Do you think the time will ever come when Americans get fed up enough to actually DO something?

Just curious.

Really.

BHN

while shiny objects (Olympics, Georgian war, Ivins) distract us from the next major clusterfuck the neocons are planning for us. If we start bombing Iran, there had better be a hue and cry like this country has not seen in a hundred years or more.

This country is going down with a whimper.
Make no mistake.

BHN

for too many years now...

I recently quit drinking because I realized I was
abusing it to sleep and deal with my outrage factor.
I blame the reliance on the last
20 years of bozos and clowns destroying
my country; thus my dream.

Everything we grew up believing is no longer true.
My brother and I talk about it every time we spend phone time.
We're both seriously pissed about the fact that
we've been "had."

If you've never read it, may I recommend
reading "The Fifties" by David Halberstam
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=1-9780449909331-19
The book REALLY illustrates why we grew up believing
what we did.
"Century of Self" is a must see documentary too.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/century_of_the_self.shtml
Exposes the brain washing techniques used on the American people
by the corporates and the government. MUST see doc.

Seriously considering leaving the US.
Have been for some time.

Wanna come along?

BHN:thumbsup: :hug:

election fiasco occur wherein the Pukes are put in power again. I have landed immigrant status in Canada and my cousin owns property in Costa Rica -- remote and fairly isolated.

I have been stripped of all my natural buoyancy and faith in humanity that made me so happy for 30+ years. These greedy bastards suck the life out of those that believe in a better way. Maybe I was too naive. A change for the positive has to happen, and I suppose if we can't muster enough integrity and passion to secure that change, it will be time to move on.

What locations intrigue you?

BD12 :pals: back at ya!

Maybe AltheCat will show me around.

I've got a good friend in Auckland.
She married a NZer 5, 6 years ago.
I'm want to visit her this year and
investigate the possibilities.

Don't know if the economic circumstance
will be better any where under a global banking cabal-
but at least I wouldn't be surrounded by morons
watching Fox news in my poverty.
BHN

Have some photography experience and can keep my paragraphs to 3 or less sentences! :bounce:

I can't afford the 300 and some bucks for a damn passport.
Besides I don't think another country would take in someone like me.

so I will stay and fight.

At the Land Trust behind my house we have been having movie nights every week.So far we have shown Zietgiest,Suzuki Speaks and THe Real Dirt on Farmer John.All movies and/or documentaries that are geared to waking people up to the reality we face.
Century looks like it would be a good addition to our line up.

You could show them two and two with discussion
groups in between.
DU it!

BHN

On of the most esteemed and wise men of our time, IMHO.

We like to think of ourselves as a nation of fighters, but we're not, and probably never have been. The vast majority of Americans are complacent, naive, and way too comfortable, and we believe we have too much to lose. As long as there's a Target or a Walmart, a Safeway and a mall nearby, we're fine. And a lot of us, sadly, believe the hype about this country and our so-called democracy.

The serfs have HDTV and the internets.

They're pretty.

Without being too pedantic, we're actually quite energetic when it comes to leisure.

As long as the serfs have their internets, HDTV's, iPods, video-games, etc. they're content, or if not content, at least not pissed off enough to actually do something.

on how hungry and/or entertainment deprived we get and how many doors our overlords kick in down Main Street.

'nuff said.

and we know what we did to them. Hehehehehe!

but if McCain manages to steal this "election", I'm leaving. No, it's not me threatening to hold my breath, it's me finally understanding that I can't fight it in a vacuum and that the MSM whores and their political employers have won.

coworkers that things are even as half bad as they are. They think I'm their pet 'librul' and should go get drunk once in a while. I am also a Canadian citizen, so in a couple of short years I will be retiring there, to a life of normalcy. Canadians are wonderful. It's nothing like here.

I'm a nurse. I have a fair amount of skill with Spanish and French. My score is high enough. If I gather enough money, I can bring my nuclear family and well, the rest of it, we're just not going to talk about.

and they just adopted a really stupid tourist slogan: "Seattle, We're Metronatural", but I've said for a long time that their slogan should be, "Seattle, We're Almost Canada".

I love Vancouver. They have all the wonderfulness of Seattle without the pretentiousness and with good public transportation. They have a thriving, living, breathing downtown instead of relegating it to giant businesses. The idea of being a participant in a universal healthcare system, both as a provider and as a recipient is fabulous.

Just pick and issue, inform people on it, and ask them why the M$M didn't give them all that information.

People have pride and don't like to be "had." Showing them how they want to think for themselves rather than let the M$M manipulate them could be effective.

And no, I am not saying that affairs are always women's fault.

Condi wouldn't allow poaching.

because if the last 8 years haven't woken the country up, how big a crisis would it take?

And would there be anybody still alive and functional then?

i don't know if it will come in my lifetime, but yes.

edited to ask do you?

Oppression that is clearly inexorable and invincible does not give rise to revolt but to submission.
--Simone Weil

The elite will abuse us to the point we revolt. They always do. Once we revolt the elite get stuck having to throw a bone or two to that generation and usually the one after it. Then the gloves can come off and the elite can start taking it all back.

America has done this more than once.

No!

We are kept pacified to the point of apathy.

Only if the gas dries up and the cable tv goes away. Americans have sat around in self-indulgent apathy for so long that I think it is part of the emotional gene pool.

As the economy continues to crash and burn,
as higher education becomes more and more unattainable
for the average student and the only available jobs
pay less than a living wage with no health benefits,
more and more young people will see no opportunity
to survive without enlisting.

It is by design, all of it.

BHN

coming in and we don't have to wait in line for hours for food and staples. Most people are comfortable. That could all change quickly though.

What a fucking country.

Some Americans are fed up, and some of them are doing and will continue to do some things - many of them opposing other Americans.

But Americans will never act as one, I'm glad to say.

Or many medium catalysts snowballing.

It would take the government 24 hours to bring the populace to its knees by shutting down cell phones, cable TV and internet access. They could compel acknowledging some loyalty oath as a condition to being able to access the internet. Americans would rat out family members to get their internet and cell phone privileges returned.

The day of Americans in the streets redressing grievances, being rowdy, and demanding change are long gone. Unless there's a draft again, in which event we might actually see more than blogging as indignation.

I'm not fooled by you, and I reject your calls to violence.

but you also have to realize so much of this "breathless anticipation" people are exhibiting is just another manifestation of escapism. everyone has a natural fear of public speaking, of being in front of crowds and not being adored. but overwhelming acceptance, of movements being simultaneously started as one large gestalt, is a pipe dream. even the Revolutionary War was a 50/50 issue in terms of popularity. we learn otherwise, but really, most movements start by a few just doing -- you may not see the results immediately, but at some point that last snowflake lands and the bough breaks...

besides, our trivial notions of America is mostly fanciful dreaming, an ideal. America has never BEEN that, only attempted to EMBODY that. there's a very real difference there. we use images and ideals to inspire us to improve, but don't ever confuse the abstraction for the reality...

Probably not.

Like Egypt or Rome. We're letting it slowly slip away.

It's the Chinese' turn to run the globe for a while.

http://kiva.org/

It works. It actually changes real people's lives. And, has the extra added benefit of no politicians involved.

And, you can actually make a difference.

Citizens in the US have had it easy for too long, and their expectations of continued prosperity and security have been managed by a criminal element intent of depriving them of both.

I don't think it will take a lot more for people to begin researching and rediscovering what it means to live in a democracy.

There is nothing like losing everything you have to provide the clarity necessary to see what has happened to you and who is responsible for your destruction.

Americans want their mtv, or whatever. Keep em in the comfort zone, comfortably numb with all their many distractions, and they will smile sweetly while the world crumbles all around them

Two years ago they elected a Democratic Congress. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have donated to Barack Obama's campaign and many of them are now registering new voters, knocking on doors, and making phone calls to ensure a victory in November.

I think they expected more of a challenge to Bush with the Democratic Congress. But as far as doing something about the law breaking of people like Bush, or seeing the Repukes for who they are (out of the mainstream,) I think we have a ways to go.

...as in "not fed". I believe that, unfortunately, the kind of revolution we're looking for will only occur when a large enough segment of the population gets hungry enough and suffers enough to wake them from their stupor. Not enough people in this country engage in the kind of critical thinking to figure it out, I'm afraid it will take gnawing in their bellies to bring it home to them. :(

A spark needs to be ignited to get a fire started under the US. I am actually surprised at how unmoved America has become. It makes me sad.

I feel we would have by now. One way to unite would be for all of the multiple on-line forums and groups to band together and force a one page links all activist groups.

But what percentage of the population visit forums , who knows but I would guess it's small.

It would also require exposing yourself and some form of risk which most people are not willing to take and for good reason.

Forget about changing the government and reps , they are not listening, if you think so welcome to dream world the new american century of blind eye'd horror.

in their garages or spare rooms. You know manufacturing stuff that isn't made here anymore and trading or selling with others who are doing the same. It would create an underground economy and maybe we can wean ourselves off the corporate tit. You know the Amish have been doing it for centuries. Maybe groups of citizens in communities across the country could band together and come up with a plan.

Carly

If the only reason we aren't violently revolting is because we can talk to other people over long distances, play back recorded music, and watch pictures transmitted from far away or from a projector - then why didn't peasants and slaves revolt constantly back in the day before any of that was invented?

for the cabal, the majority of the people will obey the teevee, believe whatever BS they're told, and chant "USA! USA! USA!"

If anyone is not familiar with it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegory_of_the_cave

His allegory perfectly describes the way in which the major interests in this country are brainwashing the masses. Of course the ones who try and lead others into the true light are vilified and sneered at. Corporate types are manufacturing reality and assigning it worth and importance. Think of how we as a society swoon over movie stars and pro-athletes.

To answer the main question: Not in a few centuries. I envision technology reaching ever part of the globe, and thus enslaving the whole human race. One day hundreds of years from now, something will render technology useless, and humanity will reboot so to speak, and start over and one day wind up in the same position.

climate change and peak oil will "reboot" humanity in just a few decades.

step up to the plate.

I wish it were not so, John.

because the MSM tells them too, but then "deal or no deal" will come on and they'll forget all about it.

We're even more Fed up with the Democratic extension of Bush's "Bobble-head Congress."

Cheney/Bush was bad enough -- but the people we "fed up Americans" chose to represent us are asleep at the fucking wheel!

The MSM voices are muted by their global cooperate masters.

Welcome to a "Cowardly Old World"...

:puke:

..where direct responses to the post are "not allowed."

This is far too un-American to be allowed on DU...

I think it is inevitable and that it won't be long now.

The people are ready, but they lack leadership.

Once we, the activists and intellectuals, are ready the people will be there. I am certain of that.

So long as we blame the people, we are not leaders and the people are leaderless. That is the problem.