Poison

[alberg]

A poison has seeped into the blood stream of our society and we don’t know how to remove it.

It is the poison of a set of social and economic beliefs that have led to the destruction of the middleclass, the creation of a permanent underclass and the distribution of 95% of our nation’s wealth into the hands of the top few percent.

Free markets don’t work without regulations to keep them balanced and free.

For Big Business, jobs are not the goal – they are a “necessary evil” on the road to profits.

A “jobless recovery” is an oxymoron. If a nation’s citizens cannot find jobs, then disaster follows.

Society’s health and growth requires direction from a government’s industrial policy. That policy needs to be focused on the long term preservation of the common good and the nation’s security and not driven by the need to supply short term profit to a few on Wall Street.

The “trickle down”, “Laffer Curve”, “invisible hand” mumbo jumbo is the snake oil of our times. It is, in fact, Voodoo Economics.

The wreckage can now be plainly seen across what once the land of the free and the home of the brave.

The Greed Monkeys have won.

We need a revolution to take it back.

[MineralMan]

1. A Revolution?

How do you plan to pull that off?

[alberg]

5. It's not "you pull it off" - it's "we pull it off" or it will never happen.

[MineralMan]

6. But, you see, I'm not looking for a revolution.

You are. So, what's your plan? You're part of the "we," so you set the agenda. What's the plan?

Are you talking about a blood and guts "revolution," or some other kind of "revolution."

See, it's easy to say, "Let's you and him fight." Anyone can do that. That's why I asked what your plans were.

Personally, I think talk of revolution is just plain silly in a country where everyone over the age of 18 gets to vote for national leaders every two years. Revolutions are for tyrannical governments. We don't have one of those. We have, you know, elections. People vote. I don't always like how they vote, but they vote.

So, get down to specifics. Otherwise, it's just blather.

[alberg]

9. So how's all the "elections" and "voting" stuff been working out for you so far?

I never said anything about "blood and guts" - you did.

What I'm saying is that "business as usual" politics as practiced in the United States for the last few decades has taken us consistently in the wrong direction.

What we need is a dramatic change is direction - a revolutionary change.

The last election cycle did not do it.

We need to try some new things.

If you're happy with the way things are going, then obviously, my message is not for you.

For a specific suggestion, see post #7.

[MineralMan]

12. Well, you see, I needed to find out what you meant by

the word "revolution." You weren't very clear on how you defined it.

Time to start educating people, then, if you want a change in the political system. It'll be a long pull, so you'd best start right now.

Don't expect fast results, either. Remember, you have almost half the population that votes for Republicans in every election. You're going to need some really, really big numbers on your side. Time's wasting.

[alberg]

14. I can't tell from your tone whether your

- intending to help out?
- a closet neocon?
- a freeper?
- just somebody who likes to respond with sarcasm?
- agrees that there are problems and has a better plan to fix them?

Are you joining the march in Washington for more Jobs on 10/2/2010?

[MineralMan]

16. I can't afford to get to DC. So I'll stay here and campaign

for Tarryl Clark, who has a tough battle to unseat Michele Bachmann.

My plan is to elect Democrats instead of Republicans. I'm working on that all the time.

[Brickbat]

2. Well sure. Details?

[alberg]

7. All change requires 3 things:

1.) Disatisfaction with the statusquo.

2.) Vision of the desired state.

3.) First practical steps.

Here's a first practical step:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8892453

Huge March on Washington - 10/2/2010

[MineralMan]

13. Well, let's see how that march turns out. It's a good idea.

I hope they get big numbers to show up.

[ensho]

3. the name of the poison is 'neo con'

they hide from bright light like roaches

a spray of Justice does them in.

[alberg]

18. If you haven't read it yet, check out Naomi Klein's book: "Shock Doctrine"

It provides a readable and detailed narrative of just how the economic "pseudo science" that underlies the elite's lock on power came to be accepted as "fact" by the main stream media and a large percentage of the population that are actually exploited by it.

[L0oniX]

19. +1

[yogini]

4. Slowly Poisoned

Yup! The Greed Monkeys have a lot of advantages, but we've got the numbers. They never see it coming until it's too late.

It takes a whole lot to get people out of their homes and into the streets...but when they've taken your job and shipped it overseas, when you've lost your home because you can't pay the mortgage because there aren't any jobs, and when the little money you do have goes to paying for healthcare...well...History does serve a purpose.

"The peasant's are revolting"
"Yeah, they stink on ice. It's good to be King"
Mel Brooks - History of the World Part I

[MineralMan]

8. Ah, another "revolutionary," eh?

You have the numbers? Really?

[alberg]

10. What can we do, what can we do???

There are thousands of them, thousands and thousands!!!

And there's only 300 million of us.

[MineralMan]

11. Oh, dear...now you're confused.

There aren't 300 million people who agree with you. Just thousands. You've got a long pull ahead of you. There are some 40 million or so who think Republicans are great, just to start with. There are some 80 million or so who think elections are how we elect our representatives and who show up at the polls. They aren't looking for your revolution. In fact, they'll be on the other side, you see.

Now, the Tea Party folks want a "revolution" too. They're pretty organized, besides. And, yet, most folks look at them and laugh. And they're actually out there on the street. My guess is that the only "revolution" would be you fighting with the teabaggers. Everyone else will watch the "revolution" on TV, then go to the polls and elect a government.

It's going to be a long, long pull. Better get started early...the sun gets awfully hot in the afternoon.

[alberg]

15. Not confused in the least, but I can see where your at pretty clearly. Your part of the problem,

aren't ya.

[MineralMan]

17. I don't think so. In 2008, I and a lot of others managed to

get Al Franken elected. Do you have a problem with Al Franken?

[alberg]

20. No problem with Al so far, but I have a big problem with the Democrats who lack a spine

and who are unable to effectively challenge the political and economic philosophy that continues to funnel money into fewer and fewer hands.

Just having a D next to their name is not enough, they need to show by their votes and their rehetoric that they support a more balanced society where

- the senseless wars stop
- the torture stops
- the corporate welfare stops
- the government uses economic policy to restore jobs and a reasonable standard of living to the majority of it's citizens

- etc

You know the list. The challenge is to make it happen. Your right, it is a long road requiring an educated population, fair elections, publically financed campaigns to keep Corporations from buying Democracy etc. And it won't happen as long as people believe that simply electing someone who calls themselves a Democrat but votes for the status quo of the economic elite is going to change anything.

I worked real hard to get Obama and my local Democrats elected. To say that I'm disappointed in their performance so far is an understatement.

[MineralMan]

22. OK. You're disappointed. What was it, exactly, that you expected

President Obama to deliver? Was it something he promised to deliver? Or was it something you thought he should deliver. During the campaign, Barack Obama was pretty clear on what he planned to deliver. A year and a half later, he's kept many of those promises. He didn't promise to deliver them all immediately.

I mention Al Franken, because he is a success story of many people working very hard to get him elected. I was one of them. I work for Democrats, since the alternative is Republicans. That does not mean that I think all Democrats are the ideal choice. They are, however superior to all Republicans.

What more can I say to you? We either get Democrats or Republicans. Take your choice. The current situation does NOT offer alternatives to that. So, it falls to each of us to support the most progressive Democrats that can be elected. That varies from state to state, and district to district. The one thing of which I'm certain is that I've never met a Republican who I would trust with anything. Therefore, I work to elect Democrats. If you can find fault with that, then I don't know what to tell you.

[alberg]

23. The Public Option was one expectation that was betrayed.

They didn't fight hard enough for it.

There's lot's of others, but if you've been paying attention and a regular on DU I'm sure you know what they are - just look at the many Posts expressing Democratic dissatisfaction on todays General Discussion board.

The root of the problem is exactly what you expressed - "We either get Democrats or Republicans. Take your choice. The current situation does NOT offer alternatives to that." - and since the policies of both the Democratic and Republican parties have merged around a Corporatist Agenda, we don't really have much of a choice, do we?

So we need to work both short term and long term.

Short term - we need to support the lessor of two evils.

Long term, we need a revolution in our way fo thinking about economic policy - we need to return to the core principles of what used to be the Democratic Party:

“In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station, race, or creed.

Among these are:

The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;

The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;

The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;

The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;

The right of every family to a decent home;

The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;

The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;

The right to a good education.

. . . America’s own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for our citizens.”

--FDR's "Economic Bill of Rights.

[felix_numinous]

21. Poisonous

greed has corrupted too many people in places of power. As far as discussing what to do about it, I think it is important to keep the respect going, because we can learn of many new ideas. Du is a great place for brainstorming, with some ideas manifesting and others not. But I do feel strongly about the importance of respect in a diverse society, and on a discussion forum. Responding to posts with truly hateful sarcasm and insults are another form of poison!

[alberg]

24. Agreed.