JohnA:
Note 2 quite recent votes of Sen. Obama: FISA and TARP. What interchangeable ideological label applies to those?
How about, fucked up?
MarkR:
the grassroots ferment that was used to ensure the D's "won" the White House this time.
Please. We all know the scam of the system. Including a great many of Obama's voters. A great many of them. Don't be condescending. They chose something because they honestly hoped it would be better, right or wrong. Because they wanted more peace and justice, rather than less, and thought this was the best they could do.
They are an emergent majority popular front for peace and justice. The first and largest in the US since the 1970s, I do believe.
Imagine the following hypothetical: What if, in the 2008 election, there had been no "using" of the electorate? No ideological patterning, no myths about America, no cover-up of its policies, no legitimation of the two-party system as natural, no corporate media manipulations, omissions, false "balance" doctrines or lies of any kind. Imagine they'd just told the truth about the last eight years and the biographies and qualifications of the candidates on offer.
In that case: What do you think the Republican vote would have been? 24 percent? 16 percent?
Thesis: Without consant propping from the media, the Republicans would have ceased to exist several years ago.
Now tell me more about the manipulated 2008 results!
Recall also that not so long ago, instead of claims a majority was manipulated, you could have been writing this: "The election fraud and Supreme Court intervention in violation of the Constitution that brought Bush to power in a coup." Hm, I think you probably have written something that sounds like that.
Or "the tainted and suspicious results of Ohio."
Do you think this doesn't matter? Why do these parties and candidates make such an enormous effort to beat what they think is the other side - for your entertainment?
When was the last time the real winner of a presidential election was allowed to take office? When was the last time a legitimate majority voted for the winner?
One standard for both parties.
Excellent idea. Now tell me: What was the worst thing the Democratic Party did on the federal level from about 2000 to 2009?
(cue Final Jeopardy music...)
Hm, could it be this?
Facilitation & legitimation of a regime that came to power by fraudulent election and unconstitutional procedure. Total lock-step in the aftermath of Sept. 11th. Voting overwhelmingly for almost every single one of this regime's provisions, wars, attacks on constitutional liberties and rights. Refusing to acknowledge that the regime had openly declared a proudly lawless doctrine of executive power that amounted to tyranny. Complete failure to exercise the most basic oversight or opposition functions essential to democracy and the rule of law. Looking on
Hmmmm... what else did the Democrats accomplish in the last eight years? Oh, right: nothing. Taking impeachment "off the table."
Knowing all you know, are you really going to help the Democrats allow the worst criminal cabal in this nation's modern history to escape, to be rewarded for their crimes against humanity, their practice of aggressive war, torture and lies on the grandest scale? Is this really the time to forget all that, "move on," and act as though show you're not duped by Obama is more important?
Not that it doesn't matter. Not at all. You are a smart progressive guy rightly angered by the continuing wars, imperial interventions and covert actions of a federal government that -- for nine days already -- has been under the formal leadership of Obama, whose rhetorical support of the US warfare state you rightly reject. That Obama, man!
Now: Pretend also, that as someone with a high awareness of these issues, you understand your duty as to take actions that will actually change this -- and not just make the clearest stance of expressing righteous outrage. (Assume the two are often, but not always, the same.)
Still following? Okay, the day's big question:
Of the following list, which strategy can you follow that is likeliest to have a long term impact toward ending these evils?
a) Attack Obama now, by any means necessary. Make sure to equate him with Bush.
b) Blame his voters for killing children in Gaza (bring a map in case you need to show them where it is).
c) Focus on exposure and justice for the many evident high crimes of the outgoing regime and its allies in power, including the still-living cause of ending the 9/11 cover-up and gaining truth disclosure. Use the 35 Kucinich impeachment articles as the rough guide.
d) Take measures to remind the majority who elected Obama that they voted for change and should actually expect, demand and work for it -- even against what Obama wants!
e) chap my ass with cut-and-paste articles pedantically telling stuff about the system that every single reader of this forum's pages understood thoroughly an average of 19.4 years ago.
You may choose two answers out of a through e. Because you are both a smart and an energetic, multi-tasker guy!
So which are they? What's your priority? Does the Bush regime get to walk?
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