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An open letter to Democrats and Progressives
By the Thimble

My friends, we live in interesting times.

We live in times that have changed the world from being a series of regions into a region from which there is no border. Where space, as a constraint upon connection, has ceased to be. We live in the global age.

And with these times, with change, comes fear. But we cannot retreat from fear. We must approach that which makes us fear and understand it. Once we have understanding, we can use action to achieve an intended consequence. Action, without understanding, results in unintended consequences. It results in chaos.

Therefore we must understand something about American politics. We are at war. They have declared war, they have fought the war, they are winning the war, and it is because we do not understand that we are at war that we are losing this “Culture War”. It is because we have sought compromise and reciprocation from an enemy who does not reciprocate or compromise that we look weak and lost. We cannot appease the aggressor. We must fight. It is time we end compromise. It is time we end negotiation. It is time to stop flip flopping.

It is time to declare war.

That these truths are not self evident saddens those who would believe in you. That the leader of our movement would retreat to a land of prayer, when the believers in democracy needed his support on the battlefield, is outrageous. That democrats would vote to certify an election under spurious circumstances, that they would allow the endorser of torture to be confirmed with their approval, is shameful. It does not matter whether or not your disapproval has any effect on the outcome, what matters is that you disapprove of the outcome. You register complaint. You fight. You understand what you believe in, you live by it, and die by it. This is war.

And we believe in democracy. We know what they believe in.

"For it has been said so truthfully that it is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the agitator, who has given us the freedom to protest.

It is the soldier who salutes the flag, serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag, who gives that protester the freedom to abuse and burn that flag.

No one should dare to even think about being the Commander in Chief of this country if he doesn't believe with all his heart that our soldiers are liberators abroad and defenders of freedom at home."

They believe that the soldier is the vanguard of the constitution, the securer of democracy. Is that such a good premise?

The soldier lives in an authoritarian environment in which a heirarchy dictates their orders and they follow them without question. When we look at history, we see that the elements from this environment do not produce democracy. From Haiti to Chile to Argentina to El Salvador, and many places which should be familiar to our memory, they have produced dictators. We see, that when elements of the military assume responsibility for civilian society, we get secrecy, regimentally, unaccountability, near absolute authority, and - without fail - catastrophe.

It is because of this that:
"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together. "

The soldier secures our national borders and projects our national presence. The soldier mobilizes our society, it does not fight for our right to speak. That right is fought for by our thinkers, our dreamers, our students, our teachers, our lawyers, and - most importantly - our press.

For it is our press which educates us about the goings on within the corridors of power. It is the press which acts as the final check and balance of government authority. It is the press which gives us the information by which we evaluate the actions of government. Our lives, as informed citizens of the Republic which represents us, depends upon the communication of truth, for which the press is responsible for distributing. And where is that press?

It is within a corporate environment in which a heirarchy dictates their orders and the journalists follow them without question.

We live interesting times. We are at war - but we are not without weapons. We have the truth, a weapon which cuts both ways - as it should if we veer from its calling. We have an electronic medium, which remains democratic, to distribute this truth. We have a calling to fight, not without question, but with the information and questions necessary to confront authoritarian power. We need to become a citizen’s army, mobilized by what we know, to confront those who believe in what they’re told.

We need to stop giving ground to fight another day. Given ground is lost ground and there is always another day to fight. Today is your day. Every day is your day from this moment on. If you are elected to represent your citizens, fight for them as Feingold, Wellstone, Boxer, and others have done - often on their own. We need take ground, become proactive, seize this day for there are challenges from these authortarians which must be met if democratic society is to be maintained.

And the war must be fought in the homes of the constituients, by the protests of our people, by the true vanguards of democracy - its citizens. We all must act as we now stand against the wall of the constitution, ready to give ground.

We must be brave now and declare our War for Democracy.

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Registered: Nov 2003
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I feel your pain.The life of a leftist ( which as a fan of Hugo Chavez you must be ) has to be a hard one in the US.

The frustration of not having class hate , envy and blamming the "upper class" for their problems not taking root among red state whites that has worked so well in other cases .The failure to wipe out hope that one day , if they work hard, they may be able to raise their standard of living and pass it on to their children, rather than have the government take it away like a big benevolent mommy and give it to us like an allowance .

It is a shame that liberals can't do for poor whites what they have done for inner city blacks. Maybe that the result that the left wanted though? A preputial poor, dependant on the government, and bitter voting block, after all that is the only way they can get and keep power .

That is failing with the Latinos too , who as they move into the middle class are turning their backs on the left in droves.The left won't be able to keep them in ghettos like they have blacks it seems.

The failure to pass hatred of western culture off as multiculturalism and self flogging sappy self righteous guilt as enlightenment .It has worked so well in Europe after all.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/...storyId=4191408

I think there are far too many guns , too much hope and pride and not enough bitterness and envy in America for a workers paradise to be built.

Last edited by lucidnightmare on 01-13-2005 at 02:49 PM

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Shiit, Liberals declared war on America a long time ago. It was right about then that the whining maggots started losing it.

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The American Right's winning strategy is to drown out the lefty whines with their own. Boo hoo, evil Liberal Media Conspiracy. At this rate, the GOP is going to end up like the Democrats, only much, much stupider.

In an ideal world, an intelligent party of the Right would then emerge, but in reality, probably not.

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Welcome to Earth. Are you visiting here on business or for pleasure?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Smug Git
The American Right's winning strategy is to drown out the lefty whines with their own. Boo hoo, evil Liberal Media Conspiracy. At this rate, the GOP is going to end up like the Democrats, only much, much stupider.

In an ideal world, an intelligent party of the Right would then emerge, but in reality, probably not.

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quote:

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Originally posted by lucidnightmare
I am uncomfortable with the religious right , even though I defend their right to have a place in the party , I think they worry too much about what other people are doing in their private lives. I wish Republicans could win without them .(I do mean the extreme ones) But I fear their vision less than I do that of the far left.

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So shalt the abomination squirmeth with the hearing of the word, and by the hearing of the word great squirming by the abomination shalt there be. Thus the squirming of the abomination at the hearing of the word shalt be great.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Mugtoe
you likely don't squirm at Leviticus quite as much as I do.

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Last edited by lucidnightmare on 01-13-2005 at 04:32 PM

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Yes, the well-known electoral majority of Islamic voters is very likely to impose Sharia rule in the US.

You're closer to killing fags than you are to the scenario detailed above, if we want to discuss likelihoods. But I do agree that the effects of attacking the Church/State seperation might well be larger than, and eventually contrary to, the those desired by the people doing it. However, that element of the Christian Right are somewhat ascendent now (although they may take a hit if Delay gets indicted) and that is a big concern, to me at least. Had the GOP some power in the last election then there might have had to be a re-evalation of this and the GOP could have been somewhat reclaimed by fiscal and governmental conservatives, but that isn't what happened.

Last edited by Smug Git on 01-13-2005 at 05:27 PM

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quote:

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The frustration of not having class hate , envy and blamming the "upper class" for their problems not taking root among red state whites that has worked so well in other cases .The failure to wipe out hope that one day , if they work hard, they may be able to raise their standard of living and pass it on to their children, rather than have the government take it away like a big benevolent mommy and give it to us like an allowance .

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The Anti-Americans
by Guy Reel
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0113-21.htm

It's been a little more than two months since the election, and one thing is clear: You've got to hand it to the rightie-tighties. The pursed-lipped, pseudo-moralist right-wing commentators and pundits have the debate right where they want it. Their arguments are so easy and simple, they have mass appeal. They have the Democrats cornered, and unless the frame of the debate is changed, the Democrats have little chance of reversing the political fortunes of the nation for some time.

The following observations are aimed at the right-wing pundits - not at the numerous Republicans who just want the same things we all do: safety, security, a good educational system, a high standard of living, an ability to offer hope for the rest of the world. Most mainstream Republicans by definition aren't radicals, and most don't even listen to the cable news and right-wing radio commentators. Thus, many of them are by chance not aware, or are deliberately unaware, of the right's poisonous commentary that passes for political debate in America. What that means is - most Republicans don't know about the radical voices that speak for them. For the pundits who dominate the airwaves - the rightie-tighties - are painting their opponents as enemies not just of America, but of normalcy, decency, and common sense. In other words, the right-wing commentators are creating an atmosphere that threatens the fabric of our democracy by casting liberal foes as enemies and as corrupt spiritual and moral cowards. To stop this insanity, and the division, Republicans of good conscience need to stand up and be counted among the reasonable.

Think about it for a second. Here's the way the extreme right-wingers - i.e., people you hear every day, all day, on TV and radio - have termed the debate:

If you fight for civil liberties, you're pro-criminal.

If you fight for justice in U.S. foreign policies, you're anti-American.

If you think people should have a right to determine their life partners and give them health benefits, you're pro-queer.

If you question the justice of a war based on false intelligence, you don't support the troops.

If you think the U.S. government should not be spying on its own citizens, you're pro-terrorist.

If you think the United States should not be torturing those it holds captive, you're coddling murderers.

If you think people should not be held indefinitely without trial or lawyers, you support terrorism.

If you think society should help the poor, you're soft on the shiftless.

If you want equal education for all, you're pro-black at the expense of whites.

If you want health care for all, you're a socialist.

If you think everyone has a right to a fair trial, you're soft on crime.

If you hope for a fairer tax system, you're for higher taxes.

If you want a government that helps people, you're for big government.

The list of lies could go on. But in short, it is clear that the righteous right has done a great job of framing the debate as one that pits "normal" and "good" Americans against all the "others" - the poor, the minorities, the gays, the disenfranchised, and the liberals who sometimes champion their causes. Consequently, many of these "normal" Americans are convinced that the Democrats and the liberals are their enemies. Of course, the right-wing's ability to fight ideological wars in the homeland is remarkably more efficient than their ability to manage real fighting overseas; perhaps that's to be expected, since many of the neocons and their mendacious pundit friends are notorious draft-dodgers.

Their rhetorical trick is no secret. The right-wing blowhards make no distinctions between Democrats, liberals, and extreme left-wingers who do indeed sometimes espouse values that are out of touch with most people. Thus, Democrats or liberals are called anti-American, and are painted as against common-sense values that ordinarily would unite us all.

But here is the rub: The opposite is what is actually true: The real anti-Americans are the rabid right-wingers who are polluting our airwaves with endless lies and paranoia that are poisoning the nation and its future.

The real anti-Americans are those who, if you will just take a moment to listen to the pundits and observe the policies of this administration, are against the greatest principles upon which this country was founded:

They are against personal liberty, having endorsed government suspension of habeus corpus and having backed the government's power to monitor what books you check out of the library.

They are for big government, wanting a government so invasive that it can monitor your bedroom activities or stop a grandmother from smoking pot to alleviate her cancer pain.

They are against civil liberties, having supported the government's power to spy on our bookstore, credit card and hotel receipts.

They have fought for a weaker military, having compromised the country's military might and harmed our readiness to wage necessary wars, all the while fighting against better benefits for veterans and those in harm's way.

They favor a weaker America, supporting fiscal policies that are emasculating the nation through ruinous deficits and reckless fiscal acts that threaten the dollar and our standard of living, thus compromising our position as the world's greatest power.

They support a secretive government, founded on cronyism and ideological loyalties rather than upon democracy and openness.

They are undermining the United States' leadership as a moral beacon for the world, having ignored many of our allies and sponsored an arrogant foreign policy that encourages terrorism.

They are against basic morals, such as help for the poor, education for all, social security, and universal health care for children, the poor and the unemployed.

They are on the side of the wealthy and the powerful at the expense of the underdog, having redirected tax and regulatory policies that favor the richest among us.

They are against the young and unborn, having enacted policies that increase the number of abortions and the infant mortality rate.

They are against states' rights, having backed judges who favor greater federal power in energy, health care, and electoral policies.

They are for environmental policies that are not conservationist - i.e., are not conservative - but instead reward polluters and promote consumption of resources.

They are anti-capitalist, favoring not a free marketplace but a big government that determines winners and losers through payouts to the biggest contributors to their coffers - i.e., the wealthiest drug, energy, business and military contractors.

They are hypocrites, immoral in their personal conduct - as are we all - but they loudly and happily condemn those on the other side as hypocrites and examples of moral failings.

They are against the greatest of American values - common sense - by offering arguments even the most casual listening reveals are blatantly illogical and prone to fallacy.

They look upon the ordinary people, even those who support them, with contempt, as they speak as demagogues yet condemn those who speak out against them as demagogues.

None of this sounds like the Americans I know.

That's especially true of the Republicans I know. Yet, the Republicans are allowing these dangerous demagogues to speak as conservatives, which they are not; they are allowing them to speak out as as pro-American, which they are not; and they are letting them pose as Republicans, which they certainly are not. These right-wing pundits are dangerous not just for the Democrats, but will almost certainly prove to be, ultimately, the undoing of the Republicans. That's because once a few of their lies collapse, their entire system of propaganda will collapse in a matter of weeks. Republicans with sense and with morals must speak out to be heard above them, and they must do it now - for their own survival as well as for our well being as a nation.

America has always stood for justice, freedom, and hope for the downtrodden. If you don't believe it, read the enscription on the Statue of Liberty. America is a conservative nation, given to conservative values of freedom, caution, happiness, and hope. Yet none of these values are embodied by the people who speak for the far right today. They are not conservative, and they believe in few of our American ideals. Listen to them. They have lied so succesfully they have convinced those who do believe them that it is the "other side," not them, who are the anti-Americans. It is a common tool of propaganda - do what the enemy does, while blaming the enemy for it - and it must be stopped.

Many, many Republicans are not on the side of these pundits. Yet party affilitation and the "blue-state/red-state" dichotomy has colored our thinking. We are being divided by the lies of the right-wing pundits.

It must be said now, and it must be said again and again: These pundits claim the Democrats and the liberals are anti-American. But of course it is the other way around. The extreme right-wing commentators are anti-American in every way - in their values, morals, conduct, hypocrisy, and propagandist denegration of the values they claim to espouse.

That is the way to reframe the debate. The liberals aren't the anti-Americans. The anti-Americans are the ultra right-wing hysterics who are warning you against the nefarious liberals. The anti-Americans are the ones who are actually warning you against basic American values, yet they are the same people pretending to be wrapped up in the cloth of the American flag.

If that seems harsh, it must be said because, after all, they say it every single day about anyone who disagrees with them.

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Interesting piece. I would say, however, that reversing the "trend" won't be difficult if the left continues to mobilize and push its causes and ideals.

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quote:

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It's been a little more than two months since the election, and one thing is clear: You've got to hand it to the rightie-tighties. The pursed-lipped, pseudo-moralist right-wing commentators and pundits have the debate right where they want it. Their arguments are so easy and simple, they have mass appeal. They have the Democrats cornered, and unless the frame of the debate is changed, the Democrats have little chance of reversing the political fortunes of the nation for some time.

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The way the issues are framed isn't the problem as these progressives would have it .The problem isn't that they couldn't find the correct way to package their beliefs so that the people they see as beneath them , the teeming masses of dumb rednecks , racist , Islamiphobes and greedy white people who object to having their money redistributed as the benevolent ascended masters know is best for us all .

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