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[lkinsale]

1. Im with ya!

This is far from the end of the world, or even as bad as things have ever been in this country.

He's just another president who can be kicked out of office by the same people who voted against him before, plus a few others. So we work for it.

[tpub]

2. Yep, and I just want to apologize to all

the very hard-working DUers who have been activists for many, many years because I wasn't out there with you.

I am 32 years old and this is the first time I've ever been involved in a political campaign, aside from sending in money to the DNC.

But I could not be more pissed off at what's been happening. And I finally found some hope recently and I'm running with it.

I want you all to know that if you're too demoralized or just too tired to do the work, then I'm sorry to hear about that. But there are a lot of people out here like me who are getting actively involved for the very first time because they just can't take it anymore.

I took 2000 for granted and I'm sorry. But it will not happen again.

[berry]

3. I don't think anyone (besides you yourself) is blaming you--

I am just delighted to hear your story, and know that you are on board. :hi: It makes me just that much more hopeful.

And, to get back to the original post, I agree that negativity is dangerous. I immediately thought about that article in The Nation about how Bush* uses language to terrify the American people by painting a darkly negative picture of the dangerous world that he then assures us only he can save us from. (It reminds me of the story, possibly apocryphal, of Christian missionaries in China having to first convince their potential converts that they were full of original sin. Only then would salvation be seen as necessary.)

Somebody posted a shorter article based on the original one, that makes the "be optimistic" point even more strongly. I'll have to come back to add the links if I can find them.

OK. Here is the original Nation article (I think):
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=16220

And here is the article about the Nation article (with some excerpts):
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/news/editorial/6401294.htm

<<In her article in The Nation, Brooks wrote: Bush frequently sets up a ``negative framework,'' or pessimistic image of the world. ``Catastrophic words and phrases are repeatedly drilled into the listener's head until the opposition feels such a high level of anxiety that it appears pointless to do anything other than cower.'

'It's a learned helplessness ``exacerbated by beliefs that problems caused by negative events are permanent; and when the underlying causes are perceived to apply to many other events, the condition becomes pervasive and paralyzing.''`

`Bush is a master at inducing learned helplessness in the electorate. He uses a pessimistic language that creates fear and disables people from feeling they can solve their problems.''

Breaking the cycle will take a language of hope and optimism, Brooks told me. Civilization has overcome tough times without dominators.No doubt good people will triumph again.>>