Don't whine. Organize!

[Radical Activist]

Let's face it. A lot of progressives want the easy way out. They want President Obama to wave a magic wand and somehow push through Congress all the progressive legislation they hope for even if it doesn't have public support. In other words, some activists want Obama to do their job for them instead of building a real grass-roots movement. It's a cop out.

If Obama pushes something in Congress that doesn't have popular support, one of two things will happen.

1) It won't pass Congress.
2) It will pass Congress and be repealed in the future as soon as we have another conservative Congress or President.

Lasting change comes from the people. Top-down, big government liberalism, whether its the Great Society or Stalinism, is being replaced by community organizing liberalism. So if you want single-payer health care, a quick withdrawal from Afghanistan, full same same sex marriage rights or a lot of other things on the progressive agenda, then your job is to build public support, not piss and moan about Obama not doing it for you the easy way.

Obama knows how this works. When he spoke about nationalizing banks he said we can't do it because, "Obviously, Sweden has a different set of cultures in terms of how the government relates to markets and America's different." Get the message? Change the political culture and then we can change the policy.

The culture problem exists because the Democratic Party spent over a decade not standing up for core liberal values. Now is our chance. We have a President from a background of left wing movement activism who will listen and go as far left as we can push him. That's our job.

Don't whine. Organize!

[HopeOverFear]

1. "Stand up, organize!" - Prince

[starroute]

16. "Don't waste any time in mourning. Organize" -- Joe Hill

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Hill

[SeattleGirl]

2. Thank you, RA!

Well said. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[redqueen]

3. Hell yes.

K&R

[Radical Activist]

4. thanks

:)

[Adelante]

5. There you go

:thumbsup:

[bbinacan]

6. Is that you Ernesto Lynch?

Let's go back to the good ole days. You remember. Trials and executions without juries. Thanks Ernesto. Count me out.

[NYC_SKP]

7. Oh, fuck. There goes the neighborhood.

Straight-up common sense and good advice in GD-P!

Recommended!

:thumbsup:

[ClarkUSA]

8. I doubt the 24/7 whiners will listen to your message, but Che would be proud of you. K&R

[Bjorn Against]

14. I am far more active than probably 99% of the people you know...

But I know through experience that many of the people on this thread will still accuse me of being a "24/7 whiner", because people who accuse those of speaking out of being "whiners" usually don't become any more friendly as a person starts to speak out even louder and more publicly.

[bbinacan]

15. Che?

Don't you mean Ernesto?:evilgrin:

[Cha]

9. What!? Get out of their

Comfort Zone..taking pot shots from a safe perch!?

[firedupdem]

10. K&R! n/t

[Fire1]

11. Why hasn't the ACLU organized a grassroots movement

or the UAW, AFL-CIO, AARP, etc.?

[Bjorn Against]

13. They do organize grassroots movements all the time, people just need to participate in their actions

I am a volunteer organizer for the ACLU, we have organized several events to try and get more people active but to start a big movement requires more the ACLU it requires citizens to show up and be active. In other words activism does not just require the ACLU, activism requires your help and I would encourage you to check with the ACLU or the unions to see what kind of activities they are planning and how you can be involved.

[Bjorn Against]

12. I am heavily involved in all kinds of activism, and I am still accused of whining

I agree with you fully that people need to be more active, and I have many posts on this site encouraging people to do just that. The problem is however the attitude that people like you express when you tell us not to "piss and moan" encourages people to be quiet, it does not encourage people to speak out and I have to work constantly to try and get people to realize that they should not take it too hard when people attack them for being "whiners". I know through experience that no matter what issue you stand up and call for change on people will accuse you of being a "whiner", it doesn't matter how well you go about handling the issue some people don't want any criticism and they will attack all critics. This does not go away when you get active and start really dedicating your time to fighting for what you believe in, in fact if anything it gets even louder.

So while I appreciate your call to action, please stop accusing people of being whiners or "pissing and moaning" because that kind of dismissal of people's voices does not help us to get more people willing to be active.

[struggle4progress]

17. Barack Obama on community organizing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htnL6QRCqK0