NY Times Editorial calls for a timeout by people

I posted this on another site, but wanted to post this here, as it was very startling to me to read this. In their lead editorial yesterday, when discussing the new tax cuts passed by our representatives in Congress, the NY Times seems stunned. They call for the people of this democracy to "call a timeout." Link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/20/opinion/20sun1.html?th

Article's conclusion:

"When you step back and look at it, the collective tax-cutting psyche of Mr. Bush and his partisans appears to border dangerously on the grandiose. How else to explain their relentless profligacy in the face of the unprecedented Bush-era swing from budget surplus to deficit, the unmistakable long-term trend of a rich-get-richer, poor-get-poorer income distribution, the ballooning costs of war, the weaker dollar, rising oil prices and record deficits in trade and investment - which now require the United States to borrow $2.1 billion a day from abroad? It's time for the people, the ultimate referees in a democracy, to call a timeout."

My question: what does this timeout look like and how do we do it??

I was startled, actually, when I read the last line of this editorial. It seemed to me that the NY Times is calling America's citizens to action. But how, I asked myself, do I call a timeout? When the Congress is taking on more and more power, when Bush has decided that he can pick and choose among laws to follow, what are our options??

Some options I can think of:

* Massive protests of the theft of power by this administration and the republican congress. Unfortunately, the mainstream media does not appear to pay too much attention (Tony Snow to Bill O'Reilly on Inauguration night: "There were only 500 to 1000 protestors today.") to Americans frustrated by the lack of attention.

* Massive boycotts: stop buying anything that is not absolutely necessary for the next month, or two, or six. Cripple the corporations. Make them be fair and balance. There are 58 million of us, and I have been writing about using our financial power for pushing back to the power that is pushing us around.

So, what do we do? How do we call a timeout??

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I think that's the whole point of stealing elections.

but wishes do not always become true just because we wish them.

:kick:

A "Time OUT"..is self explanatory. If done en masse it could be very effective.

I'm not mainstream anyway..so anything I don't buy or use wouldn't be noticed. But If all the Dems who voted for Kerry took a TIME OUT..I smell crippling economy. Speak with out wallets since our Feet didn't make it!

My first reaction was to say the only time out need here was on part of the Repukes.
But if the people really did come together and take a time out from the economy.

I like it...better than time out. ZERO out! Good for you, good for the (long term) economy.

I realize it's easier said than done, but in my case...
March '03 - $10,000
March '04 - $6,000
March '05 - $2,800

I'll be finished by the summer, and man, it will feel like I've gotten a huge raise.

I'm working on it too..

We are practically neighbors btw..Mohawk Valley here.

to stop an overly zealous government.

What the Constitution does provide is a vigorous Fourth Estate to act as the people's safeguard against a radical government. If the Times had any interest in the Constitution, they would have acted as a check against bushco and their trampling of our rights and the destruction of our Republic. Instead, they gave Judith Miller front-page space to spread bushco's lies about the non-existent Iraq WMD threat. They currently give opinion space to that idiot David Brooks who has yet to meet a fact that he could embrace. And this after they lead the charge against Clinton on the phony Whitewater debacle.

Sorry, NY Times - you abdicated your Constitutional responsibility when it could have meant something. Proposing a non-existent check on the government is as childish as it is cynical.

A timeout. How fucked up is that?

I have been writing about this for months. I have been suggesting to only buyblue, to buy locally, or not buy at all. We have 58 million people on our side. Why don't we timeout of consuming - nothing but what is absolutely necessary??? Send a message to Bush, to congress, to the dems as well - if we no longer participate in being a part of the mass consumerism society, our voices will be heard.

There are lots of ways to do this that don't hurt your local economy, that, in fact, help your local economy. We can do this, but we need a voice. We need a protest, and a protest month.

Ideas???

got to be done!

I think you're on to something.."There are lots of ways to do this that don't hurt your local economy, that, in fact, help your local economy."

.and becoming even more drastic for a greater cause.

We now only shop at Costco and certified blue estabishments when we HAVE to. It would take a real emergency to go elsewhere.

$

Use your votes wisely.

It's time for the NYT to start reporting the truth instead of being stenographers for Karl Rove.

There have been many cases recently when a "news" organization has reported on this "dilemma." Yet, it was these same organizations that enabled the Bushistas to seize, control, and abuse power.

Just last week, my wife told me about a skit on NPR about Bush's Social Security plans (or lack of them). She said NPR did a parody of the Beatles' tune "When I'm 64" and used lyrics describing if Social Security would be around then. It appeared from my wife's description that the parody was highlighting the excesses and abuses of Bush Social Security no-Plan. I thought the idea was funny and clever, but then I realized it was the same NPR that brought us Bush-fellating propaganda, such as Cokie Roberts's "Bush and his charm offensive" "reports" (Roberts: "Bush is, oh, so charming!") during Campaign2000.

F*ck you NPR. And f*ck you too, NYT. You both, along with your fellow "news reporters" have a long way to go to redeem yourselves.

meal or TV show. When those become jeopardized, then, just maybe, the idiot public will notice.

safe little no nothing enclaves.

they decided to let Judith Miller promote Bush's little war in Iraq. It is the press that should be the spokesmen for the people. Where were they?

What the editorial is trying to say, but doesn't have the guts to, is that the complete and utter dissociation of reality from elections has made these "Old-Fashioned Timeouts" impossible.

The sad truth is that there already ARE established non-electoral ways of "calling a timeout".

But discussing any of them in a public forum would result in a vists from the SS and OHS, two organizations which, since utterly transforming into the Totalitarian Striking Arms of the Emperor, are two organizations you would not want to fall afoul of.

like that!

:P

in peaceful protests. If you engage in illegal protesting, you have lost the moral high ground. Besides, it's wrong in my view.