For the last 40 years, America has lived George Orwell's worst nightmare.  It was a bit more subtle than Orwell had imagined, but our domination by powerful men was no less complete.  We have been fed propaganda instead of news for decades.  The interests of Wall Street replaced those of the American people.  

We are consumers, certainly not citizens and certainly not informed. 

This year represents the first year in my lifetime that a significant number of the electorate have shaken off their stupor all at once, despite the long national awakening since Bush stole the White House.  It took a full-on coup to wake us up and even now the media is trying to shove us back in the Us versus Them framework. 

Unity is bad for ratings. 

If that's the way it is going to be, I say fine.  Time for progressives to go on the offense.  This is the first legitimate shot we have had at the presidency since Jimmy Carter and it is with someone like Barack Obama.  He will be as liberal as the country allows him to be, but we need to first explain to the country why that is a good thing.  There are hearts and minds waiting to be won if we would quite being to afraid to speak our truth with the same conviction as those that speak nothing but lies.

I am tired of trying to offend stupid people.  I contend that they aren't bright enough to get a subtle argument, so why bother?  Those that have an open mind are usually willing to listen despite in-artful or inappropriate language.  I think they are every bit as angry as we are and are ready for some truth.  Perhaps it is only in our individual lives that we start preparing people for the truth that Barack will have to tell them.  Unless we get it at the grassroots and push our representatives to support massive changes in how we do things, Barack will be no more successful than Carter was in promoting a progressive America.

It is all on us.

Which brings me back to offense.  This is going to be a huge effort, that takes multiple generations.  We need to start, right now, speaking the language of winners.  The language of winners is positive and assertive and a tad bit arrogant.  Not arrogant in the sense that everyone else is wrong, but arrogant in that how can anything else be considered right.  That sort of conviction leads to converts.  It's why Barack won the nomination.  He was convinced America could be better and trusted the voter to see through the haze.  He was right.

I am betting on the same thing.  I am betting on more of us being in a place to hear hard-truths laid out in uncompromising language.  I also think we are more ready than ever before to contemplate big, bold initiatives that will take this country in a brand new direction.  I don't think it will be easy or that we solve 40 years of pain and misery with one election.  The journey must begin somewhere, though, so why not right here and now?  If the journey is to begin, we need as many people moving in the same direction as possible.  After all the shit we've been fed and continue to be fed, it will take shocking language and absolute certainty to break through the programming.

To do that, some people are sure to be offended.  Some people need to be offended.  Hell, I'm offended on a daily basis when and if I bother to watch five minutes of local or national news.  Given the nature of the People's enemy and the enormity of their resources to use against us, isn't time we had a good offense for once?  Isn't time we used the same uncompromising tone and moral certitude?  Americans respect that sort of bold communication style.  They can get their arms around it.  Nuanced discussions give the appearance of uncertainty, which is weak, which is un-American.

That's the feeling I get from speaking with friends who are conservative or former conservatives.  The thing they hate most about "liberals" is that they don't take a stand and fight to the death.  It's time we showed them a different type of progressive this year.  They need to see the capable, type-A progressive.  The need to see the Alpha Male progressive (even if you're female!) 

That's how we win back respect from people who have barely tolerated being in the same country as us for the last forty years.  To them we are still a bunch of hippies handing out in the park with our hand-painted signs.  The RNC convinced them they were right years ago and then didn't deliver on anything.  It's all bad.  Now it's our turn.  We need them to understand that not only are we right but we will prove it to them.

First, though, we need a good offense, because the people we want to convince don't respect a defensive strategy.  

I live in the Capital Hill section of northeast Washington DC.  The area is a pretty diverse mix for the most part, and we have tons of people from Maryland who come through here on their way to other parts of the city. 

All kinds of people.  White people.  Black people.  Latino people.  Asian people.  All kinds of people.  All of them angry.  All them armed.  All of them dangerous.  They drive through our 25 MPH streets doing 35 or 40 MPH, often much faster than that if there is a green light up ahead that might turn red and keep them stopped for 45 seconds. 

We had a little girl get killed by one of these maniacs who didn't stop and was never caught. 

I have nearly been hit more than a dozen times.  I have gotten into shouting matches with assholes who clearly don't understand the relationship between cars and pedestrians.  They have actually cussed me out for almost hitting me, my wife and my dogs.  The guy cussed me out in a company van.  On a Monday morning around seven.  After running a stop sign and barely noticing us crossing the street in time to stop in the middle of the intersection. 

Am I the only one who thinks that this country is more than a little crazy these days?

I have noticed this same anger in large metro areas around the country, though not in the smaller towns.   One takes their life in their hands when crossing a street in a big city, at least the ones I have been too recently.  I wonder if the trend is similar all over the country?  Are we all just a bunch of angry moneys driving our pathetic vehicles powered by a steadily dwindling resource that most of us won't be able to afford some day in the near future?  Is that why we are pissed or is it something deeper?  Is it a failure of leadership? 

I am pretty sure that if running a stop sign was punishable by a $500 dollar ticket for a first offense that people would become more respectful of our traffic rules.  If speeding was punishable in a similar fashion and then people actually got pulled over, the result would be the same.  No one is going to continue breaking rules when the punishment fits the crime.  These violations are dangerous to us all and need to be addressed as such.  My last parking ticket was twice as much as a speeding ticket for going 11 miles over the posted speed limit.  This is asinine from public policy perspective.  Which is more dangerous - Speeding or Parking?

I have really taken an effort to slow down and be more considerate of the posted speed limit and traffic laws, but what I don't understand is why law enforcement won't do anything about this.  It is a classic "broken-window" problem.  Not being able to trust that the posted rules will be followed leads to a feeling of lawlessness.  Add cops to the streets who look like a bunch of special forces troops and it contributes to a sense of fear.  Let stupid people get away with stupid shit and pretty soon the crimes they are committing are no longer so stupid.

Is it neglect or deliberate? 

Either way, local law enforcement has a lot to answer for with regards to keeping our streets safe, let alone addressing other crimes.  Forget protecting us from non-existent terrorists.  My chances of getting killed crossing the street are much higher than my chances of dying in a terrorist attack.

Am I the only one that thinks the people who are running things don't want society to function properly else they would make it function properly?