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November 16, 2008 at 22:58:49
by Cindy Sheehan Page 1 of 1 page(s) |
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Barack Obama and the Democrats rode this wave of hatred for nearly all things Republican on November 4th. The reason for the Democratic victories could not have been because the Democrats give a viable alternative to the Republicans, because most of the time, they do not. In the contest for the highest office in the land, the Republicans threw a bone to their old and decrepit dog, McCain and offered us an even weaker (but younger) choice for his running mate. The deck was stacked for Obama and this was a year that practically anyone could have beaten McCain/Palin (in fact, polls showed that Hillary would have beaten McCain even worse).
I confess, I have become cynical about the political process since I witnessed little (if any) progress towards peace and economic justice after the Democrats regained some power in 2006. I have little hope that Emperor-Elect Obama will voluntarily give up any imperial power or reduce the size of the US Empire as he has already promised to increase US presence in Afghanistan and Super-Duper-Size our military to levels never seen before and can only be used for spreading corporate-imperialism. I hope I am wrong but I am not going to drink the blue flavored Kool-Aid anymore than I would drink the Red flavored Kool-Aid and give Obama a free pass because he chooses to put a (D) behind his name instead of the dreaded (R).
I am willing to give an Obama regime the chance to prove me wrong but I do not think that the movements that put him in power should relax. Obama has proven to be resistant to constituent pressure as he voted to give telecom companies and BushCo immunity from prosecution for smashing the 4th Amendment to bits and pieces as he voted to and pressured other people to vote for the bankster bailouts which has proven to be disastrous. How can anyone who has been alive the last 8 years, but especially a Constitutional attorney/professor vote to give billions (really trillions) of dollars to a corrupt administration that has proven to be criminally inept and callous in every way?
In my refusal to be coma-tized by Obama, whom I have met several times and think he is very smart and very likable (like some people think about George), I have been confronted by friends and strangers alike who do not want facts pointed out to them, just like Republican war hawks and troop "supporters" do not want the facts that Dick and George dodged Vietnam and reduced Veteran's benefits pointed out to them.
Recently, I was on a cable access show here in San Francisco and I was talking about the FISA abomination and pointed out the "pesky" fact that Obama voted for it and a very nice woman who had already voted for me in early voting called and said: "I don't believe that Obama would vote to take away our rights!" I told her that it was a fact that I did not pull out of thin air and she said: "Then he must have had a good reason." Where have our critical thinking skills gone? It is human nature to be partisan for your political party, but to give up your brains and your rights to either party is just plain wrong.
After election day, I received an email from a person who said that he "liked" me and would have voted for me, if I didn't lie about Obama and his funding. He said: "the reason that he has so much money is that WE GAVE IT TO HIM!" I haven't heard from him since I sent him this link that shows how much corporate money Obama also took.
The most gut wrenching emails I have received are from friends who have literally been in the ditches with me saying things like: "Obama has to send more troops to Afghanistan to catch Osama bin Laden, that's a no brainer." Well, I guess I have no brains, because in the first place, has it been established that bin Laden is even in Afghanistan and secondly, do we need two combat brigades in Afghanistan to catch one very tall man with failing kidneys? Afghanistan is now our second longest military misadventure and was the downfall of the USSR's empire. Iraq, Afghanistan and our warfare state may be the downfall of ours if Obama continues the Bush trajectory and his war OF terror. Do not get me wrong, I believe our empire should crumble, but if we do it voluntarily, we may retain some dignity. Additonally, when the empire crumbles, it will crumble on We the People and the ones who have been making immoral profits are already scampering away to places like Dubai (Halliburton after it has soaked US taxpayers for over 20 billion) to preserve their ill-gotten gains.
I was at the No on 8 Protest at City Hall yesterday when a participant and I got into a discussion about civil rights. He said that we reclaimed them on November 4th when Obama (who does not support same gender marriage) was elected. I said, "How so, Obama voted to reauthorize the USA PATRIOT ACT." The young man brilliantly retorted with: "No, he didn't." I replied with: "He most certainly did and what did you think of him voting for the FISA Modernization Act?" At which point, the man turned around and walked away. That's the rabid Republican way and the new rabid Obama-ite way. If a fact doesn't conform to your worldview, then walk away from it and the un-truth fairy will hopefully scrub it from your mind with a wave of her magic wand.
Obama's statements on Iraq are exactly the same as Bush's. He will bring the troops home in a responsible manner when the Generals on the ground tell him it is safe to do so. However, the Iraqi Cabinet has now agreed to the Status of Force Agreement (SOFA) that keeps US troops in Iraq until 2011. I do not think the Parliament or the people of Iraq will agree to this SOFA, as one Bagdad resident put it: "We don't want an agreement with America. We don't want an agreement with Israel... We fully and totally reject this security pact." The Iraqi people will not lie down and accept this as US citizens have. It is unconscionable to think that our forces will be under Iraqi authority, but to also think that we will be infecting that unfortunate nation for another three years after we never should have gone in there in the first place.
The anti-war movement must stick to its "Troops home immediately" mantra and not be lulled into complacency by slick marketing and empty rhetoric. We never accepted the "Troops home eventually" crap and we must not accept it now.
Red, Blue, Green or Purple, we should not allow ourselves to be rocked back to sleep and re-abdicate our responsibilities to our Republic or to humanity. We are going to go through some very rocky economic times before we come out the other end.
Are we going to come out the other end as victims or victors?
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Repeat after me
"I am not going to drink the blue flavored Kool-Aid any more." by Rady Ananda (182 articles, 374 quicklinks, 49 diaries, 1718 comments [201 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Sunday, Nov 16, 2008 at 11:00:25 PM  (0+)
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Careful Cindy, talk like this can get you banned ...
Ms Sheehan, I don't care if ever come in first, you'll always be the horse I'll bet on. If only half the people around here that say they support what's right could see what's right and do what's right, we wouldn't be in this mess. But unfortunately it seems the blue-fever has infected otherwise intelligent people and turned this country into a nation of idiot zombie followers. As long at it's on TV, it must be true, right? Line-up for your talking points, forget third parties exist. We need Democrats in office! Forget they have been selling you down the river for the past oh, so many years, as long at they're not Republicans. (or are they? Getting so one can't tell) And low those that dare point at the new Emperor and say he too has no clothes. Why how dare one remind people that neither party has their interests at heart, and that their hate for Republicans drove them into the arms of a Democratic Party that despises them as much as they hate the Republicans. To them it made more sense to give a mandate to one of the oppressors than to spread their vote and weaken them. No, they listened to the pundits, and not their own minds and hearts, and they swallowed the BS one more time, covered their eyes so they could not see, and ears so they could not hear anything but what they wanted to see or hear, and turned their backs on what should have been done, and the wrath one will face now for reminding them that they've been suckered yet again isn't pretty. I feel for you Cindy. Purity of principle is a hard thing to bare in a world where those will sell out their principles to rationalization. Yet as those that have watched themselves being sold-out even before our new Emperor King takes his oath, they'll trash those that point that out as though it was our fault for bringing it up. If only "Independents" would start being and acting, and most of all voting like independents. But no, they don't seem to understand that saying you're independent and than voting for one of the two established parties, doesn't mean you're independent, it means you're either a Democratic or Republican tool. But whatever you do don't remind them. It starts with warnings, than banning. Next come the Brown-shirts. Already they're dropping like flies. by Mr M (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 66 diaries, 2845 comments [654 recommended, 27 rejected]) on Monday, Nov 17, 2008 at 1:54:52 AM (0+)
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Always question the answers.
Kudos! As concerned citizens and progressives alike, we must ALWAYS question the way things are and the direction that we put our efforts. To blindly follow anybody or any power is throwing the one's free will (if it is somewhat free) away. Careful examination, evaluation, and re-evaluation are needed to try and build a better path (with constant correction). I hope for the best but know that there are always other forces at work. Hopefully people will open their eyes and their hearts to a positive direction--- with questions! by Jeremy Haumann (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 54 comments [2 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Nov 17, 2008 at 5:42:14 AM (0+)
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Absolutely.
We need to continue to apply the pressure on "the system" until it either bends or breaks. We are the occupants of the world's largest open-air forced labor camp. First, we need to make absolutely certain that the web remains free and a public commons. Next, we need to invade the homes and domiciles of the super rich; we need to hunt down the George Soros' of this world and let them know that they are within our reach at all times. Whereever they are. Creep them out. Stalk them. Become a groupie for the superrich. And remember to photograph them for publishing on the web. Obama was a bone that the superrich have thrown us to try to lull us back to sleep. Devour it. Then keep driving forward. by Richard Volaar (39 articles, 0 quicklinks, 151 diaries, 478 comments [63 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Nov 17, 2008 at 7:21:07 AM (0+)
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I always agree
with Cindy To me she epithomizes the best in American character. I also do not have much illusions about Obama administration considering the Clintonian Crows back to work. Obama is a politician. The best part of a good politician is to use the power obtained for the good of the people. Will he? I sincerely hope so. But Cindy is right- there is no end. by Mark Sashine (72 articles, 19 quicklinks, 269 diaries, 4101 comments [131 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Nov 17, 2008 at 8:18:29 AM (0+)
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Hard truths, like bitter medicine
are always hard to swallow. by David Hastings (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 116 comments [5 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Nov 17, 2008 at 1:29:14 PM (0+)
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Facts or Evidence
"If a fact doesn't conform to your worldview, then walk away from it and the un-truth fairy will hopefully scrub it from your mind with a wave of her magic wand." Define a fact. Is it something one has to experience directly to "know" that's true? Or is it something one accepts from another source, even though it can't be "proven"? Are you aware of how many people have walked away from the mountain of 9-11 evidence that strongly suggests the events that day were an inside job? Ask yourself if you're one of them. Then ask yourself how this God-awful situation in this country is ever going to be corrected without the success of the 9-11 Truth movement. by Bill Cain (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 434 comments [67 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Nov 17, 2008 at 4:02:50 PM (0+)
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He Will Certainly Bring Troops Home After...
Cindy, We are supposed to be optimistic now that a colored fellow is in charge. I am absolutely certain that the day Obama would have impeached Bush/Cheney criminal cabal and sent them to gallows; the day he would have finished an honest investigation into 9/11 massmurder and denounced his Insider co-bandits; the day he would have rescinded the criminal bailout ; the day he would have shut down the mafia organization called the Federal Reserve. On that day he would announce proudly that troops would be home in a matter of weeks from every base from every corner of the planet so as the money would be spent for the welfare of the people who voted for him. I am dreaming may be. But after all, they sold us a black president and we ought to be be thankful. What else do you need? Be happy. He is black. Don't say so what! God Bless You by ramsheyi (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 793 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Monday, Nov 17, 2008 at 5:18:34 PM (0+)
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