What are you going to do in the face of Citizens United? Got any ideas how progressives can overcome the enormous wealth of our corporations? Will $25 dollars each do it? Can I send them a chicken? I've got lots of chickens.
We fought with pens, e-mails, phones, meetings, Town Hall confrontations, petitions, protests. We donated money. We bravely battled in justified righteousness in opposition to the previous administration. We supported MoveOn, United for Peace & Justice, ANSWER, CodePink, IVAW, World Can't Wait, ImpeachBush, After Downing Street (sorry David), etc, etc, etc, etc.
Well, at least we've got the T-shirts at $25 a pop.
No one likes being cynical. Or disillusioned. Neither do we appreciate being manipulated by doublespeak, misdirection, and parsing of language. Oh we got used to it during the Bush years. And became excellent at "framing" and interpretation, and triangulation, and the diagramming of sentences.
Did anyone think we'd have continued to do this after the 2006 majority and the 2008 Presidential successes? They're supposed to be OUR GUYS. Compromise to get Bipartisan, smells like capitulation to me.
Let's not forget the famous meme: "Don't worry about the Progressives, who are they going to vote for? And Republicans? THEY'LL GET IN LINE ON ELECTION DAY."
Oh Really? I'm ready to cut off my nose to spite my face, especially since my face matters so little to anyone but my family.
Stop telling us we're giving up, that we're weak or lack courage or persistence. We've given you that and more. Much more. We are only giving up on electoral politics, and we have every justification to do so.
And the youth? They believed because we told them that politics could work to change the world. Poor kids, they might never come back. And I for one won't blame them. They're too busy trying to stay employed.
We've been told: "Bring a Solution or You're the Problem." Well, we did, and now it's your turn. Why don't ya"ll try giving us a few new pointers we may have missed over the past 10 years. Something new to try?
Being chastised for turning political energy to something more rewarding is not "productive" either. Most everyone I know is out of new ideas. Nobody wants to go to another damn meeting. Or click on a donate button. Or slap on another bumper sticker.
There is no motivation for the ninth, tenth or one-hundredth pointless, expensive trip to DC for a walky walk. Had 600,000 and it wasn't enough.
Here's my background music for the new administration and the corporate handmaidens of the congress:
Alicia Keys: Go Ahead
Broken promises -- My heart you stole -- Lies you told --
Got the best of me -- Digging in my heart of gold --
Used to look at you -- And see the possibilities --
I see you for who you are -- Boy you've disappointed me
I thought you gave me love -- Was never near enough
Soon enough time reveals -- Love wait of what is real
Know all I need to know -- But see you got to go
What have you given me ? -- But lies lies --
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