Americans...lazy over indulgent and pampered.

We all, from a very early age are conditioned. Inundated daily with a barrage of visual and sound cues designed to elicit a specific behavior. Buy, buy, and buy. Our news broadcasts now are merely a commodity. They are merely the fluff between the commercials the filling. Of course, we should not have to think about world affairs when there is a new Hawaiian Tropics give away, or a sale at the Bon Marche’. Jon Stewart said to Bill Moyers that he felt like the American people were being “gas lighted”. It was to me a Eureka moment a few days delayed. My brain sometimes works like that…processing a statement in context, then it hits me a few days later.

There are those on the right that are beginning to question this President. People that voted for him are now seriously questioning this man’s abilities. I applaud those on the right that are beginning to question the policies of the President. I earnestly hope they see the many shortcomings this man has. But taking a critical look at the Republican Party as well as the Democratic Party. I see Gephardt, Kerry, Leiberman ad-nauseum, (spineless wonders that they are) when not apologizing for Bush they are missing votes to investigate Bush, or voting to give him police state powers or the power to wage unrelenting war. The Democratic Leadership (if you can call it that) has caved. They are no longer on my side or I fear the side of any true Democrat or Republican. But it is not only the Democratic Party that has betrayed us, no I point just as surely to the Republicans and their betrayal of the people as well.

Each Party has allowed privilege and power to cloud their judgments. They have foisted on us NAFTA, GATT, WTO and a host of rules and regulations designed to enrich the top but not the bottom. Now we have destroyed a country and will rebuild it…how many of you plan on making any money off the reconstruction? How many of you made money on the promulgation of war? But on the same hand tell me who will pay for the reconstruction and the war? You.

Many of us here at DU bitch and moan and complain about the Republican’s underhandedness and dirty tricks. We will condemn a Republican Senator or House Member for Voting for war or pass the blame for the Patriot Act off on Ashkroft…but in reality your responsible. If you continue to support someone that has voted for these measures then your just as much a corporatist as they are. War, loss of rights this is what they want and your allowing it to happen.

I fear as a nation we are weak and ineffectual. We are encouraged to “vote for the lesser of two evils”. Evil though lesser is still evil. So I have decided to get over it. Frankly if Bush wins in 04 being Gay I will more than likely leave the country. If I am not dead from a terror attack. The next Corporatist whether the Democratic brand name or the Republican brand name won’t be a change or an improvement. Already I see members here saying, “Oh now that we invaded Iraq, we need to stay”. I imagine that is the way the press is presenting it now. I don’t know because I avoid TV like the plague.

Some talk a pretty good game but when it comes down to it, how many of us drive SUV’s? My neighbor lady has 100 pairs of shoes…why? When I see those shoes…I think of in most cases the slave labor that went into them. I mean will she ever wear them all? I am afraid we have all become complacent. It is little wonder; Americans are on average over weight, we’re lazy over indulgent and pampered.

So we will tolerate the invasion and occupation of a sovereign nation for no reason at all and then justify the occupation with “well we broke it, now we need to fix it” to that I say bullshit! Shame does not work but the blood of every single victim is on the hand of those that voted for this heinous war and by extension to those who voted for them and thereby endorsed their policies. Bush's * lie gives cover to Dem and Repubs alike.

I once loved America, but now feel nothing but shame. We are the oppressors around the globe…it is our way or the highway. It has been this way for a very long time and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Unless YOU wake from your slumber, and realize that it is not only the Republicans that are lying to you but the Democrats as well with a great big helping hand from the media. This is Amerika 2003. Long live the Corporate Empire.

How does she keep track of them? And what color are they all?

I read a long time back that television caused a form of "jealousy". People suddenly needed to have what they saw other people have. People were less acquisitive before television. We were deliberately converted from citizens to consumers.

Regarding the neighbor with 100 pair of shoes. Maybe she's acquistive, or maybe it's a form of therapy. I eat a lot because I like eating. If Bush comes on the news, I eat to counteract the negative. Your neighbor may do that with shoes. We can't control everything around us, but sometimes we can control a small portion of our own environment.

I don't want the lesser of two evils. I want a politician to represent and act for the people.

At the moment, I have hope. I heard part of Blair's performance tonight, and it was pretty feeble.

Damn storm knocked the power off for two hours. LOL.

Come on, time to get out and smell the flowers.

We MUST nominate Kucinich! Kucinich will receive overwhelming support from loyal democrats as well as the VAST majority of greens/socialists from the left. A Green/Dem coalition is the only hope we have of winning in 04', and our only hope of uniting the left is by nominating someone who will BE THERE...Who will stand up for the BASE and NEVER SELL US OUT!!!!

voting for Dennis. He is the most palatable across a broad range as far as I am concerned.

to listen to what you have to say. I find it funny that you have anything to complain about. You own a business and are a landlord. You have a lot more than what most people have and yet you are whining.

Sorry I am not going to vote against Democrats. Then again I see a post like this everyday from someone like you who probably has nothing to lose if Republicans win. You will always have your business and your buildings to live off off.

I guess that we should all allow the far right to take over because the Democrats aren't everything you want them to be. We should allow people who agree with us on the issues 10-20% of the time, if even that, because you couldn't get a Democrat to do everything you wanted 100% of the time.

Sometimes I wonder why you and your friends don't make a site called "WewantDemocratstolosein20004.com". That way you can make a board where you all can work to defeat Democrats while the rest of us do something productive.

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"You own a business and are a landlord."

several times here at DU. If he didn't want that info mentioned he should never have posted it here.

B. Want to buy a Subway cheap? Lets see how long you live off it Carlos.

You have a lot more than other people do. And yet you whine and complain.

And yet if a Republican administration takes over, when programs like Headstart get completely dismantled, you won't be suffering.

In fact I know you did...completely!

I really don't. Here is an idea. Why don't you go make a site called:

WeWantDemocratstolosein2004.com

where you and the rest of your friends can post all day about how to defeat Democrats and elect Republicans to "send messages".

Sympathy or not. In the broader scope of this...Head start is a miniscule problem compared to the one Bush Kerry Geppy and Daschle have created in the middle east. You Sir have validated my entire post. You want to pose and be the poster boy for it?

Tell to that the scores of inner city kids who need that program. Oh yeah, you really could care less about them.

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Oh yeah, like they are going to take over the country by storm? Go ahead and vote Green. But please the save us all the arrogance, self-righteous, and moral sanctimony that you all tend to project on us.

Like the Greens have won any important office yet? Please tell me, outside of San Francisco, Berkeley, Boulder, Madison, Ann Arbor, Cambridge, Amherst, Ithaca, or Manhattan, where a Green candidate has gotten any significant level of support?

If you look at the historical performance of the third parties you will see that your precious Greens' support in 2000 was quite pathetic. LaFolltee, TR, Wallace, Anderson, and Perot all got more votes than the Greens did. Maybe if the Greens actually polled like 10 or 15% of the vote, as those candidates above did, then maybe you could arrogantly brag about them. Hell, even if they were just at 5%, you could argue that that brand of left extermists should be taken seriously.

It's clear that you aren't going to do anything positive in 2004. It's unfortunate that all too many posters at DU are like you. All you will do is attack the Democratic Party, refuse to support its candidates, and then come back and bitch when Bush gets realistic. It's obvious that you will do nothing positive in 2004 but undermine the only credible opposition that can defeat Bush.

I would love to see a Green candidate win the White House. I would love to see a Green President try to implement their party's platform. I would love to see the Greens try to pass their agenda through a GOP dominated Congress that would bitterly oppose them every step of the way. The Greens can promise everything to their extremist supporters including the kitchen sink because they know they'll never be in a position to implement it.

As for being "full of myself" I could say that about you. If anything I'm not the one who looks down on everyone else the way you do. You should look in the mirror and see how arrogant you come off to people here.

What is your strategy to defeat Bush? You don't have one. Oh yeah, get rid of Democrats so that Republicans control everything. And then you can come back here come 2005 and bitch some more about a situation you helped make possible again?

Al From said Nader didn't cost Gore the election.

DEMS LOST ON THEIR OWN...and, with a little help from their enemies

I have been called many things but not those. But you can cll me arrogant if you want...Makes no diff to me. You are of no consequence in my life.

Spin this for me carlos...Why...when he was runnig for all intents and purposes and unoppsed...and against the advice and counsel of his constituitents...did Kerry vote for war. Was he smarter that them?They certainly have been proven right. Spin it baby spin...spin till your dizzy...It won't change the fact that 10k plus people are dead because of his vote.

You must really be proud of the carnage going on in Iraq...you jump to the traitors defense with an almost knee jerk reaction. How many people must die before your need of revenge for 9/11 is sated? 20k 30k 100k???

Every death in Iraq is on your hands Carlos if you vote for those that gave us this war. I for one am not willing to accept that Karma.

If having compassion and a sense of responsibility is your definition of "Full of myself and arrogant" ...The yes I am arrogant and full of myself.

Oh please--you really are an extremist, aren't you. But you are arrogant. I could care less if I am "of no consequence" in your life.

You can attack Kerry all you want. But Bush is a much worse person than Kerry ever will be. It is tellig that you would rather have Bush in office for another four years because of one issue.

What angers me about you is your all or nothing mentality. Either you get everything or the rest of us get nothing. That will get you nowhere.

I care about lots of issues. I care about civil rights laws. I care about Head Start. I care about the poor. I care about women's reproductive rights. I care about the environment. I care about education. I care about all those issues.

What about the issues in this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=21349&mesg_id=21349&page=

Is this important to you? Given how you pooh-poohed Headstar it is obvoious how little you really care about the most vulnerable people in our country.

What angers me is that you are willing to set everything back further because of the Iraqi issue. I wasn't in favor the war either, but I am not going to willing give Bush another four years because of it when there is so much at stake.

What about the people who will be affected by Bush's domestic policies? Are they of "any consequence" to you? Probably not, given your reply to me.

Unwittingly, in this thread, you show your true colors. For a "progressive" you are really show a lack of empathy and concern for others. If anything you are a "regressive".

Your all or nothing mentality will get you nowhere. And millions of Americans are going to suffer because of it should your vote make the difference.

Do you care about them at all? Apparently not because they are "of no consequence" to your life.

They are going to get dismantled too!

War Jim NO Kerry YES
Patriot Act Jim No Kerry Yes
Homeland Gestapo Jim No Kerry Yes

I think Jim is more of Democrat than John...in a big way. They havae to earn my vote now Carlos...with action not plattitudes.

McDermott represents the most Democratic seat in Washington State. You never acknowledge that point because maybe it would force you to realize that these Senators and Congressmen have to represent all of their constituency, not just those on the very far left.

You've made it clear that you won't vote for any Democrat next year because almost all of them voted for the Patriot Act. So please don't bitch about Bush because you won't have done anything positive at the ballot box.

Why don't you go create a website called "WewantDemocratstolosein2004.com"? That way you can work to defeat Democrats and replace them with conservative right wingers. After all that is what you will be doing all next year.

The arrogance on your part is astounding.

I thought only the LP contested his seat. Maybe I'm wrong.

A woman...I had her web site saved but deleted it. Damn I wish I still had it.

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I have watched things here for about a year, and I must say that today has had more truly awful posts than any I can remember in any one day.
But your post is the most disturbing of all. Its holier than thou, self serving attitude is truly nauseating.

and if it made you think then it served its purpose.

I thought I had the worst post today!:)

RC

Because you sure as hell are not speaking for or against me or my kind.

:beer:

Right on the money. Those who disagree appear to be either newbies or chronic gainsayers.

unfortunately..

So many of the people protesting this war were not registered to vote... I asked many if they were registered and so many were not...
had I known that I would have brought forms with me...but hell I thought somoene would be registered to vote if they cared enough to protest...but alas that was not always true.

Wherever I go! Along with enlistment forms for the pro war people.

out...

To my recollection, your expression here is, at the very least, one of if not the best I have seen you or many others place on DU in a great while. I share many of your thoughts, but mine are jumbled and shoot off in many directions. They lack organization and compilation into a such a whole as you have provided. Would that I had possessed the insight and fortitude to have put it together so completely, succinctly, and on the mark and then share it as you have done.

that means a lot coming from you!

Always appreciate your words of wisdom.

:hi:

:bounce:

because I'm damned if I can remember the source or the exact quote . . . all I know is that it was a Native American sometime way back when . . . he noted something like "All the white man cares about is trade. Why do they care so much for trade and so little for living?" . . . or something like that . . .

You mean besides Howard Dean?

:-)

"Amerika" - very original. It is so clever how you insert the "k".

The "Corporate Empire"? I work for a corporation. Do you realize that corporations create jobs?

Probably not. I would rather take junior college poli sci courses.

OK, mabye not. Study hard.

I am all too aware! Is your corporation like Enron? Worldcom? Tyco? GE...the Nuke builders? Or Like McDonalds no Nike perhaps...All fine and shining examples of greed run amok I guess you have bought into the lie as well. Corporations Creat Jobs? Last I heard they were paking up and moving offshore. Most of them anyway...the ones that stay...well, how long before your job is outsourced?

tear it all down!

Do you realize that people working for corporations make the corporation possible? Privatized government ain't Democracy chief...it's what's called a fascist regime and in a fascist regime people aren't free.

That's great you work for a Corporation by the way....I don't want to....nor do I care to be governed by one.

RC

....and tonight I encouraged friends with income approx. 5X mine to stop going to WalMart and start saving some money.

The way I did it was not by pushing politics down their throats, but rather by telling them how I made a New Years resolution to cut down on clutter and wear the clothes that I already have and use the stuff that I already have.

Problem is, the main wage-earner works a lot of hours per week, so isn't around to see what gets spent, while the other members of the family are the spendthrifts.

As for me, I have bought very little during the whole year of 2003 except for food and stuff like insurance, car repairs, etc.

my sister found that book inspiring. Larry was a guy who only had 70 possessions.

I am almost as pure as Nader - I drive a Trek which was made about 14 years ago in Korea.

Funny thing about all those Iraqi deaths. I marched against the war in February, expecting it to kill over 100,000 Iraqis like the last Gulf war did. If you remember that the sanctions were killing about 30,000 Iraqis a year, then so far the war looks humanitarian.

I also am not sure why a humanitarian would want to immediately pull out and let Saddam come back, or let the anarchy inevitably produce a Stalin or Khomeni wanna-be as the next Iraq ruler. Not that I expect JR to do anything but appoint his own Pinochet. Maybe Dean could find a Sadat.

Before the war, it was very easy for me to figure out what should be done, or not done as it were. Now that we are there, it is harder to figure out what would be best for the Iraqis.

Sorry, that line made me ill:)

I hate it

My biggest fear is that Americans won't wake up until we are actually a 3rd world country.

Part of the reason I become an economic expat in August.

My biggest fear is that Americans won't wake up until we are actually a 3rd world country.

Part of the reason I become an economic expat in August.

My biggest fear is that Americans won't wake up until we are actually a 3rd world country.

Part of the reason I become an economic expat in August.