(11 am. – promoted by ek hornbeck)
I knew this would happen. A flattening of passion. Something close to a full stop. Floundering.
So much time spent waiting for the end of something is leaving me a bit lost.
Now that I get my wish… how will I live without George W. Bush?
Bad habits die hard, I guess. Yes. I admit it. There will be a void where Georgie Boy, once buoyant and proud, stood to claim, aloud, victory over ethics and ability. He clouded reason by elevating treason.
During this holiday season, to whom can I turn and shower on blame? Oh… and will there be no more stirring debates over this retrobate? What a waste of my egg nog epiphanies!
The truth is this: I’m glad George Bush pushed back the curtain. In his arrogance, he has given us clear view, if we wish to see. The hubris of intellect and power without wisdom and compassion has created a big fat mess. Republicans alone have not blown it. Hello Mr. Rubin. Funny way to get reacquainted isn’t it? Bill Clinton left open road for George W. Bush & Co. to plunder our resources, assets, and environment.
No. Not so funny. So let’s not overlook the gift of the Crawford boy.
What has happened is not just a Republican thing. Or a Democratic thing. It is a combination of things… fueled by people in power. Don’t let them, those invested in Washington’s culture of corruption, fool you again. Don’t let the “Democrats” allow you to feel they’ve got you covered. Like the Republicans convinced the evangelical community and hard right… but those fucking fundies, those whacky wingers got it… they saw through the bullshit. I’ll give them that. Are we as bold? To see through what seems to me self-imposed: the insistence that Democrats are somehow different or better than Republicans. They’re all just politicians. There are some good ones on either side. And maybe we got lucky and elected president someone who will be far and away more than a politician… that would be, well, better than great. Better than winning the lotto. Better than even ice cream with melted marshmallow and chocolate sauce. I keep my fingers and toes crossed!
BUT
The bad people won’t ever stand down. But we can stand up to them. And we have to muscle all politicians to act in the best interests of their country and its citizens. I believe the independent- and secular-minded among us could consider doing the following (because if President Obama is a good one, then he will need our help!):
1. Take back school boards, town boards, zoning boards, state houses… get into the mix and stand for transparency, common sense, accoutability
2. Use local politics to reverse the ever expanding consumerism model of economics. Zone for shopping streets with small stores and town-centered living with bike paths and better mass transit. Look at the impact of 4-day work weeks and telecommuting. How about less night light in big buildings? Local and regional farming rather than the unsafe, unethical industrial business model of farming…
3. Get onto county and state political committees to upend the tendency to demand lock-step agreement
4. Unseat politicians like Nancy Pelosi to send a message that netroots is active, strong, cohesive.
5. Spend your money wisely
6. Keep pounding local/state/federal officials for ACCOUNTABILITY. It is the most urgent item: those we elect to uphold our laws MUST be held accountable to those laws.
There is opportunity here. How we citizens learn . . . and what we learn from these horrible years will be interesting to note.
23 comments
Skip to comment form
Author
citizenship, it turns out, is lots of work.
EDUCATION needs all the attention we can give it.
the system (& mass media)is producing people who expect knowledge to be spoon fed to them, just as the answers for those ‘achievement test’s are.
we MUST start teaching people to THINK & IMAGINE again.
the future of our country depends entirely on our childrens sense of wonder.
i have high hopes that Obama is a decent enough person that he won’t be totally covered up in the political slime. i hope he is strong enough to retain his upbringing, remain being the man of honour that i believe he is.
he’s starting off with a bang as far as i can see.
yes, i’d have liked some different appointments…i’m very ver worried about the Ag guy….but i think he may be assembling some of the brightest. even if he doesn’t see eye to eye with them, it’s Good to have opposition~ it helps crystalize YOUR position, no?
excellent essay pf8!
a great read this morning
thanks
♥~
This is such a good, “leveling” essay.
Obama has certainly opened the doors for discussion. Note dharmasyd’s essay.
With so many monumental concerns in front of us, it’s going to take a lot of involvement from the People!
Your ideas are on target!
Nice to see you!
Well, you might be repeating yourself, but when you’re on the
money it can’t hurt to keep stating what needs to be done by
all of us….perhaps ppl will listen now.
It is all local even if it seems consumerism is to entrenched to fight on an individual level. Community is the main antidote, be it on the net or in your neighborhood. You can push back and it is work, but it’s rewarding. As the giants collapse from banks to big box retailers we need to create a real Main Street one that offers the communities something more then bad jobs and cheap shit from China. Schools that offer more then churning out crones for these collapsing dinosaurs. Civics comes to mind.
Portland OR has a lot of citizen activism from the school system to planning, land use to zoning. Your local Democratic Precinct is a good place to start. Shayhar and I got active locally via Howard Dean in 04. This election we worked for a young progressive who also a former Deaniac got elected to the state house. We stopped nasty land developers initiatives on the ballot. If the party isn’t for you there are neighbor hood associations and even merchant associations. If you show up you make them work and find surprising coalitions.
In our neighborhood we have a constant battle with the city consul who team up with developers. They want the whole city to be one Big Mall. In my small corner we have stopped fast food joints from opening on our main streets, via meetings picketing and letters. It is in a way easier on a local level as your more visible (so are your opponents) your vote counts more and you can in person make your opinion count. You also don’t have to be a millionaire, just a citizen who works and cares.
Right now is the perfect time as crisis does equal opportunity. It is also a dangerous time as it’s easy to feel we won, their gone. They aren’t they will always be here on every level. I do think that now the roadway has been cleared and we have an opening. Community is the answer.
I like how your agenda focused on local aspects not just national ones. A secular leaning semi Buddhist studying type like myself wouldn’t be able to run for the school board here.
Do you have a Dutch Shepherd yet? It got a bit chilly last night and I did not feel like getting an extra blanket but Arno snuggled me, no need for the blanket. See dogs are good for the environment, cuts heating costs.
…you’re back home in NL?
…we have a politician who tells us to push him and push the system.
It’s our chance!