Liberalism in retreat

In 2000, we had an presidential election stolen by means of doctored ballots, crooked counts and brazen in your face "Up yours! What you gonna do about it?" attitude 24/7 until the SCOTUS screwed us.
We "made nice" and resolved to be the loyal opposition.

Bush and Cheney immediately set out to implement their twisted notion of the "unitary executive". Warrantless wiretaps and FISA violations started before 9-11.
We sent strongly worded notes suggesting that such actions just might be unconstitutional.

After 9-11, the Bush neo-con cabal rushed to implement the extraordinary power grab the PNAC crowd had said would take decades to accomplish unless a "Pearl Harbor-like" emergency occurred. They essentially threw out that "God damn piece of paper" we call the Constitution. They launched a war of choice based on lies which they collected and created. They tapped our phones, read our e-mails, suppressed the truth and attacked patriots who challenged their atrocities as "Osama lovers" or worse.
We allowed ourselves to be banished to "free speech zones" and pledged to "work within the system" to change things.

In 2004, another stolen election. This time Ohio was the crime scene. Bush claimed a "mandate" and "political capital".
We quietly puked and talked about the need for election reform.

In 2006, WE WON!---and promptly took impeachment of an admitted felon and thug "off the table".

In 2008, we put it all together.
BUT---we have yet to even investigate the Bush criminals, let alone prosecute them.
We still employ "don't ask, don't tell" to drum dedicated people out of the military.
We haven't yet corrected the excesses of the Patriot Act or the FISA "Wiretaps R Us" statute.

AND---what brought about this mini-rant is the recollection today that, in April, the DHS released a report that, among other things, warned of anti-Semitic and other forms of violence by right wing extremists. And, this report was widely criticized by right wing bedwetters like Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Hannitty and even RNC Chair-dude Steele. So, we nice, reasonable, "can't we all just get along" Democrats WITHDREW the report.
Since the report was withdrawn, the haters have shot and killed a doctor who believed in a woman's right to control her own body and a security guard who was protecting people viewing exhibits in the National Holocaust Museum.
We should have been in the streets a long time ago. We should be loud, rude and standing toe to toe with these knuckle-draggers.
We need responsible leadership. We need organization. We need to be heard.
When and where?

In before the obligatory pony reference


(I agree with you completely. But some people around here would rather shoot the messenger, I'm afraid.)

Some want a pony named "Rule of Law"
Some want a pony named "Habeas Corpus"
Some want a Pony named "Equal Liberty and Rights For All"
Some want a pony named "Constitution"
Some want a pony named "Transparency in Government"
Some want a pony named "The End Of Endless Warfare"

Others Just want a daddy to love them instead and would gladly trade all the little ponies.


Someday the children looking for a daddy to love will realize that these things aren't ponies or luxuries, but rather the very portions of our Democracy that our Revolutionary forebears thought important enough to fight and die for.

They would trade it all for a pat on the head for defensively calling these foundations of our democracy a spoiled child's dream.

If only they had loving parents growing up perhaps they wouldn't be so willing to trade the foundations of our Democracy just for the favor of an imaginary step daddy whose approval they appear to need so desperately.


:cry:

But I agree wholeheartedly with you on this one.

nt

. . . and their warnings about right-wing extremists.

and start shooting back. It obviously goes against the nature of most of us, but at some point we will be pushed too far. Hopefully we won't wait until it's too late, like the German populace did in the 30's.

for years. There was no mass sentiment against him until the tides of the war changed. In any case, keep your jonesing for violence to yourself. It's against DU rules.

I stated clearly that I hope we will take care of our problem before the wingers kill thousands or more. This is what the Germans didn't do.

As for me "jonesing for violence", you once again comprehend poorly. We're under attack by terrorists and it should be pretty clear by now that no one is holding them to account. At some point we will probably have to fight back.

and i do`t like it.

Keep thinking clearly and observing without slanting your observations with wishful thinking and your posts may help to point out truth that some have yet to see.

Any suggestions on solutions would also be helpful, unfortunately many of us see the glaring problems as clearly as do you, what is rare is people figuring out viable solutions to our rather serious problems (myself included, I wish I knew what to do about 1/10th of the problems I recognize).

Welcome to DU - I look forward to further posts and hope one of us many sane people find also the occasional solution (the when - the where - the what)
:hi:

I, too, wish I know what to do about 1/10th of the problems we face. I think "outrage fatigue" is a big part of the problem. The last 8 years have featured so many previously unthinkable transgressions against our democracy, our Constitution, our uniquely American sense of right and wrong, that it is difficult to "focus" on any one long enough to address it in any meaningful way. We have "moved on" after so many jaw-dropping, blatantly amoral or even patently illegal acts by Bush and his minions, that we find, to our shame, that we are just a little less indignant, a little less outraged, by each successive affront.

I don't like not liking so many people that I come in contact with each day, either in my workplace or on my TV. It is, however, a fact that I could reel off a list of my fellow citizens that, IMHO, the world would be better off without. I know that is an ugly and mean-spirited sentiment, but it is one that I must own up to before suggesting what follows.

Let's have a Labor Day of Love on the Mall.

I lived the 60's---I'm now in my 60's. Let's "Come Together" in September. Liberals, Conservatives, Democrats, Republicans, gay, straight, fundies, atheists, every color, every age, every income level. Let's invite them all. Let's ask Willie Nelson and Neil Young and Bob Dylan and Joan Baez to strum and sing. (I know that list dated me badly!)

Let's do hot dogs, and ice cream and watermelon and lemonade. Let's sit on our broad or bony backsides and start talking about our kids and our grandkids and what we want for them. Let's talk about fairness and justice and equal rights and tolerance. Let's see if we don't have a considerable list of things we nearly all agree upon. And, then let's see if we can shake hands with each other, slap each other on the back and exchange promises to think for ourselves and to examine the motives of anyone who encourages us to fear and hate.

Yes, I'm sure that qualifies as wishful thinking, but aren't frank optimism and unabashed hope what this administration is about? If we "shoot for" a million people on the Mall and "only" 600,000 show up, will we really have failed?

Who knows who might walk over for a hot dog and a cold drink?

I have tried in a smaller way to accomplish such a meeting - a temporary suspension of suspicion and fear of those so different and at each others throats.

The unfortunate truth is that fundies are literally religiously opposed to tolerance. Machiavellians are ideologically opposed to equality. Fascists are not even remotely interested in equal rights.

That would leave only the center and the left. The regular grandparents(grandchildren) and the idealist hippies, peace loving christians, buddhists and pagans and progressive defenders of the least among us at the party.

A grand party it would be, but not complete, because those that cause the most damage would be the least likely to wish to attend.

Those that have only their own self interests in mind seek no discussion and no peace, only dominance. I applaud the proposal and would even be among those attending, but I fear that those that cause the most evil in the world are the least able to reason with as well as the least willing to be reasonable. What could be accomplished without them there with us?

Perhaps a vacation from the battle they will never stop fighting against us, perhaps a moment of peace, shared interests and laughter, but no solution to evil men.

Some wars are not by choice my friend.
Some evils refuse to be reasoned with.
Most notorious among them the fundamentalists of various faiths and the fascists that seek only control of others.

You have a mind and heart to admire, and I do, but I see only an unrequited attempt at peace at the end of this most beautiful thought.

They have sociopathic think-tanks, sociopathic radio/TV hosts, sociopathic members of Congress.......


But the most important thing they have right now is all the WIRETAP INFO from the b*sh years.

Who was the 1st group this sociopathic group WIRETAPPED? Hint - it wasn't Al Queda.

It was the 'enemies' their F'ed up control craving mini-brains despised.


It is appalling that >2% of the population can have so much control. Blame the weak-minded 30% or so that support them out of FEAR.

retreat?

I don't think so.

edit: and any so-called liberal or even moderate leader promoting retreat needs a heads up and if that doesn't work a recall. It is very well beyond ridiculous at this point.

K & R for a most righteous rant. Welcome to DU.

I can find lots of calls from right-wingers calling for it to be withdrawn; and this says Napolitano 'backtracked' from one paragraph; but I can't see that the report was withdrawn.

As a sub-20 year old, I see it all over campus and everywhere else. People are getting restless. They want a social revolution.

Now we wait for the right moment.

along with a total ban on corporate lobbying, nothing's going to get done that even remotely pleases "us".

Truly progressive people cannot get the corporate money necessary to get elected, so the toadies in office stay in office and "play the game". We know the game, but we are not allowed to play too.. We get to provide refreshments and do clean up, but the players are in it for the money and for the post-legislative gravy train.