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One of the many ways in which the Democrats attempt to co-opt the left is through web sites that pretend to be open to many different political points of view. People on the left are drawn to such web sites because it gives them an opportunity to spread their message to a wide audience. But their views are only tolerated between elections. As each successive election draws closer, they find that their views are no longer tolerated and they begin to get smeared as crazy, insane, or the loony left.It is a continuous cycle. As each election is over, the forum once more welcomes diverse views. But as the next election approaches, those on the left find themselves more and more unwelcome.
Those of us who are on the left have seen this cycle repeat frequently enough that we should recognize it by now.
There isn't much that we can do about it. But having seen it so often, we should at least be able to predict it. The closer we get to elections, the more the Democrats' characterization of those on the left resembles the right-wing talking heads' characterizations of the Democrats: vicious, demeaning, and wholly untrue.
We do need to defend ourselves. For this purpose some simple definitions are necessary:
1. Wars of aggression are fascist.
2. Leftists do not support fascism or wars of aggression.
3. The Democratic Party supports wars of aggression.
4. The Democratic Party is not on the left.
I can't recall if it was just before the 2004 or the 2006 election that Rob Kall said that third party candidacies "hurt the left." What he meant, of course, was that third party candidacies hurt the Democrats.
So now we are approaching the 2008 election and once more Rob is characterizing third parties and their voters as "psychotic" and dangerous.
Hang in there. By March or April of 2009, after Obama has either become President or conceded to McCain "for the good of the country" in accordance with the precedent established by the Democratic candidates in 2000 and 2004, Rob will pretend to wake up and realize that nothing has changed and will once again welcome diverse views to OEN, at least until a few months before the 2012 election.
So try to weather the smears and hate with patience and fortitude. It is only for a few short months, and then our leftist views will be tolerated once more, at least temporarily. Political blogs have their seasons, and for leftists it is now winter on OEN, at least until after November. Then we'll be blamed if Obama concedes, or ignored if he wins and continues to carry out the McCain agenda.
I don't know about you, but if Rob refers to people like me, people who won't vote for war or for war criminals, as "psychotic" one more time, I'll be discontinuing my tiny monthly donation until after the election. I don't pay people to insult me. I'm low income and, leftist that I am, I'd be just as happy increasing my monthly donation to the rape victims in Darfur.
