WHAT IS TO BE DONE?

[coti]

I love DU, but it often seems like an echo chamber- a hollow, self-contained "Yeah yeah" squad of "That's right!"'s and "You tell 'em, sista!"'s. Yes, it's a revolution within ourselves.

In my mind, it's not enough to simply believe and repeat as much. What matters is what can we reasonably DO to address, well, the insurmountable number of issues facing our country. Al Gore often hit on this theme during his "An Inconvenient Truth" tour. His interviewers were very good at asking him about what the everyday person could do about global warming, as if it was a "gotcha" point. LOL.



So, take that same approach to EVERYTHING. What are we supposed to do, individually, about the incredible amount of crap that is going on? Can we find a common root to it all and work against it, that isn't just griping? Give this a rec and tell us what we should be doing, as active "professional" leftists.

[babylonsister]

1. We can't do anything afaik but "THE MEDIA" is a big part of

the problem. They give us a song and dance on every issue regarding how it affects their telling of a topic, not the actual facts. They have to sex everything up to make it more palatable to the (ignorant) masses instead of just reporting news straight as it happens.

How to combat that? I don't know.

[coti]

4. That's at least a place to start. If you think the root of it all is a corrupted media,

how do you go about affecting the media?

[niyad]

16. you support independent media like linktv, freepress, etc., as one place to start.

tell the local fishwrap and gossip channels that you won't be bothering with them (the news managers at the local stations hate to hear my voice)

get hold of a copy of bill moyers' talk on "media and democracy" and amy goodman's recent talk on this issue (think you can find a copy of hers on the DN website)

[smalll]

2. Lighten up, Lenin.

( "What Is To Be Done?" -- I see what you did there.)

[coti]

3. I'd consider that a compliment if I thought you meant it as one.

But, in all seriousness, is there something to be done, or are we all just beating our heads against a brick wall?

[coti]

5. Just now seeing what you're referring to, by the way.

That was completely unintentional, though I'd love to see the same level of change come from the title of my mere, smear thread.

[pinboy3niner]

6. DU is a discussion board

Yes, it's posible to feel pressured by a predominance of one opinion--but that's on us. We don't have to cave, or even continue reading those kinds of threads.

A few may come here to debate and "win," but most of us come here to discuss and to learn. I've learned a lot here from my fellow members, and they've influenced my views.

I love DU, too. From the heavy policy discussions to the whimsical and lighthearted posts. Even our DU "Founding Fathers" recognized the value of levity here. That's one way we cope with all the crap, too.

If it may seem like an echo chamber at times, we are always free to disagree. It's very posible to be intimidated from posting a contrary opinion, but sometimes one bold poster emboldens others. In the end, WE are DU, and it's really up to us to define it.

[coti]

7. That's really not getting to what I'm saying. I'm very familiar with the "way things is" round here

(I've been around for much longer than it may seem). I realize that DU is mostly just venting and griping.

What I'm asking is what we can do beyond the bold statements of truth and righteousness.

What can we DO about what we see and know?

[pinboy3niner]

12. You've probably been around a lot longer than I have

And you probably know DU much better than I do.

But I think real action occurs OUTSIDE DU. DU facilitates this through its activist forum and in the state forums, but it's still up to us in our communities and our states to DO something.

I don't know if that really addreses your question, but that's what works for me.

[kentuck]

8. I come to DU to arm myself with the facts...

It's good to be prepared.

[coti]

9. What do you do after that?

Have you found anything that you've felt like made things different?

[kentuck]

11. I educate people..

Mostly people of the opposite political persuasion.

[Mojorabbit]

15. I told someone who was a big Bush supporter

about the Downing street memos the other day and he said that if this was true then he indeed is the worst Prez we have ever had. Most right wingers are deaf to facts but this was a reasonable person. If just one person at a time has his eyes opened because one has the facts that is a good thing.

[sandnsea]

10. You get involved with your local activist groups

Every city in the country has them, in one form or other.

[defendandprotect]

13. Americans are discovering that other Americans feel exactly as they do--!!

This is the reality they have so long been deprived us --

because keeping that reality from them is important to elites --

What is the most important problem we face -- Global Warming, of course.

Does every American yet understand that -- or is it going to take everything being

washed away for them to understand? That's going to be one of the biggest questions.


Why do we have GW . . . ? Because of capitalism's exploitation of nature, natural resources,

animal-life -- and even human beings according to various myths of "inferiority."

Capitalism has been with us a very short period of time -- 500 years plus years --

and our scientists understood immediately in the 1880's how the Industrial Revolution

was already destroying nature/trees. We've known about Global Warming since the mid-1950's.

Scientists have warned us repeatedly during that time that we need a complete change of

culture -- that we can no longer burn fossil fuels.

Elites/capitalists have spent tens of billions of dollars denying that reality in order to

retain private control over our natural resources -- and the huge profits it brings them.


Why is it so difficult to bring change -- to force government to listen to voters/citizens?

Because government is under the control of corporations which have bought it -- and bought

our elected officials. Right wing/GOP did that by targeting their own -- and Democratic

Party moderates and liberals -- and putting more right wing candidates/elected officials in

place. We need to follow the same plan -- in reverse.

Does everyone yet acknowledge that corporations control all of the GOP and much of the

Democratic Party? Most do understand -- a few still don't get it.

Corporations are united and linked in every way possible -- up, down and sideways --

Americans are not UNITED -- that has to be the first step.

Needless to say, the only way the right can rise is by political violence -- stolen elections --

lies, disinformation, rw propaganda. We have 50+ years of in plein air political violence.

It has always been the way the right wing moves -- nothing new if you recall how we come to

be living on this land!

[defendandprotect]

14. Sadly, if I recall correctly, the Gore Q&A sank into changing light bulbs?

Often here now, talk does turn to revolution more and more often --

but we need more discussion of political action, imo.

Again -- it begins with Americans uniting --

corporations are united/organized every which way -- up, down, sideways --

Americans aren't !!