The Curse of the Downtrodden

[PurityOfEssence]

Is intolerance. History is rife with examples of suppressed groups who emigrated to create a society of their own, and then became even more intolerant and repressive that what they fled. The New England Puritans are a classic example. Israel is another.

There are a few reasons I bring this up, but largely it's in an attempt to cool off some lines of thought. The religion issue, Dean candidacy and to a much lesser degree a despoiler of the Edwards candidacy are what spark this.

Believers feel picked on because this board will naturally be home to many non-believers and anti-belief types, and believers take the hits here that they've generally not had to endure before. Remember that a non-believer's life is pretty constant marginalization, so if they get icky, try to factor that in. As for you non-believers, don't become just like those who've caused you such irritation.

Let's talk Dean. DEAN IS A RELIGION; let's be serious about it. I like the man, but he's not my first choice. To many, that's just not enough. To point out any inconsistencies, personality issues, tactical issues or anything else is generally met with a fusillade of groupthink. Chill out. You're also not the only ones who "care". Some of us are trying to point out legitimate issues we have or even offer consructive criticism, which are met with volleys of derision and invective.

Here's the curse of the downtrodden: "nobody's ever suffered like I have, and now it's my turn." People consider themselves deserving of social compensation and are thus absented from the rules of decency that hold society together.

That is antithetical to liberalism/progressivism; those are based on mutual sacrifice and coexistence. Some of the more vehement Deanies need to be reminded that they're not the only ones who have suffered, and their choice of candidate is not some kind of special mandate or letters of marque and reprisal granted to the perspicacious. They should note that they are the wide-majority plurality on this board, and are in many ways behaving with the same peer-pressure tactics of dominant social groups. The old assumption of being ethical underdogs is now completely gone where this board is concerned, and tactics should change to reflect that. Otherwise, what was the charming passion of the underdog becomes the crushing intolerance of the ruling class.

Let's backtrack: Dean can definitely win, and although not my first choice, I'd get over my disappointment. The most important thing is dismissing Junior, but we don't have to act with desperation; he's quite vulnerable. It's nice to see people care for once in a long time, but the nasty side of this campaign is palpable. I'd much rather tangle with the Dean sanctimony than the "I'm terrified with being called a liberal, so please, dear lord, bring me Wesley Clark and his look of bewilderment in a chariot of lukewarmth" version of aggressive timidity.

Lastly, we come to race/orientation/disability and other version of self-granted blank check that has so plagued my craw. It's a false assumption to automatically assume that everyone else has had it better than you and, thus, don't know squat. It's unfair to presume specialness based upon one's status as the downtrodden. It also turns people off to your message; if you want to punish your oppressors by forcing them to hear the outcry of your pain, fine, but if you want to influnce people, SOL.

The worth of a human is not determined by how he/she behaves when things are going well, but how he/she does in times of crisis.

[TheBigGuy]

1. a fairly thoughtful post.

i...nteresting recap on whats been going on here at DU GD.

[quinnox]

2. Good post

Change the headline to something else, and put Dean's name in it, and I bet it will get more attention. (which it deserves)

[PurityOfEssence]

6. Yeah, I was gonna call it "Dean is a Religion"

I'd have 50 responses by now with the exact same text.

That just wasn't the point, though, it was an example.

[pansypoo53219]

3. yes

we must unite and take the simian down! nothing else matters but ABB.

[bahrbearian]

4. So are you an Edward's Fan

[PurityOfEssence]

5. Yes, absolutely

and for many reasons. He's not my first choice for pure platform (that's Kucinich), but for "practical" platform, he is. (He's farther left socially than Dean, and VERY fiscally conservative.) I have problems with some things (huge ones with the war vote, for instance) but I like his stands on lots of others. I loved the way he worked over Ashcroft in the confirmation and still does.

He really passes the sniff test on the superficial level, too, which is not just a criterion of electability, but of successful leadership. People will warm to this guy. Foreign leaders will feel comfortable with this guy. He truly cares about people, and I see that in his comportment when dealing with questioners. When asked about the Patriot Act in a "town hall" meeting on 7-7, he started right off by doing something few politicians do: he brought up that not only had he voted for it, but he'd written part of it. He then went on to say that he thought it had been terribly used and worked over Wackojohnny some more.

This guy understands real life, and knows what the hard choices are when trying to make it with very little safety net. He's also shockingly intelligent and yet humble. I really like the guy.

Many of my problems with Dean are admittedly on the superficial level: I don't get the same warmth or comfort, and those are important. Many people never get any deeper than looking at that.

Edwards is fighting against class-warfare, which I think is key, and hammering Junior on personality issues, which I also think is necessary. He values work and has no fear to say so.

Above all else, this is an honorable man. I hope his strategy of holding back and then hitting hard works; we soon shall see...

Of course, the idiotic Coup d'Etat out here will suck up far too much media attention for the next two months.