? Same as the xtian taliban...

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. Well said.

[leftofcool]

13. Same age here and same gripes! I'm with ya!

[truedelphi]

14. I keep thinking about all the many times that Al Gore

Went on yammering about the Global Climate change event, such that every time I drive to the store I feel guilty for not walking...

For whatever reason, no one ever handled the Oil Cleanup particulars in a decent manner. (Eight years of Bush/Cheney- Halliburton sure didn't help any either.)

If only fate had allowed Mr Gore to examine the Valdez Exxon spill and its destruction. I think if Al had used even a medium portion of his gray matter to reflect on that event, and then tackled getting legislation happening so that this clean up efforts would have been prompt and efficient. (Don't think it is possible? Watch and listen to the "Anonymous" lady in my sig line video. She lays it all out.)

I mean, it helps that I have cut back on my paper plate use, but the paper plates I would spare in 5,000 lifetimes do not amount to what this new Oil Spill will be doing to all of the planet in the next five years.

Rain that fell on New Mexico last week smelled like OIL.

[conscious evolution]

207. fucking booms

Incredible informative rant.
Thanks

[GoneOffShore]

15. Kick!

I'm right there with you even though I inadvertently NR'd this thread.

Damn bifocals!

Someone counter rec please.

[Catherina]

19. Proud to help you out there. Rec'd. Every single word of the OP is rec'd n/t

[jotsy]

16. Proud to rec every well written word.

And that would be all of them.

[Smarmie Doofus]

17. The dilemma is how to remain competitive as a party......

.... while spurning corporate $$$.

More easily said than done.

[Greyhound]

34. No dilemma at all, but this is the meme they want to promote.

Make your stand and the people will follow. The nation wants leadership, The Party provides only the illusion of an alternative when the party that does stand by its values gets too crazy to continue.

Clinton had the tech boom to get his second term, but his republicanism cut off his coat tails. Unless something completely unexpected comes out of left field, Obama is the next one-term, not-a-republican President.

[blondeatlast]

18. I'm HURT. finally, I take this personally--and I live in the desert of Arizona.

Beautifully said. k/r

[AnArmyVeteran]

20. Eloquently stated and I agree 10,000 %!

I am sick of corrupt politicians in both parties. And I too am sick of people excusing the leaders of the democratic party who refuse to do what is right. Like it or not, we are at war and the enemy are corporations who are running amuck, buying elections, owning our representatives, writing our laws and attacking us from every direction.

I get attacked if I dare try to say anything to hold democratic leaders accountable for not representing the people or not being forceful against the enemies of my country. Sometimes it seems as if I'm on a conservative thread with corporate-hacks attacking any suggestion we hold corporations accountable, including changing the law so we can arrest and imprison corporate executives when their companies kill people or destroy the environment.

Frankly, I'm tired of the corporate apologists who seem to believe CEOs should be above the law. If I dare to mention seizing corporate assets or holding executives accountable I have the 'rule of law' thrown in my face. If any law is not for the benefit of the citizenry and only FOR the benefit of corporations it needs to be changed. Just because laws are in place does not make them moral or ethical. Those who tout the rule of the law need to remember how slavery was once legal until people stood up and did the right thing. It's time we did the right thing and go on the offensive, or even an all out 'war' against corporations and their corrupting influence on our country.

If we let corporations continue to get stronger and stronger we will no longer have a country.

[arthritisR_US]

22. +1 for this post and the OP! :-) n/t

[liberation]

48. Maybe we should all incorporate ourselves as single people corporations?

Maybe then we will be heard?

[pundaint]

63. There is NO reason for a corporation to exist if it cannot prove a benefit to the American People as

a whole, resulting from their existence. We the People allowed for corporations, for Our benefit. Are we getting it? In a positive way, that is.

[liberation]

71. I believe at some point in the past, corporate charters had to be reviewed every 5 years

and upon inspection, the charter was only renewed if there was a clear social benefit from their operation.

I assume the practice was dropped due to the cost that such reviews induced on the state, the great possibility for corruption/bribes, and the fact that it was probably a rather iffy standard to regulate what constitutes "benefit" to society.

I assume it would be an easier task to simply review corporate charters every few years in terms of whether or not they have caused damage (which is easier to quantify). But good luck trying to get anything passed on a judicial and political system stacked by corporations, and a society completely brainwashed with regards to the sacrosanct role of corporation. Plus I assume all those "fiscally conservative" types will bitch and moan about the cost needed to finance such reviews, and the encroaching of the US governemnt on their freedoms... since the money could be better used on wars and the US governemnt should just limit itself to torture foreigners and abuse minorities.

[pundaint]

142. The People still have the vote. We must learn to use it.

It's not about guessing the winner and getting on board. It is about supporting those who work for you, and firing those who don't.

[truedelphi]

104. K & R this OP and your post.

Thank you.

[Stinky The Clown]

21. K&R

And when you think you have a chance of getting back on track, yet again, the rug gets pulled out from under your feet. Lucy pulls the football. Whatever.

All these years ..... and nothing to show for it.

[eleny]

23. I'm right with you

[wiggs]

24. good rant, thank you. It's all there in plain sight but most can't see it. Yet. nt

[raouldukelives]

25. k&r

[Individualist]

27. I'm also mid-sixties and know exactly what you mean. K&R

[freddie mertz]

28. K & R. I am 56 and I know how you feel.

Thanks for posting this.

[frebrd]

29. K'd & R'd!

[lib2DaBone]

30. Kick. I am the same age. As a song once said, "What a long strange trip it's been".

Been fighting for freedom since the 60's.

Vietnam...Kent State.. Tin Soldiers and Nixon coming. Thought we might finally get a break in 1980 and instead we got Ronnie Raygun.

Poppy Bush, Carlyle Corporation.. Gulf War I... Media de-regulation and Evangelism... Right-Wing take over of all media.... shut up an wave your flag.. plaster "Support Our Troops" decals all over your car or the cops might pull you over as an "activist".

Bill Clinton disguised as a Democrat.. NAFTA... Welfare Reform, Glass-Steegal slashed and 8 million Jobs shipped to China. Bill got a blow job and we got shafted.

Neocons, free-speech zones and endless war for profit. Deficits don't matter. David Gregory and our National Press Corp Boogaloo with Karl Rove while people are tortured at Gitmo.

Mr. Obama appoints Top Republicans to cabinet and surges war in Afghanistan.

Hair is getting gray... soul is getting tired.

Famous Chinese Proverb sez.... Q: "Work your fingers to the bone.. what do you get? A: " Boney Fingers".

[liberation]

53. The magnitude of the suckage is always more apparent when put in the form of poetic enumeration.

thanks ;-)

[CherokeeDem]

31. Democrank...

you asked the one question that I can't imagine any reason we haven't asked ourselves before..."we should ask ourselves how much lower we`ll allow the bar to go". How much lower, indeed.

We lost soldiers in Afghanistan yesterday and no one seems to care, wildlife is dying and people are becoming ill and losing their livelihood in the Gulf, people are starving around the world, a lot of us are unemployed right here in the US. How much lower, indeed.

Yet the press, they seem to only be concerned with one thing today. President Obama said he was looking for whose ass he could kick. Oh my, he's out of control. I think he should start with the press. We know they can stoop lower.

Excellent, rational, heartfelt post about the tragic way we are all living our lives. Thank you.



PS...I know we care about the soldiers, I know almost everyone does...I'm just not sure the press cares.

[emilyg]

32. k/r put a stop to it next time you vote.

[tavalon]

186. And almost all over the US, Diebold will help count your votes.

[raccoon]

199. How, when we have 2 corporate owned candidates to choose from? nt

[Greyhound]

33. K&R. This nation took a hard right turn to stupid in 1980 and has never recovered.

Too young to have enjoyed it, but old enough to have seen what happened in the 70's, I saw this rapid regression back to fascism as it happened on the street.

This administration, IMO, sums up the issue perfectly. Surrounded by disaster and chaos, their only interest is in 'softening' the fascism enough for them to get their nests amply feathered and leave the mess for someone else. I remember an article from the mid 80's called "From protest to stock broker in 5 easy steps" (not exact but close) that summed it up well.

[RadiationTherapy]

35. There have been no significant attempts at walking away from our oil economy.

The Gulf unpleasantness is only collateral damage for our standard of living.

[nichomachus]

36. K&R

[Spheric]

37. K&R /nt

[GeorgeGist]

38. Change continues ...

and Belief is in the consequences.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

39. K & R x's a million

58 here, fought all the battles starting with burning my draft card.
Sometimes I just want to say in my best Forrest Gump voice,
I'm tired, I want to go home, now.

But I think I'll go on fighting.

[juajen]

40. Can I just say Amen? I, too, am totally disgusted by what we let

our corporate masters and politicians get away with. We've given so much, however, it will be extremely difficult to wrest control from their greedy little hands.

[MissDeeds]

42. Excellent post

I agree with each word. My heart is sick from watching, too. I never thought this country would give up so much of what made it great.

:cry: K&R

[Capitalocracy]

43. I agree, my friend. Now what the hell do we do about it?

Why is it we can't seem to get something together that's effective in changing this? Is it because, like you said, not enough of us are pissed off enough?

BP STANDS FOR BALLOT POISON

Pledge not to vote for any candidates receiving campaign donations from BP in 2010.

Petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/bp2010/petition.html



Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=113423272036102

Twitter: @bpballotpoison

[democrank]

74. You asked what the hell we do about it.

Start here:

Be willing to take a stand. NO CHANGE= NO CONTRIBUTIONS, NO VOTE.

Be willing to sacrifice "winning" for principles.

Be willing to reject blind loyalty.

Pledge to stop making excuses for feckless "leaders."

Pick a couple of issues important to you and fight for them.

Pledge to call a spade a spade. If you see a pile of Washington dog crap, don`t come here and tell us it`s probably some delicious strawberry ice cream.

[FailureToCommunicate]

77. I'm in agreement on much of this (including the despair) but not 'don't vote'

I say vote even if you have to hold your nose and pick the 'lesser of two evils.'

Call me a pollyanna, but the I see the ballot box as half full...



Thanks for the OP

[xiamiam]

206. obamas' administration would have put du in a tizzy just a few years ago

we're not moving forward ..looking forward rather than prosecuting war criminals and profiteers but the crooksters need to be held accountable...wall street, and those who promote wars for profit..the sad part is that obama is unwilling while he has the power to use it... he is squandering the momentum and the mandate.. to change the things that screwed us up ...i'm disappointed and perhaps more so because the packaging fooled me..i still have hope but not much

the bush administration was so arrogant that it was easy to unite against them..i've lost hope over a lot of things in the past decade..I'm 60 in just a couple weeks..we've gone backwards in every way..spiritually, intellectually, economically, ethically....why shouldnt we be outraged..dumbfounded at the stupidity and greed we are forced to live with..

[MilesColtrane]

78. You are pledging to not vote for Chuck Schumer and Bernie Sanders, among others.

Or, do they get a pass on this?

[Capitalocracy]

80. The petition is meant to act as political pressure...

Obviously if nobody signs it, it won't work, but if enough people sign it, it will make them not want to accept donations from BP. The text of the petition refers to candidates who receive funds from BP after receiving the petition, so they would be excepted but only if they don't receive any additional funding and return any funding they still have.

BP STANDS FOR BALLOT POISON

Pledge not to vote for any candidates receiving campaign donations from BP in 2010.

Petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/bp2010/petition.html



Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=113423272036102

Twitter: @bpballotpoison

[MilesColtrane]

86. Any politician in his right mind would turn down money from BP after the gulf disaster...

regardless of an online petition.

Of course, for the Republicans, it would just be for this and maybe the next election cycle. Then back to business as usual.

I think the fault of oil company deregulation lies more at the feet of Executive branch employees during the Bush years, and Bush's overall philosophy of the business/government relation.

Not saying don't sign though, especially if it makes you feel empowered.

[Capitalocracy]

92. Actually, it doesn't make me feel empowered

It would if I could get more people to sign it maybe

But I'd be willing to bet you're wrong about that. I think the politicians will be happy to take BP's money UNTIL someone says they shouldn't and it starts showing up in the mainstream media. Until then, they'll be happy to take money from BP, and they'll be happy to do what they can (after the election) to make sure their investment pays off.

[MilesColtrane]

123. I signed.

:hi:

But, I'm going to have to break that promise if it turns out that Bill White has taken BP money.

I am NOT voting for Rick Perry, or staying at home on election day.

[Capitalocracy]

140. lalalalala

I didn't hear that, if anyone asks, all my signers are 100% serious

thanks, you're awesome

[sabrina 1]

103. I would not vote for Chuck Schumer. He was my senator

and was completely detached from the people he supposedly represented. He never responds to his constituents, not even with a computer generated acknowledgement, unless they have lots of money. I met him in person and he was one of the few Democrats I met who was so arrogant and self-absorbed that even the caterers found him to be obnoxious. He is for war and has little to say about the crimes of the Bush administration. This is the kind of politician who needs to go, and be replaced by a real progressive democrat.

Bernie is an entirely different person and should not be mentioned in the same sentence as Schumer.

[SargeUNN]

44. So True

maybe we can stop fighting over stupid things on our side and start working together again like we did in GWB years to move things forward instead of demanding we get everything exactly the way we want. We must be willing to take steps toward our goals instead of demanding that it happens all at once.

[lib_wit_it]

46. We need progressive leadership. We need a community organizer. Is that too much to ask?!

[Hatchling]

153. Isn't that what we voted for in 2008?

I am beyond disgusted. I am totally disillusioned. I have no hope left. At 59, disabled and rapidly losing access to adequate resources to live, I cannot march, I cannot donate money, I cannot afford stamps to send letters and if things continue this way, I may not even be able to send worthless emails to the corporate shills running this country since I may soon have to give up my internet.

I have no more energy, so I will probably cling to what little I have, grab some popcorn (if the food bank gives me any) and watch the horror movie we live in as the whole world disintegrates. I just cant' care anymore, it all hurts too much.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

45. HEAR HERE!!

K and R x a million billion trazillion.


I'm tired too....gotta keep fighting but It seems like all the fighting's just gone into the pockets (the media controlling, "grass-roots group" creating pockets) of mega-CEO's.

[Liberal_in_LA]

49. K&R

[Sherman A1]

50. K&R Well Said

:kick:

[femrap]

51. K and R

I'm disgusted by what has happened to this nation.

We're a Fascist county. There is no other way to look at it.

The multi-nationals and the government work together to enrich the elite. We are merely something that requires a measly wage that detracts from their bottom line. We are expendable. We are despised. We are 'those people.' Sometimes if we speak up, we are the 'who do you think you ares.'

I knew we were betrayed after the 2006 election and nothing was done to curb the fascism. I expected little from the current administration and I am getting less than that.

Those birds covered in oil cannot be saved. They need to be painlessly put out of their misery.

And to be honest, I see nothing to look forward to. The dollar will be devalued. What savings we have will be destroyed. The young look at me as some sort of albatross around their necks that takes money from their pockets.

I can't get a decent job. I detest our violent and pronified culture that awaits me if I turn on the TV. I am tired of seeing unwanted children who grow up with no trust of their world.

Maybe the government should offer those over 50 an escape. Then I wouldn't be a drain on society by requiring Social Security nor Medicare.

I've seen enough and done enough and had enough. It's all just ugly and mean now. I don't know how people stand to watch that 'American Idol' show.

Pinch me. I want to wake up from this nightmare.

[demwing]

67. Theo-Fascism, I believe

A mashup up Fascist and Theocratic thought. A western, Corporate Jihadist, if you will.

[femrap]

70. Aaaah yes,

the bible thumping hypocrites...how could I forget?

[phasma ex machina]

127. +1 "I don't know how people stand to watch that 'American Idol' show."

You a pimp, hustler?
Tell me what's your title,
America has no more stars, now we call them idols, - Lose My Soul

One plausible explanation:

Cultural Insanity Reinforcement - American Idol Style

Consider that a key component of the American Idol talent “competition” is the initial programs, where fool after fool is paraded before us. The canned laugh track encourages us to laugh and mock their inferiority and non conformity, thus enabling us to feel comfortable with our homogenization and normality. This concept is ripped from the pages of 1984, where the carrot and stick approach is used to corral us into the hamster pens to work another day.

The carrot is acceptance by the welcoming and nurturing hive, where group think is rewarded and uniformity and conformity is applauded. The stick is to publically ridicule anything that the hive considers abnormal and thus subhuman, which of course can’t be a part of the hive. It’s unthinkable to suffer this, a fate worse than death that of banishment from the hive. See how abnormal those dancing and singing fools are? Only a crazy person would allow themselves to sing that poorly or act that stupidly on TV.

Carefully mixed in with the fools are the soon to be “discovered” hidden gems, which look just like you and I. Our mediocrity is validated because those gems look just like everyday people who escaped from the streets. “Oh look honey, another slave has escaped. I could as well if I practiced harder on my clarinet and got that boob job. If I work some overtime for the next few months at the hamster wheel factory ………”

I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the more talented contestants aren’t seeded into the show by the producers. There are many ways to do so. Regardless, the result has the intended effect; wonderfully talented but tragically and unfairly ignored men and women (invisible nobody’s like you and I) are finally discovered, their hidden talents recognized and validated by the world. They’ve hit the big time and they fulfill every person’s fantasy through emotional transference, thanks to perseverance and our 50” HD surround sound LCD TV.

And the fools, after being stripped naked and displayed for the crowd to jeer and stone, are thrown out of the hive as unwanted trash, not even worth the nickel deposit, their part of the charade now complete. Later, as some of the formerly hidden gems rise up the ranks (watch carefully how they’re steadily transformed with coaching, makeup and costumes) we allow ourselves to follow along, nurturing our fantasy that this too could be us. Thus we ascend God like into the glow of the adoring public, enabling us to feel superior while we wallow in our mediocrity.

And don’t forget the text voting, that wonderfully democratic principal that allows us all to participate in the crowning of our next plastic Idol on the dashboard of life. It must be true that I’m a singing fool because my fellow slaves elected me to the throne. The genius of American Idol is not in the music, costumes and coaching, it’s the magic that happens in the editing room and the manipulated voting.

[DesertDiamond]

52. It's important to stand up against the poison of greed. Also, to really defeat this darkness

we need to start with ourselves. When we change, our environment changes. Let's keep that in mind and work on that as well! :-)

[archiemo]

54. I feel the same way and I'm in my mid-40s...n/t

[SusanaMontana41]

55. Word!

"How many more principles will we be willing to sacrifice?"

If you're asking progressives, NONE. That's one of the reasons why Sestak beat Specter, and it's why Blanche Lincoln is in a runoff.

[me b zola]

56. K&R

[Melissa G]

57. Well said. Excellent ! So true. n/t

[bluestateboomer]

58. K&R

I'm there!

[zalinda]

59. I've been saying this for years

and I've been called all kinds of names, I hope you get better results.

zalinda

[BrklynLiberal]

60. I wish I could have even thought about it as eloquently as you said it...

Yesterday was my Medicare day....65. I know exactly from where you are coming....

[Jackpine Radical]

61. Same age

Same sentiments.

[laughingliberal]

62. I'm old enough to know what you mean by how much we've given up. Great post! nt

[awoke_in_2003]

64. well said. K&R

[Captain Hilts]

65. Yes. It's not about: Carvelle, Jindal, Obama... It's about the fish and birds. Today is Day 50!!!

[JuniperLea]

84. Exactly!

People would rather politicize and worry about people... truly disgusting.

[Vinca]

66. I appreciate where you're at and know exactly what you mean.

But what do we do? We elect people who say one thing and do another. I had such hope - trite as it is - during the last election, but now it seems we're back to business as usual.

[MindandSoul]

68. Yes, I feel your pain! It is kindred to mine!

And by the way, in the golf disaster, we, the American people, are also guilty! Guilty because for decades now we have been interested only in keeping our addiction to oil "affordable" (by American standards, which mean in terms of dollars, not lives).

When the rest of the world moved to smaller, more efficient cars, we decided that "smaller cars wouldn't be as safe, because of the large cars on the road. . ." so we bought a new "large, gas guzzler" that prolongued are addiction for another few years!
When President Obama tried to impose tough efficiency standards for new cars, new houses, etc. . .WE cried infringement on OUR RIGHTS. . .TOO MUCH GOVERNMENT oversight!

We are a mere 5% of the world population, and we use over 25% of the energy produced!

WE are also guilty. . .because we knew we elected people who were going to "preserve" our rights to increase, rather than decrease, our imprint on the world!

[newtothegame]

69. We've worshipped Hollywood for decades because they support our causes.

Now we're paying for it.

[liberation]

72. LOL...

I give you an 8.0 out 10.0 for that one.

[madmax]

73. K & R

[MsLeopard]

75. Well put

Couldn't agree more. :kick: K&R

[waiting for hope]

76. K&R ..

I do not recognize the dem party anymore. They should make it just one party, morph the names, Repulocrat and be done with trying to pretend. Sad thing is, any other party that will try to come along will be swept up in the tide of corporate cash. Until we evolve a bit more as humans, until we are less greedy and more empathetic, I do not see an end in sight.

[The Old Creak]

79. "The catastrophe in the Gulf should be our wake-up call."

I'm 62 and I've lost track of the missed wake-up calls. When criminals, and I mean that literally, like Reagan, Bush, etc., can live with no chance of accountability, why should we hope for anything different here. I'm just concentrating on my little world, trying to do what I can to make it better.
PEACE & LOVE,
The Old Creak

[tilsammans]

81. REAL campaign finance reform, people!!!

It's probably the only way out. But how to get there? Look who gets to vote on it! The same bozos who got us into this mess. :wtf:

:rant:

Thanks for your rant, democrank. I'm 57, unemployed for a year . . . and I couldn't agree more with what you said. :applause:

[MilesColtrane]

87. This is a big part of the way out.

The whole system is broken.

Replacing corrupt politicians with other inevitably corrupted politicians is an endless cycle.

[tilsammans]

88. Yes! I'm sick of choosing "the lesser of two evils" and/or "the devil you know"

:puke:

[lunatica]

83. I feel the same way

No one can tell me this is the best country in the world anymore. It simply doesn't come even close anymore.

[RedRoses323]

85. I'm 47 and standing tall with you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hell hath no fury like a liberal scorned..Dick Gregory:toast: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[freeperhuntersRus]

89. That oil spill scares me.

I don't know what is going to happen.

[Octafish]

90. Thank you, democrank.

Every word you wrote: Gold.

[Daphne08]

91. I'll be 61 next month and I know exactly what you mean, so

I don't need to say another word.

Will just K & R

:kick:

[katty]

93. Amen brotha

[NorthCarolina]

96. K&R

[jwirr]

97. 69 years old and very disillusioned right now.

[goclark]

98. I'm 60 plus and I'm not sad at all

Yes, the world and the USA has changed.

I see younger people that are not stuck in the old way of doing things. They are not buying into the "traditional" way of thinking.

I see Seniors that have changed their thinking on a wide range of issues, for example DADT ~ that is a positive step.

I see people that are thinking about saving the earth, not all, but many are aware that this planet is not for trash.

I see lots of people that CARE about the homeless and the sick and those out of work. Not just focus on I I I

I see people that have stopped smoking and want to live a better quality of life - trying to exercise etc.

I see people that look for all the good they see and not all the bad ~ yes even Seniors.

I Love My Country and want it to be a better place.
It may not be exactly what I want every second of the day but I would not trade living in the USA for any other country.

I've traveled all over the globe and I'll stay right here.

Is the world spinning just the way goclark wants it to ~ NO!

I am just one person that tries to stay positive and do good everyday.

[Duval]

99. You have spoken very well for me, Democrank. I

am 71, and have also been sickened/heartbroken by all of the above. I feel as if I've found myself in a foreign country. My son, who is a Republican, is in his 40s, and doesn't see the devastation that I see. But he was a teen when I began seeing a marked difference in our MSM, and it has progressively gotten worse. If Comcast takes over NBC, I have read that our only voice via Schultz, Olbermann, and Maddow will be silenced. I have also campaigned hard and furiously since late 2002. I relaxed for about a month or two after Obama was elected, although was astonished when he picked Rahm "Michael Moore and Move On are terrorists". I have found solace in DU time and time again, and I find it once more, thanks to you. I really liked your comparison of the oil-coated birds and many American citizens. Enough, before it is too late!:mad: :crazy: :hurts: :grr:

[daleanime]

100. Hell yea...

:grr:

[Jamastiene]

101. K&R

I'm sick to death of this shit. It's about time we came up with a plan to take our country back from BP.

[Geek_Girl]

105. I know what your are saying but until we Democrats actually clean up our own party

We are screwed. We really need to get the DLC out of our party and start voting in real progressives. Sorry I know many will get angry about what I'm saying but that is the simple truth of things.

Liberals need to rise up and take back the party. Once we take back our party then maybe we can take back the country from the corporatist that have a choke hold.

[David Zephyr]

106. K&R.

I'm truly afraid that the corporate takeover is secure and in place now...and I'm coming to grips with that realization and what it portends for all of us collectively and me and my family locally.

The world is no longer what is was.

[donco6]

107. I'm close to throwing in the towel, democrank.

It doesn't seem to matter what we do, who we elect, what we support, what we sign, how we answer, who we talk to, who we write to, how much money we send . . . the powerful do what's in their own best interest every time.

[saras]

108. One thing...

There is one thing that a lot of people could do to help but won't, because it impinges on their standard of living - DON'T WORK FOR THEM.

[crim son]

109. Every dem rep should get a copy of this. n/t

[Jeffersons Ghost]

110. K&R

[inna]

114. K&R and this OP transcends age, btw.

Mid-thirties here and know EXACTLY what you mean.

[skeptical cynic]

117. There is one simple root cause of all the problems:

The people making the decisions are not the ones who pay the price for those decisions.

Until that changes, nothing else will.

[katandmoon]

118. Bingo. K&R

[NNN0LHI]

119. I think it takes a visual to make people understand this stuff?

Perhaps if we had cameras on the ground in Iraq right after Shock and Awe showing what we had done more people would have complained about it? Instead we got embedded reporters telling us about how brave our soldiers were. And most Americans were pacified with that. If any of us complained we were accused of not supporting the troops and/or hating America.

Maybe if someone would put a 24/7 camera on the mercury filled sludge that BP has been spewing out into Lake Michigan near Chicago's water intakes day after day, year after year, more people would say something about that? As it is now when I mention it I have had some DUers minimizing that like its not important. See what I mean? Out of sight, out of mind.

Americans need to actually see things or it doesn't really mean anything to them.

Don

[malaise]

120. A brilliant post

Rec

[southernyankeebelle]

121. Oh how I relate to you. There isn't a day that goes by that I wonder what in the

hell has happened to this country. My heart is so broken I don't know what to say or do or where to turn. I am so worried about this oil spill. No one can say this won't effect this country. I don't believe it. I worry about what my grandkids will have in the future. Our government should be there to make sure the citizens aren't be hurt and they aren't. They have allowed big business run the country so why do we bother to vote.

[DebbieCDC]

125. K&R for the truth

[Demoiselle]

126. Thanks for this. This old Democrat knows how much we've given up, too.K&R

[Lost4words]

128. God bless you,....

K & R

[mnhtnbb]

129. Well said. I know what you mean.

[theFrankFactor]

131. Bravo! I'm With You Friend!

[slipslidingaway]

132. knr - you nailed - people need to stop making excuses. n/t

[Little Star]

133. Yep! k&r

[Faygo Kid]

134. Totally agree, and pushing 60 here.

I've had it.

[Wizard777]

135. Agree. I'm 78 and still going strong. Wish I could say the same about America.

[KoKo]

137. Never, ever thought I'd see things come to this. Been here since 2000 "Selection"

and working hard on environmental projects since the 70's.

What a terrible time for all of us who devoted our life to making this "A Better World" for all of us.

I have to hope that there are folks behind us who will carry on.

[KoKo]

139. I hadn't watched the "We Are the World" video in over a decade....HERE WATCH IT:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne7fPpxAnuM

Breaks my heart to see many of "We are the Children" older or dead, now.

So MUCH HOPE...so MUCH LOST!

It's still beautiful to remember...even though it would seem "Commercial" to many young DU'ers today...the look on those faces shows you that there was "real emotion" going on there.

Sad and Lovely...to remember:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne7fPpxAnuM

[pleah]

138. K&R

[Mojeoux]

141. K&R

[Enthusiast]

143. Yup, there are few of us alright.

And imagine Lincoln is leading. This is the voter again voting against their best interests. If there was ever an incumbent that needed thrown out it is Blanch Lincoln.

[flyarm]

144. This is one new grandmother who says Bravo!! I agree with 100% of everything you said!

I am damn sick of being told to be quiet or told anything by the people so willing to make excuses!

The Gulf is my backyard..those birds are my neighbors..the fish have allowed me into their home to swim and share their home..the Dolphin have given me days and months and years of enjoyment by entertaining me with their jumps and flip flops..the Turtles have trusted me enough to lay their eggs on my beach and the joy of finding them and protecting them with markers so they do not go extinct..I have fought to keep lights off our beaches to save the momma turtles..after they lay on their eggs all night and go out to sea by seeing the horizon..

I just wonder..if my husband will be able to keep his promise to me, that he would love to play hopscotch on the beach with our new grand daughter..will I want her on my beach? Will it be toxic..I would never allow her to walk on my beach, if I even thought she would be exposed to toxins.

I am beyond angry..I am so mad as hell i can't even put it all into words.

And I hold everyone in our government responsible..both parties!

I plan on voting accordingly..I will vote against all incombants..I want them all removed ..and new people put into office irregardless of party..all of them..I want all of their sorry asses out!

I am beyond enough!

[shellgame26]

145. I agree

The whole system has been completely corrupted. Rotten to the core. In France, Korea, Thailand etc..when people get pissed off they stop working, they stop buying and they march. Americans need to be organized to act collectively for their own good. THERE NEEDS TO BE A GENERAL STRIKE/BOYCOTT. Since they all worship at the altar of Dow-Jones, money is the only thing that matters. There needs to be an establishment of THE RIGHTS OF THE ENVIRONMENT.

[bobbolink]

146. "the result of citizens asleep at their switches" Exactly the cause of homelessness, but

"progressives" can't face that THEY are responsible, too.

Thank you for so eloquently stating this!

Just remember that there are also old women homeless.. not just kids and veterans. MANY of us, from all segments of the population!

[lfairban]

149. Look Below!

"Amazing Cruise Deals" ad to follow.

|
V

[JerseygirlCT]

150. Not that it helps, really

But that was one excellent, and pertinent, rant.

Well said.

[snagglepuss]

151. "How much lower we will allow the bar to go?" That says it all.

k & R

[glinda]

152. K&R n/t

[Cheviteau]

154. Holding Back

I'm an older guy having just turned seventy a couple of months
ago.  I'm a Vietnam veteran and a civil rights marcher and war
protester.  I thought I'd seen it all until George W. Bush and
Dick Cheney were given the White House.  I live in Southern
Louisiana, approximately 100 miles from the oil rig that
exploded. I have never seen things this bad.  Never.  It is my
opinion that the poster here has a lot of false hope.  It's
over.  The US is done.  Stick a fork in us.

[nannah]

155. right on... lived in boston mid 60's to mid 70's

have continued an activist life since, amidst family, school, and work life. i am in my mid 60's now and feel your sense of discouragement.

[myrna minx]

.

[myrna minx]

156. .

[HCE SuiGeneris]

157. I salute you.

Your voice echoes my feelings exactly. Time to stomp out the wanton abuse.

[bertman]

158. A HUGE REC for this one. Thank you, democrank. nt

[Major Hogwash]

159. Preach on, brother! We are the ones being railroaded!!

I, too, have had enough.

They want to stay in office - then do something different!!
Bush or Obama, Congress acts like they don't care.
Throw more of them out of their cushy seats in Congress and give them the pink slip!!!!

[BanTheGOP]

160. We NEED to ban, and criminalize, the republican party

Until the GOP is forever destroyed, we have NO CHANCE IN HELL at saving this planet. I've been QUITE CLEAR FOR YEARS about this VERY NEED.

[BigBearJohn]

161. Wow. How astute. The famous picture of the oil-drenched bird is a metaphor for what the

corporations and banks of this country are doing to the average American citizen.
Thank you for this. K/R

[Lugnut]

162. K & f'n R! n/t

[SHRED]

163. K&R

[Loudmxr]

164. I am confused. Are ya tired and sick or sick and tired? Take a nap. Then get up and fight.

I love you.:hi:

[Mendocino]

165. Our election day choices:

a:elect me or I'll sic blackwater on your worthless commie butt.

b:could be worse, at least I'll throw you a bone once in awhile.

c:vote for me, I'll stand by my principles, but nothing will change.

[Robeson]

166. Truly great post. Straight to the heart. No fluff, no obfuscation...

...Studs Terkel would be proud...:thumbsup:

[GReedDiamond]

167. Thanks for what is, IMO, probably the greatest DU OP EVER...

...at least since I've been here. Folks like you are why I continue to come here/contribute during the DU fund raisers.

I'm in my mid-fifties and have, similarly to you, a history of activism throughout the years. I'm pretty much convinced I will die before I see any real Social Justice and an end to the pursuit of $de/un-Regulated Capitalism$/$Empire$.

Long-term (life would be nice) jailing of the asshole BP CEO, and his co-conspirator underlings, would be a great start in the correct direction.

The slaughter of the wildlife in the Gulf, the destruction of the ecosystem, is enough, IMO, for such a prison sentence to be imposed, but let us not forget the deaths of the eleven oil rig workers who perished. Those unfortunate deaths should be prosecuted as HOMICIDE!

Another step in the CORRECT DIRECTION will be when the People of the State of California legalize Cannabis in November!

[alp227]

168. Excuses brought us nowhere.

The oil industry should've learned from 1979. But no.

http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/05/27/4370011-oil-spills-then-are-oil-spills-now

I agree for you and fear for the future.

[earth mom]

169. Totally agree with you and want to add that Obama & Congress should be ashamed of themselves!

This is OUR planet and OUR oceans we are talking about here.

The time for playing politics and ass kissing corporate america is OVER.

:grr:

[flyarm]

171. + 1 million..I just got an internal email from people in my state of Fla..

that dead dolphins are being brought in by cover of darkness..on a beach in Louisiana Coast that has been covered in Military tenting with a military tenting closed hallway that leads to a boat docking area..the area is being protected by Homeland security..

I have not been able to verify this ..but if true it is worse than disturbing..it means our government is hiding the truth from us even more than I thought they already were!

[inna]

175. Wow. Will you please start an OP on this if this gets verified?

This info needs to get out in the open.

[flyarm]

176. yes ..trying to verify..eom

[Drops_not_Dope]

191. our government is hiding the truth from us

Oh yeah they are, Wake Up!

Not you personally flyarm.

[earth mom]

203. So they're hiding DEAD DOLPHINS from the people?!

They know damn well they would have riots on their hands if that was on the 5 o'clock news! :grr:

:cry:

[highplainsdem]

170. K&R

[midnight]

172. democrank I recommend this post-thanks.

Now they are coming after Social Security. They are saying it is a entitlement. Enough is right.

[midnight]

173. democrank I recommend this post-thanks.

Now they are coming after Social Security. They are saying it is a entitlement. Enough is right.

[avaistheone1]

177. All I can say

is well said.

[Senator]

178. Our Lamest Generation

I don't know what's lower than a War Criminal Nation -- which is what we've become now that even our lesser-evil leaders can't simply abide by and enforce the laws and treaty obligations our greater generations fought and died to forge.

From Wall Street Banksters, to Baseball Juicers, to Immunized Wiretappers and Polluters, to High Court Election Thieves. It's a generation of figurative and literal torturers, assassins, and economic criminal operators (sorry, "innovators").

Perhaps our children and grandchildren can do better.

----

[web978]

179. What we have going is the French Revolution in Reverse

Instead of sreaming for their heads, or following what the Greeks are doing. The Teabaggers are out there screaming to give the plutocrats more power. It's going to get way worse.

[OneBlueSky]

180. "The catastrophe in the Gulf should be our wake-up call. " . . .

the operative word being "should" . . .

we Americans don't want to hear wake-up calls, no matter how loud, crucial, or accurate . . we don't like wake-up calls, goddamn it, because they usually mean that we're going to have to give over some of our individual rights for the common good . . . "Hey, that's COMMUNISM! Or at least SOCIALISM! . . . And we can't -- we won't -- stand for it! . . . Not in the land of the free and the home of the motherfuckin' brave! . . . Nosiree!" . . .

and so we'll "Drill, baby, drill!", oblivious to wake-up calls, emergency declarations, scientific prognostications, and anything else that threatens "the American way of life" . . . the hideously wasteful, completely unsustainable, generally fictional, mythical, and t mystical "American way of life" . . . and we'll go on pretending that we're living in a Norman Rockwell world, when in fact we a whole lot closer to living in an Edvard Munch painting . . .



p.s. I just turned 64, so we're in the same generation, probably with similar outlooks and ideals . . .

"Send me a postcard, drop me a line,
Stating point of view.
Indicate precisely what you mean to say,
Yours, sincerely, wasting away."
Lennon/McCartney

[inna]

182. I recently noticed that...

...the background of the Munch painting looks exactly like an oil spill...



"The barbarism has already begun and the fight is now both against that and for mere survival. The corporate state is leading us on a death march at an ever-escalating pace."

[OneBlueSky]

183. yeah, I noticed that, too . . .

which is probably why it came to mind as I was writing that post . . . just seemed so appropriate to where we are at the present time . . .

peace . . . :hi:

[Waiting For Everyman]

181. 100% agree. We need an anti-corporatist party.

Even some Repubs would support that. Defining it as what we're AGAINST would keep it focused and prevent splintering. These mad dogs (predator corportists) have to be leashed -- tight, and quick -- or we're toast.

I'm very discouraged that Obama and most of the Dems don't get that. The time since the 2008 election has made it abundantly clear that they don't.

I'm very grateful for the minority of Dems who DO get it though. But the sellouts and enablers have to go.

[Carolina]

184. I hear ya

I'm 57 and frankly glad I was born when I was born. Saw a lot of good, a lot of change... likely won't see the final oily, clear cut, barren FALL. :hi:

[tomp]

185. if you don't recognize democratic party complicity in all our problems...

...you are part of the problem.

these problems haven't continued and worsened due to lack of fight by progressives, but in spite of it.

progressives have been fighting the wrong way whenever they align with the democratic party.

i've been saying this since du's inception and gotten nothing but flak for it.

one day, and it may well be too late, people will see the real enemy.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

193. I agree and have agreed since the Clinton administration

The party of FDR is dead, replaced by the DLC body snatchers, to whom politics is a team sport, not a matter of fighting for principles.

There are precious few pols who have principles that they won't sell away to the highest bidder.

[democrank]

195. Hi tomp

I don`t believe I am part of the problem. I`ve said a brazillion times that sacrificing most everything we stand for in order have a big "win" is not winning at all. How many times, right here at DU, have we seen Democrats posting their support for the exact same policies they detested under Junior Bush? Figure that one out if you can. Apparently it`s party over principle, no matter what. Just hold your nose and vote to "win. Personally, I`m sick of it and sick of the BS replies about how progressives love Nader, expect President Obama to solve everything yesterday, want the government to be their Daddy, on and blah-blah on.

The reason we`re in this mess is because we kept using our votes to tell Washington that we have almost no expectations of them and no principle we won`t let them trash. They could support torture,support warrantless wiretaps, support outsourcing jobs,deregulate until the cows come home, occupy countries, hire mercenaries by the planeload, lift up Wall Street while they spit on Main Street, you name it. What did we do? Genuflect and send a check.

Like I said, those oil-soaked birds are us. They can`t get clean and neither can we. The men that burned to death in this BP/Washington deregulation catastrophe deserve better than a voting public thumbing through vacation brochures waiting for Congress to purchase hip boots and work gloves.

[tomp]

202. i meant if one doesn't see..., not you.

and i agree with your post.

[Highway61]

187. A BIG K & R

my friend, I am a product of being "plugged in" during the sixties... trying to make a difference. The level apathy and greed I see today is astounding. Well said.

[Shining Jack]

188. K&R

I'm sick of all than corruption,incompetence and greed.:(

[mikehiggins]

189. Its over, don't you understand?

I still play the game, donate money, sign petitions, even walk a picket line from now to then but in my heart I believe the game is over and the rich and powerful have won, as they always have throughout history.

Sad, for sure, but most people won't even notice.

There was never a guarantee, as IFRC Ben Franklin pointed out at the outset, that this experiment in freedom would survive. Well, we have had some good moments over the years but our overlords have finally manipulated things to ensure that we will not only submit, but thank them for their boots on our throats.

So it goes.

[mike_c]

190. I'm your age-- the America we grew up in is gone....

It was never what it appeared to be, of course-- the cold war and corporate greed were still operating in the background and people still wore blinders made of American exceptualism, but core principles still meant something, at least for lip service. They REALLY meant something on Main Street, or at least that's the way I remember it.

Vietnam, Watergate, and Iran-Contra ended all that, IMO. They hurried the ascendency of the MIC and the establishment of fascism at home, and imperialism abroad.

[Subdivisions]

194. Dropped right into my DU favorites folder. Thanks for articulating what

so many, myself included, are feeling.

[xjymnastjme]

210. Let's do something!

I see you agree with the previous post, but you should contact Congress and the 35 congressional leaders about this too!! If the issue affects so many, as you infer - it could benefit a lot of people and put them at ease! Much bigger waves can be made if you directly contact those in power. They can then use our ideas to formulate bigger and better actions, but not if we don't tell them what we want, think, or need!

Contacting our state representatives wouldn't be enough in this situation. It needs to reach a bigger audience with overarching power. I just tried this service on GripeGenie's website (www.GripeGenie.com) called Contact Congress, which would make this SO easy to quickly send your thoughts to whoever (or everyone) in Congress. We should really start acting on any issue we truly stand for where regulations, decisions, and courses of action can achieve what we're seeking - especially if we can no longer 'take it anymore!' *insert Twisted Sister song here*

While posting on these blogs promotes a smaller virtual community extending to support groups (such as the mentioned MoveOn.org), our message doesn't get directly to those who can really DO something about it! It bothers me because I'm sure the government doesn't read all the article and blog comments about our issues and I'm sure that in the slough just from this site, there are really good ideas and arguments floating around that will never see past the Internet! So let your ideas be heard

The exact effort put into these blog replies and posts is all it takes to contact your state's rep/senator or anyone else in Congress via GripeGenie.com so check it out and make a difference with your comments and ideas!

Create the change you're seeking and get more people to do so and hopefully we can bask in it soon!

[hippywife]

196. You are not alone.

I took myself out of the fray some time ago. I couldn't take the ignorance and lack of compassion anymore. I thought if I kept pushing it would happen. :hug:

K&R.

[sandyj999]

197. Amen

[Greyhound]

200. Almost 500 recs in 24 hours, not bad. n/t

[Fire Walk With Me]

201. "And so it begins."

:thumbsup:

[Laelth]

205. Well said. Indeed, the corporate takeover of the Party is a major problem. n/t

:dem:

-Laelth

[cwydro]

208. K and R.

I agree.

But it is too late for me with the Democratic Party. I will be changing my affiliation.

[xjymnastjme]

209. Contact Congress & make a difference!!!

Clearly you feel very strongly on this (as you should) and that was very well versed. You should contact Congress and the 35 congressional leaders!! Much bigger waves can be made if you directly contact those in power. They could use our ideas to formulate bigger and better actions, but not if we don't tell them what we want, think, or need...

Contacting our state representatives wouldn't be enough in this situation. It needs to reach a bigger audience with power. I just tried this service on GripeGenie's website (www.GripeGenie.com ) called Contact Congress, which would make this SO easy to quickly send your thoughts to whoever (or everyone) in Congress. We should really start acting on any issue we truly stand for where regulations, decisions, and courses of action can achieve what we're seeking.

While posting on these blogs promotes a smaller virtual community extending to support groups (such as the mentioned MoveOn.org), our message doesn't get directly to those who can really DO something about it! It bothers me because I'm sure the government doesn't read all the article and blog comments about our issues and I'm sure that in the slough just from this site, there are really good ideas and arguments floating around that will never see past the Internet!

The exact effort put into these blog replies and posts is all it takes to contact your state's rep/senator or anyone else in Congress via GripeGenie.com so check it out and make a difference with your comments and ideas!

Create the change you're seeking and get more people to do so and hopefully we can bask in it soon!