Hub, the problem is, the prez wields so much power. Think of the SCOTUS seats that will probably be coming vacant in the next 8 years.
If we can take the white house and win big, that court will be the GOP's "Alpine Redoubt" for the kind of world-view that we need to send to Pluto.
No more heroes? Screw that. No more politicians. Neither Republicans nor Democrats speak for me anymore. I'll hold my nose and vote Democrat if I really need to do so -- like if I thought a Republican stood a chance of losing or there was a real difference between the two. Otherwise, I'm going to go find something else to do than waste my time "voting" for any of these fascist pigs.
Brian --
If you really don't see a difference between ANY and I do mean ANY of the Democratic Party members running for President, and George Bush... Seriously?
Maybe the game is rigged, but short of an armed revolution, which I pray is NOT going to happen (I've seen way too many people shot to death in my life, to wish that kind of solution on anyone) this is the game we have. We need to take back control of the board, and set up checks on the counting of votes, on the referees, and make voting and public participation cool again. Along with overhauling the media... all so that our children's children don't have to go through this shit again.
You can participate, or whine about how it all ain't fair.
If it truly does come to violence, then we're all screwed. I certainly agree with that, Jesse. But I also can't help noticing that peaceful and lawful measures don't seem to be acheiving a damn thing for y'all over there in the U.S... You folks can keep voting Dems into power, and if they simply continue doing everything the Rethugs want, then people will just stop voting. Cynicism is the only sensible response in such a scenario; you can't expect voters to do their bit on Election Day for literally nothing.
John D. is right. Plain folks with bills to pay, kids to raise, and a limited amount of time to get their freak on will not waste their time voting for a party of religous freaks or a party of emasculated suits aka their "regional director" or "plant manager". Not worth the time or effort if all you get from the government suits is an extra case of astrolube.
Boutique Weapons
From the New York Times article you linked to:
"Responding to questions about Mr. Riechers’s death, an Air Force spokesman, Lt. Col. Edward W. Thomas Jr., said Monday that the arrangements the Pentagon made with C.R.I. helped to provide short-term contractual work as consultants for people awaiting final clearance for senior civilian government positions.
Colonel Thomas said that under an existing contract with Commonwealth Research, Mr. Riechers had provided technical advice to the Air Force on several programs, including the use of bursts of microwaves as a crowd-control technique,"
Lends credibility to articles like this one:
"The second form of directed energy weaponry fires out microwaves, a form of energy well known for its use in modern kitchen appliances. I have nicknamed this weapon the "death ray" -- and with good reason. Exposing mammals to microwaves is known to make them explode.
The documentary news video in question, which was released online recently (16 May 2006) by a major Italian news service, examines evidence that the U.S. military has deployed – dating back to the 2003 battle for Baghdad Airport – a new generation of weaponry likely based on firing microwaves."
Watch the video.
I'm sorry. I don't see the link in Hubris' post?
I have to say I am in large part with Brian Bell. It's not about finding some political savior for any particular office. It's about holding political party number one, the inside-the-beltway party of self-preservationist farts, totally accountable every single fricking time.
Hillary is the One! Tried and tested. The one, true Lord of us all. Bush's Bane. When she enters upon her kingdom, we shall weep with joy, gazing upon the remains of the vanquished East.................
Fcuk it. Hillary's crap.
no bluegal, it is about replacing them with grassroots real people!
Alright, Jesse, you got me there about differences. But that difference is so slim these days, so slim. For instance, what is the difference between Hillary and Dubya on Iran? Really, what's the difference, because I'm not seeing one. What about her tax policies toward the wealthy and monied corporations? Great, she's got a health plan, one that would probably enrich corporations as much as it would help people. Like I said, the differences are so, so slim.
As for revolutions, there's other kinds of revolutions than violent ones. Look at what FDR did during the depression. Look at what MLK accomplished. Our country isn't exactly replete with those kinds of examples, but they are there.
In the meantime, I continue not to see much reason to vote for fascist pigs disguised as donkeys or elephants.
One other thing -- besides all of everything, I don't see any revolutions on the horizon.
Hey, I'd like Bush ousted and more Democrats in the Senate and House.
But if the Constitution isn't restored, I don't give a rats ass who's in office. And I have no use for Democrats or anyone who fails to honor the oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.
That characterizes nearly every elected member of the federal government right now, including most of "our" Democrats.
Remember all those guys we elected in '08? What did they do that we can celebrate?
Brian -
I'm with you. Yeah, let's see if we can elect some PATRIOTS - people who will fight for our unalienable rights.
But we can't depend on our alleged "representatives." WE THE PEOPLE will need to take action. It's unfortunate that we don't have a Martin Luther King or a Gandhi right now. But we'll just have to do the best we can.
As for politicians, I get on my knees and pray we don't get fooled again...
Agreed there is relatively NO difference in anyone who is elected, and rules, and develops, drafts and enables legislation, NO difference in these people.
They are all 1%'ers, and do not represent the well being of our middle class, much less the Constitution.
So we need to doom them all to hell, and let them know that's how we feel. That's Step 1, and the damned blogs best get on board with the voice of the people, the masses, soon or YOU will lose our faith, as well.
Step 2) What Moveon and BlueAmerica are doing, along with a blog or two . .
REDIRECT THE PUBLIC FUNDING!!!!
Bad dem? NO MONEY FROM THE MASSES!
Bad REthug? NO MONEY FROM THE MASSES!
As to the big biz and war machine we are all up against, which DRIVES and PAYS our elected officials for their services to THEM, and THEM ONLY, I've no clue how to beat THAT Tiger . . .
Other than to rail like hayall and loud as can be, at our elected officials, and hound them, and vote them out . . . and the blogs have to help lead the way to organize the masses, rep the masses, and challenge the status quo and the MSM.
After that, it's boycott's across the land of products by companies who sponsor bad MSM, bad policy's and pay elected officials to enact bad legislation.
We simply have to learn to do without stuff, and use our purchasing power to fuck with it all.
We hurt the sales of products, we touch the heart of the advertisers.
And we get the elected officials attention when their phones ring off the hook cuz the PUBLIC is not buying product from THE MAN who PAID to get that official erected!!!
To Beat A Tiger, One Needs A Brother's Help.
And wimpy dem as usual politics ain't getting it done, folks . . . not one fuckin bit. *spits*
Grow some balls, get a spine, and start talkin shit at and to all the bad people. From the street to the White House.
Talk back, fight back, and claim some fucking ground . . . or crawl into the corner and whine in the dark with the rest of them . . . vermin.
The Democrats could win big in 2008. However, there is nothing in their performance thus far that would lead one to believe that they have any rationale for governing. There is no evidence that they have a strong commitment to the rule of law and the Constitution. There is no evidence that on countless issues there is any strong difference in opinion with what the Republicans did when they were in power. Beating the Republicans is not enough. Surely after all these years of Republican control often boiling down to little more than mendacity and stupidity, the Democrats have some ideas of their own.. We would hope.
in vein and valor
be what they fear
their days are over
our nights are here
with hate and heartache
i'll strike you down
with rage and rapture
i crush your crown
no more gods
no more graves
no more love
no more hate
hell hammer comes down
onto their blade
our world of widows
needs to be saved
it's now or never
victim or victory
rebel or regret
who you are and who you claim to be
no more heroes
no more
no more
in my world of enemies
i walk alone
why all the rending of garmets over dem pres candidates?
Kucinich is the hero. He is the guy who can and will lead this country out of the right wing corporate death machine. Listen cto what he has to say, quit your whining and get to work!
Oh, all you guys are over here! I didn't know. I still have some heroes--steve g. was one--but I agree that a cold eyed look at politics as it is and not as we want it to be is what is needed. Congratulations for keeping up the great work, though. I'm glad to know where Hubris sonic, jesse "doc" wendel, the incredible lower manhattanite and sara robinson have gone though. We may not need heroes but we need voices.
aimai
To be a patriot and repudiate the French, I just want to install a permanent guillotine on the White House lawn. Only we'll rename it a Freedom Unitary Power Stopper.
I keep seeing some emphasize how much "difference" there is between Dem candidates and Repub candidates and how truly godawful the SCOTUS nominees would be if Rudy! or Mittwit were in charge.
Agreed, the Repubs are far worse than Dems, and their SCOTUS nominees would be far worse. Boogity boogity (yawn) boogity boo (zzzzz)...
I think the intraparty clash we're seeing here is that others (like myself) don't see a difference between "unacceptable" and "REALLY unacceptable." Once both parties cross the threshold, I don't think the old 'lesser of two evils' adage works anymore.
The clearest examples of this cleavage so far (for me at least) are the FISA lawbreaking, the US Attorney corruption, the rolling impeachment debate, and the associated Dem buckling under on these issues. Once BOTH parties at least condone executive lawbreaking, spying on Americans without showing cause, and corrupting the law enforcement arm of the federal government, then it's gone too far to matter which party holds the Presidency. (And to be clear, Dems may not approve of this stuff, but by choosing to do virtually nothing about it, they do in fact CONDONE it. And does anyone believe Dame Hillary will benevolently give back her Unitary power once she's in charge?)
Countering that belief within the Dem party are people that believe winning elections is more important than anything else, including the Rule of Law and the Constitution. In their minds, fighting on FISA, the US Attorney scandal, impeachment, are issues that merely jeopardize the Dems' chances in the next election. Thus the whole 'do you really want Rudy! to pick the next SCOTUS nominee?' as some sort of parry to the 'why aren't Dems doing anything about this?' complaint.
I'm not sure where that leaves us, but I think it's important to understand that this is a real cleavage within the Dem party. To some people (like myself), the things that have been trashed under this Administration and condoned by our Dem party are real and significant, and are worth far more than any given election. Witnessing the destruction of our justice system hurts, and seeing both political parties not really care leaves many of us feeling very disaffected for said election.
Disaffected voters are not necessarily the fault of the voters themselves, but are more a sad reflection of the state of the political system and the parties in general. The Dems are not "entitled" to somebody's vote, and if the Dems can't do enough to earn votes through action, then I and others are NOT the ones responsible for whatever electoral punishment they may receive in the coming years.
all dems have to do is put in a new Fairness Doctrine and let free speech and democracy do the rest-----otherwise dems will continue to be outmaneuvered and outframed by the GOP and the synchronized uncontested repetition to 50MIL plus that can only be spread on their talk radio monopoly
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