Looks like 9-11 is really paying off for the Bushies

[Q]

- Republicans have been waiting for over thirty years to be in a position to control government and rid our country of the last remnants of liberalism, progressivism and the new deal. The operative word here is 'control'. The New Republican party doesn't simply want to govern in the name of all Americans...they want to implement a one-party state and a government that shares power with corporations instead of the people.

- A 'questionable' election, 9-11 and a cowed opposition brought them everything they've ever desired:

Elimination of the Democratic party as an effective opposition

Liberals and progressives labeled as enemies of the state and the people

Unprovoked, aggressive war against faceless enemies

A secretive government, unaccountable to the people or their representatives

Corporations unaccountable to the people or their representatives

They 'brought down the wall' of separation of church and state

The end of social programs as 'we know them'

The complete destruction of environmental regulations and protections

The beginning of the end of the 'right' to abortion and women's rights

The beginning of the end of public education

The beginning of the end of worker's rights and unions

Permanently rigged elections

A (republican) state-controlled media and the end of public debate and protest

- Republicans have simply 'out-foxed' Democrats over the last two decades. While labeling the American media as 'unfair and liberal'...they used billions of dollars from rich RWing ideologues (like Scaife and Murdoch) to buy their own media that catered to corporations and circumvented the free press. Now in control of a majority of the media or the corporations who own them...they use 'perception management' to destroy their opposition by branding all opposing points of view as traitorous and un-American.

- What many Democrats fail to understand is that they'll still be in control even if a Democrat wins the White House in November. They'll stay in control until Dems win back a majority in the Senate and House and work to reverse the course of 30 years of Republican lies and deceit.

- Democrats can begin the healing process in November if they acknowledge that OUR government is corrupt to its core and strive to make drastic changes that benefit the People instead of the Banksparty. We must show America and the world that we ARE different than the Republicans by returning to our traditional values of honoring Democracy and using government for the benefit of the people and not to oppress them.

- This transformation can't take place until we stop pretending that our representatives can take corporate campaign cash and remain loyal to the people and their Constitution. Forget catering to the so-called swing voters who may or may not vote Democratic. There are literally millions of Americans who wait and hope for a new direction and leadership in the Democratic party. They are the working class, the poor, the disenfranchised and those who no longer vote and participate in Democracy. These are the Americans looking for a party and government they can believe in. Democrats need only build a party that represents them and they will be inspired to vote.

- November may be the last chance to turn things around to our advantage. The People await...not for a 'new' Democratic party...but the 'old' one that cared about them and their place in the American dream.

[meti57b]

1. great post! ...... kick

[skooooo]

2. A bit overblown?

Some of your statements seem hyperbolic. For example, "Elimination of the Democratic party as an effective opposition."

There hasn't been any elimination of the Democratic party. All indications are that the Democrats are going to be very stiff opponents in the upcoming national election. Dark times? Yes. Don't make them darker, though, by exaggerating the facts.

[Q]

4. You're not seeing the 'bigger' picture...

...and haven't seemed to notice the Rubber-Stamp Congress and everything that brought our nation to where it is today.

- Republicans didn't just 'accidentally' fall into the majority. They've planned this for a very long time and the VERY REASON they needed GWB* in office even if they had to steal it.

- But the main focus of my premise is that the Democrats don't HAVE TO compete with Republicans and their corporate masters in order to 'win'. We don't need to compromise our values away or work with those who care nothing about the people.

- It seems that the Democratic leadership has been 'persuaded' to abandon their traditional base in the hope of getting their 'share' of the corporate cash cow and the phantom 'swing' vote. The Big Lie here is that we need the swing votes in order to win elections. That's BS. Our party has a very broad base...one that the RWingers have tried for decades to turn against us.

- We can no longer take the Black vote for granted because our leadership has forsaken them for a few silver coins and to 'get along' with those who control our government. Millions of women and others recently marched in the streets to protect their right to choice...and the Democratic party couldn't run AWAY from them fast enough. Unions and worker's rights have disappeared before our eyes and it appears to many Americans that we have abandoned that cause.

- Bush* has no problem sayng that HIS base is the 'have mores'. But Democrats no longer seem capable of saying that we represent those who 'have none'. Could it be that we can't say it because it's no longer true?

[cosmicdot]

6. "as an effective opposition" ... I think the key word is 'effective'(ness)

that part of the sentence must carry forth to maintain context ... the beginning of the statement can't stand by itself, "There hasn't been any elimination of the Democratic party", in the same context ...

elimination of the effectiveness of the Democratic Party is part of the GOP agenda ... perhaps by conservatizing the Democratic Party through organizing, funding and infiltrating the DLC - the so-called, 3rd Way, which offers Corporatism and Globalism with a happy face sticker -- and, people follow -- effectiveness of the party of Jefferson, Roosevelt, JFK, etc., ... slips; Pat Robertson and his satellite excess to the world preaching that the Republicans and George Bush and God are the same; they are especially successful in reducing effectiveness because of the complicity of Corporate Media and the unfair and unbalanced airwaves ... the difference reveals double standards and hypocrisy, but because it's like that, the effectiveness of the Democratic Party is weakened ... it's why many times on DU someone will pose a hypothetical question like, 'can you imagine Bill Clinton (who seems to be the only Democratic President in our history ... other Administrations rarely get mentioned) doing this ...saying this ... whatever ... and, getting away with it?' ... that hypocrisy and double standard reduces our effectiveness ... when the Democratic elected officials are either too intimidated to speak up or speak or stand in agreement with the Republicans, effectiveness declines ... when Republicans, and this White House get softball treatment, etc., they have been successful in eliminating the effectiveness of Democrats ...

You wrote, "There hasn't been any elimination of the Democratic party." On its own, that may sound overblown ... of course, the Coup has been on-going since 1962 ... it's not over yet ... it's had its high-points: the October Surprise of 1982; the Telecommunications Act of 1996; the Impeachment of Bill Clinton; distractions by many names; the selection of 2000; the voting irregularities and other events of 2002 which prevented the Democrats from regaining control of the US Senate .... effectiveness is eliminated ....

1st Amendment Zones - effectiveness out of sight out of mind ...

I think the statement as originally made holds merit.

'Reduce the effectiveness' may have expressed the intent better ...

Revealing the lies and deceits to Americans as we link our PCs via the Internet as if they were lighthouses in the dark of night ... assisted by "whistleblowers" and informative best-selling books ... working hard to help bring our Ship of State to safe harbor ... we turn to what sources we have ... the Internet provides alternative press, etc., but, that plug can be pulled ... martial law can shut down and "eliminate" a whole lot of effectiveness ...

... and, the power of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart ... thank goodness for them ...

[Q]

8. Well said...

"elimination of the effectiveness of the Democratic Party is part of the GOP agenda ... perhaps by conservatizing the Democratic Party through organizing, funding and infiltrating the DLC - the so-called, 3rd Way, which offers Corporatism and Globalism with a happy face sticker..."

- I stand corrected: effective versus effectiveness

- But you're right...the GOP's agenda...(since at least Nixon) has been to infiltrate and 'conservatize' the Democratic party. Part of parcel of this agenda has been the 'bipartisan' effort to turn Democrats against their base and the base against Democrats. We see this clearly in the 'end of welfare as we know it' and 'Blacks are slaves to the Democratic party' rhetoric.

- It's silly that Democrats have been led to believe that they NEED to compromise their principles in order to win over GOP-lite voters. The Democratic party is the oldest in America and we have a traditional base the Republicans would die for. The party simply needs to tap this faithful base to win elections. But the 'new' Democrats want no part of it.

[BeFree]

9. Hear, here!

Everyone needs to read this missive by cosmicdot.

We are being snowed. Flooded. Eliminated.

Too many of us are playing right into their hands by allowing their lies to become our beliefs.

[MessiahRp]

3. Maybe in 2002

I think the elimination of Democrats as viable opponents part may have worked in 2002 with the immediate aftermath of 9/11 still looming, but check the polls. We're up in the Presidential race, we have won seats in South Dakota, Kentucky, and a Governorship in Louisiana this year, and I truly think there are a lot of House and Senate races where even if we don't have nearly the same amount of money as Repubs, we can give them a serious run.

The 2002 Dems were Deer caught in the 9/11 headlights. The 2004 Dems are tanks running over and crushing the cars from which the headlights we were caught in once came.

Rp

[NJCher]

5. paid vs. volunteer/low-paid staff

They'll stay in control until Dems win back a majority in the Senate and House and work to reverse the course of 30 years of Republican lies and deceit.


I wish people would realize that it's no longer a "two-party" system. Ostensibly it is but in reality what we have here (and which you have acknowledged) is that one party, the Republicans, has been completely usurped by corporations. They give so much money that they are able to afford "think tanks," which are really nothing more than propaganda institutes. Chomsky says that information is the war that is waged in a "democratic" society. These think tanks implement the agenda, which is set by the corporations.

So what your assessment fails to take into account is that Republicans now have and probably always will have this huge base of people who are being paid to represent their position. The Democrats will never have that because who is going to bankroll all those institutes and employees? The "people" certainly aren't.

So what I'm saying is that, barring a huge grassroots movement and awareness on the part of "the people," the Democrats will always be up against a group of people who are getting paid (quite handsomely, I might add) to do their part (organize turfgrass, control the issues the media covers, etc.). Democrats depend on lowly paid staff members and volunteers.

There's just no comparison.


Cher

[Q]

10. Candidates like Dean and Kucinich scared the hell out of the DLC...

...because they witnessed a 'grass roots' effort to wrestle control of the party away from the 'new' Democrats. They showed just how POSSIBLE it was get voters EXCITED again about the party and how we can raise money and interest WITHOUT the corporate sponsors.

- It should go without saying that Democrats will always have smaller campaign chests because we represent those without fistfuls of cash to throw around. But we can raise millions through over the internet and grass roots organizations. It CAN be done.

[lanparty]

12. I sincerely hope ...

That Howard Dean ultimately splits Democracy for America into it's own party if the DLC keeps throwing a monkey wrench into the works. I see them making a HUGE contribution to the 2006 vacation.

[lanparty]

13. I hope that Dean ...

That Howard Dean ultimately splits Democracy for America into it's own party if the DLC keeps throwing a monkey wrench into the works. I see them making a HUGE contribution to the 2006 vacation.

[Q]

15. The Dem party ignores their base...

...and then WHINE when Democrats try to find third parties that closer represent their interests.

- If the direction of the party doesn't change...all they'll have to vote for them are the 'swing' voters.

- And what really hurts our party is KNOWING that both the Bush* Smear Machine AND the DLC was behind the smears against Gore, Dean or anyone that ran a populist campaign or even appeared progressive.

[xchrom]

7. corporations are in control of both parties

corporations did well, politically speaking, under clinton.
so the question becomes what more did they want with george?
they had to know that a radical agenda would come with george, what did corporations get from this alliance?
i think there is a very good chance kerry will be elected, but corporate designs, influence and raw power in government won't disapear as a result. they will simply be less obvious -- and that, i'm sure, is fine with them. so, what have these four years given them?

[opihimoimoi]

11. America is fucked unless there is a move toward removing the Pub <Madness>

Its gone canceresque

[Q]

14. This is a dangerous time for the Democratic party...

...because Bush* must be removed at all costs. This needed effort will mask the problems within the party and force us once again to accept the lesser of two evils.

- One of the biggest problems that face our party is that we're not really the 'big tent' we profess to be when we 'allow' the party bosses to keep liberals and progressives from gaining any kind of serious power or voice in the party.

[Lindsey]

16. Scarry but true

n/t

[opihimoimoi]

20. A very powerful Benevolent Force must emerge to counter the Neg

Force out there in Both Parties. The Pubs are over the top with neg and this is the Challenge.

[Lou_C]

17. DU should put your message on the home page

Did you submit it?

[Gregorian]

18. Noone was talking about terrorism before 9/11. NOONE!

It wasn't an issue. I still stand by my statement that America was never threatened by terrorism, and still isn't. If we didn't have the country completely surrounded by either friendly or nonexistant borders, it might be a subject. The only terrorism we experience is manufactured. McVeigh was an American. Plumber Bob, and this latest guy in a homemade tank, were both Americans. I'm not saying people don't want to see the demise of this aggressive country, but where was terrorism as an issue before? The only terrorism we experience comes from within.
You can poke holes in my talk, but I believe the overall reality is such.

[salin]

22. I believe the domestic threat is the big threat

but it is rather hard to think that the thwarted millenium attacks didn't happen, nor that the first World Trade Center bombing was just... a figment of our imagination?

[takebackourjobs]

19. I've said it here before

The democratic faithful have to mobilize every asset to influence local congressional elections. Get out the vote. Hold rallies in public forums accessible to unlikely voters. This country will not be turned around until we take back the House of Representatives.

Bush is self-destructing without the help of a single Democrat. The minds of the American public are ready for a return to progressive thought. Now is the time to advance the cause. We can't assume Kerry's coat-tails are that long. Action is the weapon of the day.

[opihimoimoi]

21. I agree. Its best when the Voters WANT to VOTE and not TOLD to

This is the main Hurdle/Obstacle/Challenge.

[maggrwaggr]

23. Q you pretty much nailed it

:kick: