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Unwritten...
There is a lot of hopelessness in America right now, just one year after the most hopeful time I can remember. So much has happened (or not happened, depending on your viewpoint.)
We have gone from the tears of joy at the President's election, to tears of sadness as we realize how little one person, even a president, can accomplish in Washington. We were naive about how long change would take, how much resistance to it there would be.
There is so much to be depressed about. The stimulus package has not worked as well as we had hoped it would. The Wall St. big wigs have learned from the financial crisis that "too big to fail" means they have a green light to do whatever the hell they want, rather than an obligation to conduct their businesses in a responsible fashion. More people are suffering from the lack of health care. More, including many of our own, have found themselves out of work - the unemployment rate the highest it has been in over 25 years. We've been asked to swallow the fact there will likely be no prosecutions for the deplorable, and yes, illegal behavior of the prior administration as it relates to torture. We are still involved in two wars, and having difficulty figuring out how to get out of them, while day after day more of our babies die over there with no clear goal in mind. The programs established to aid people in keeping their homes have been largely ignored by the financial institutions WE bailed out. We've watched in horror as the very people who CAUSED the financial crisis have been left to oversee the industry. Gays are still being kicked out of the military and unable to wed. The lobbyists appear to own the country lock stock and barrel. We are subjected to a daily barrage of the selfishness of the privileged class, grabbing more and more of the pie, without regard for those who have not even a sliver.
If you haven't slit your wrists yet,
I was stepping away on the versa climber yesterday, when a song came on that I hadn't heard in a long time..."Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield. (Lyrics here for those who can't download youtube.) I had been thinking depressing thoughts...many of the things I just mentioned. Bemoaning in my mind how much things suck, and succumbing to the idea that there is nothing we can do about it. It is a very pretty song. Natasha has a rather haunting voice. But, it is not usually a song I exercise to, much too mellow, and I was about to click onto a bouncier tune when I heard the words...
Just because things are the way they are does not mean that is the way they need to stay. However slowly it may happen, we are the authors of our own lives, AND we are the authors of our country's life, as well.
Where is it written that the 20% of people who self identify as Republicans get to decide for all of us what course our country takes? Not in my book. Where is it written that they get to determine that I am going to feel helpless? Not in my book. Where is it written that the "have mores" get to flourish while the "have littles" suffer? Not in MY book!
My earth based-world is a pretty great place. If I want to, I can ignore the rest of the world. I can live my cushy little life away from the horrors that others are subjected to every day of their lives. I can turn off the t.v., stay away from TPM and pretend that none of it exists. But I can't. For some reason, at my ripe old age, I need to be aware. I need to be part of the solution. I'll never be one of the activists that you see on t.v., or the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize...but I am determined to make a small difference in my small corner of the world.
I don't know how my story will end. But "the party of the insensitive" will not write it for me.
We have gone from the tears of joy at the President's election, to tears of sadness as we realize how little one person, even a president, can accomplish in Washington. We were naive about how long change would take, how much resistance to it there would be.
There is so much to be depressed about. The stimulus package has not worked as well as we had hoped it would. The Wall St. big wigs have learned from the financial crisis that "too big to fail" means they have a green light to do whatever the hell they want, rather than an obligation to conduct their businesses in a responsible fashion. More people are suffering from the lack of health care. More, including many of our own, have found themselves out of work - the unemployment rate the highest it has been in over 25 years. We've been asked to swallow the fact there will likely be no prosecutions for the deplorable, and yes, illegal behavior of the prior administration as it relates to torture. We are still involved in two wars, and having difficulty figuring out how to get out of them, while day after day more of our babies die over there with no clear goal in mind. The programs established to aid people in keeping their homes have been largely ignored by the financial institutions WE bailed out. We've watched in horror as the very people who CAUSED the financial crisis have been left to oversee the industry. Gays are still being kicked out of the military and unable to wed. The lobbyists appear to own the country lock stock and barrel. We are subjected to a daily barrage of the selfishness of the privileged class, grabbing more and more of the pie, without regard for those who have not even a sliver.
If you haven't slit your wrists yet,
I was stepping away on the versa climber yesterday, when a song came on that I hadn't heard in a long time..."Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield. (Lyrics here for those who can't download youtube.) I had been thinking depressing thoughts...many of the things I just mentioned. Bemoaning in my mind how much things suck, and succumbing to the idea that there is nothing we can do about it. It is a very pretty song. Natasha has a rather haunting voice. But, it is not usually a song I exercise to, much too mellow, and I was about to click onto a bouncier tune when I heard the words...
Live your life with arms wide open. Today is where your book begins. The rest is still unwritten.I listened to the song again. And again. And again. In no time my mind had gone from thinking depressing thoughts to thinking that the very idea of giving in to the forces of evil and greed was unthinkable.
Just because things are the way they are does not mean that is the way they need to stay. However slowly it may happen, we are the authors of our own lives, AND we are the authors of our country's life, as well.
Where is it written that the 20% of people who self identify as Republicans get to decide for all of us what course our country takes? Not in my book. Where is it written that they get to determine that I am going to feel helpless? Not in my book. Where is it written that the "have mores" get to flourish while the "have littles" suffer? Not in MY book!
My earth based-world is a pretty great place. If I want to, I can ignore the rest of the world. I can live my cushy little life away from the horrors that others are subjected to every day of their lives. I can turn off the t.v., stay away from TPM and pretend that none of it exists. But I can't. For some reason, at my ripe old age, I need to be aware. I need to be part of the solution. I'll never be one of the activists that you see on t.v., or the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize...but I am determined to make a small difference in my small corner of the world.
I don't know how my story will end. But "the party of the insensitive" will not write it for me.
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Make that "the party of the lunatic insensitive" and we'll have a deal.
Yes, your book is still unwritten, so I think you should get your skates on and start writing. You have a fantastic story. Who knows how many current lunatics you might inspire to start thinking about climbing out of the unlit, unloving, and dated basement they've been dwelling in and calling home for most of their lives. :-)
November 7, 2009 9:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks, Shelly...will you be my agent?
November 7, 2009 11:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, of course. I will be your agent with pleasure. Just keep reminding me that it's about a book, in case I try to sell you a house or car insurance or whatever else it is that agents get up to these days.
It would be embarrassing. For both of us. :-)
November 8, 2009 1:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
hey, lady...what are you doin' up so late?
November 8, 2009 1:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ohhhh, is that why it's so dark here ... OK, you convinced me. I'm going to my favorite basket now. :-)
November 8, 2009 3:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks, stilli. We are all authors.
I have been where you were (before you heard the song), and I have wondered what the heck we can do about the way the world is.
What my wife and I did was join our local Unitarian church, where we intend to roll up our sleeves and make some kind of a difference. (I'm an atheist humanist, by the way, and people of all faiths are welcome at our church.)
It turns out that there are other people out there -- as we find on this blog site -- who generally agree with us and want to do something.
I think things will get worse before they get better. I think they will get much worse, for a variety of reasons. But I'm conditioning myself to get excited instead of depressed.
To fix our country, we will need to make BIG changes. Only a real crisis will allow that to happen. The crisis (or series of crises) could threaten the EXISTENCE of our Republic. But this turmoil will be necessary to SAVE the country.
I don't know what's going to happen, or when. And I'm not advising people to just "have faith" that everything is going to work out somehow. I'm suggesting that we get connected to real people, locally (online communities are nice, but all politics is local!), stay informed, and remain vigilent. And when shit happens we'll be there to MAKE SURE things work out.
That's the best we can do.
-- ARG
November 7, 2009 11:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
I can't say I'm exactly excited, but I am hopeful that in spite of all the evidence to the contrary, we CAN turn this thing around.
I do agree that it will get worse before it gets better. I don't know that it will go all the way to civil war, but I am convinced it will take something awful to get most people to sit up and realize we are in deep trouble if we continue to increase the divide between the haves and the have nots.
November 8, 2009 12:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe "excited" isn't exactly the right word. Maybe it's "energized". Being depressed -- and, believe me, I've been there -- is not productive. So when I start to feel that way, I am trying to learn to get motivated by it, get myself into motion, take some kind of action.
Joining a church was a big step for me, as I am not "religious" in any conventional sense. But I believe I've found a community of people who hold progressive and inclusive beliefs, and who are willing to put those beliefs into action. We'll see how it goes -- I tend to be a loner (not a "joiner") type. But I realize that what's coming is too big for any one (or two) people to face alone.
I don't mean to highjack your thread. Maybe I'll write my own post on this. Thanks again for sharing your story about turning it around, in the moment. As I said, I'm still practicing that, trying to make it a habit. When I start to feel despair, I try to turn it into positive action.
-- ARG
November 8, 2009 8:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't feel like you've hijacked it at all. Your optimism in the face of adversity is exactly what I'm talking about. And, it is very refreshing to hear someone who is not particularly religious, and obviously progressive, willing to try a religious environment as a means of improving the planet. I'm impressed.
November 8, 2009 10:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
ARG, I'm thrilled for you! It's good to find like-minded people. Seeking what I like to call Holy Mystery.
Peace be with you.
November 8, 2009 12:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Speaking of feeling hopeless...
H.R. 3962, The Affordable Health Care for America Act, PASSED in the House of Representatives tonight at approx 11:00 p.m.
The cafe-klatsch thing is fine on most days, but this was just too dispiriting to bear:
Yesterday I posted a list of preliminary Democratic votes compiled with much effort by the SEIU and posted it with a request to CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE - even provided the links). How hard it have been to actually click on the links and make that call?
Nobody read it. It had one recommend other than my own (yes, I recommended my own post because it was important). I do see, however, numerous posts about everything and nothing under the sun other than the business at hand.
The Health Care Reform Bill passed in the House tonight, no thanks to the folks here at TPM cafe who have a tendency to post buttloads of rants, yet ignore the posts that might just further a progressive agenda.
Thanks for nothing (with exception of the very few).
And before anyone starts ranting about the current bill: READ IT.
This was pretty much my last straw. There is yet so much more work to be done if we ever want to accomplish anything, and apparently TPMCafe isn't the place to ask for help.
There must be other ways...
You can keep this hopeless cafe-klatsch. I'm done with it.
[cross-posted from comments in Coonsey's blog]
Note: I am not an SEIU member. I just receive their emails in an effort to keep myself apprised of events and action alerts.
November 8, 2009 2:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
kfreed, I missed that one (wish I'd seen it!) but have checked out your other posts (and pledged with MoveOn.org).
It's easy for posts to get lost in the shuffle--I myself don't use the rec button as often as I should, and yes, I'm also guilty of not doing enough. But this is a pretty active group--so don't give up on the koffee klatsch! (I've ranted on TPM while on hold for elected officials....)
November 8, 2009 3:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
I can only speak for myself...during the week, I am very hit and miss around here. I care for my 3 grandchildren (two 1 year olds and a four year old) 10 hours a day. On the days I do get onto TPM, I don't have time to get to past posts unless someone points me to them...there just aren't enough hours in the day. So, I missed your post. Had I seen it, I would have rec'd it.
But don't be too hard on folks here. Many have put hours into calling, writing and generally bugging the bejeepers out of their reps. Mine is hopeless, and any time spent trying to convince him of anything is a waste of time, but I did it anyway, even though he is a repub and my begging him to rethink his vote accomplished nothing.
I appreciate your efforts, and I am sorry if I have contributed to your frustration.
November 8, 2009 3:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
kfreed, don't give up on TPM. I think there is value in participating in our "virtual" community.
It isn't perfect.
As others mentioned, time constraints prevent many of us from reading daily, and as a result, we miss important posts.
You may come to feel that your own time is better spent on other things. (I know it takes a lot of time and energy to write up a blog post, and if no one's reading it, then what's the point?)
But don't give up too easily. Keep reading, at least, and commenting.
-- ARG
November 8, 2009 8:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry,I didn't see your post, but I did call my representative - OFA sent me an e-mail.
November 8, 2009 4:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good morning Stilli. A great many Amercians share your feelings. You don't have to look very hard to get the impression we live in a world gone mad. It's a challenge just to stay in the minute. It would be infinitely simpler to shake hands with insanity and partner up in a lethal embrace.
That is our challenge.
It is with an unhappy acknowledgement that too few Americans take up this challenge. And in all fairness the distraction of taking care of our families and holding down a job is a major effort and is all a great many Americans can manage. I want to find fault with that but I know it's wrong to be critical of those who aren't of a mind to make time to drop a note to his or her representaive. It's very hard for me to say that when I think of what is hanging in the balance.
We're free to exercise our right to solicit or not our representatives. We live in a world of infinite shades of morality and any moral obligation that comes with citizenship is for each to consider on their own.
I gave this country a lot of the years of my life so for me this is an easy proposition. Most people though have never served their country and don't fully grasp the essence of freedom. The idea is hard to know without either having seen firsthand people dying for their freedom or having placed yourself in that position and really learning what it means. BTW that learning doesn't come until well after the fact when you've had a chnace to live your life and reflect on what this is all about.
I'm not at all satisfied with the above and the certain invitation to tyranny it implies. What it means though is those of us who are up the challenge can't waiver in our efforts. Every email we send, every letter we write and every posting here makes a difference. What a small price to ask for freedom. So hang in there Stilli. We're all here bound together in a love of our country and a will to be free. That's good enough for me.
November 8, 2009 3:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
I have one further thought to convey that I think is worthwhile to know.
War is very messed up. The reason for that is in order to survive it requires one to dispense, in part or in whole, with morality. And is so doing you give up a part of yourself you can never get back. For some this loss is devastating. None are unaffected.
Our president and our leaders would do well to understand this.
November 8, 2009 3:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Having never served myself, I cannot KNOW of what you speak, but I do have a good friend here who has, and has shared just enough for me to know that the pain of war he experienced is something he carries with him every day of his life.
Yes, war is an awful thing. The casualties go far beyond the dead and physically wounded.
I'm hanging, TPC...some days better than others. Every bit of encouragement helps, so we need to lean on each other. Thanks for yours.
November 8, 2009 4:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Stilli, you may not have served but you are indeed a trooper in every way.
November 8, 2009 4:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
I've never been called a trooper! I'll wear the name with pride. Thank you. And thank you for your service and all it cost you.
November 8, 2009 10:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
You see what you did Stilli? You made me write another letter to Obama that I just put a stamp to.
Dear President Obama,
I am sure it is a difficult choice you face with committing more Americans to the Afghan conflict. In all honesty yours is not a burden I would care to have.
I am a Vietnam era veteran and served twelve years and have three Honorable Discharges. I quit after Vietnam because I came to realize some things which left me no choice.
War is very messed up. The reason for that is in order to survive it requires one to dispense, in part or in whole, with morality. And in so doing you give up a part of yourself you can never get back. For some this loss is devastating. None are unaffected.
I would merely ask you to consider that for everyone who serves, there is something which dies in us. It is as certain as a bullet.
Please accept my apologies for increasing your burden. As president there are things you need to know which you may not fully understand which we can help you with. While you alone may sit in the oval office you do not sit there alone.
November 8, 2009 5:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
I would love to live in a country that such a letter could move a nation toward a more ethical and moral course.
November 8, 2009 8:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
One can only hope Jason.
November 8, 2009 9:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
We're working on it, you included. Stranger things have happened.
November 8, 2009 10:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
It would not surprise me at all if that were one of the letters that makes it to his desk...short, to the point, moving. Thank you for taking the time to put your thoughts to paper. Does that make me your muse? I've never been a muse. I like it. :-)
November 8, 2009 10:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's fun to be a muse, but it's also fun to say, as did Queen Victoria, "We are not a muse."
November 8, 2009 12:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Out of curiosity I checked to see where the term muse originated. I need to do such things frequently. From Wikipedia:
The Muses (Ancient Greek αἱ μοῦσαι, hai moũsai [1]: perhaps from the o-grade of the Proto-Indo-European root *men- "think"[2]) in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature are the goddesses or spirits who inspire the creation of literature and the arts.
Works for me. I'm a little jealous though. I don't get to be a muse. That's OK though. Doesn't sound like my cup of tea. Goddesses and spirits are out of my depth. I do require inspiration though. An occasional kick in the pants is how I would put it. We been getting kicked around a bit might have something to do with this. So being my muse is OK. But only if I can have more than one. One is never enough.
November 8, 2009 12:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, I may have taken a few liberties with the actual meaning, but what the heck? It's as close as I'm going to come! And it sounds so much nicer than kicking your butt! :-)
November 8, 2009 12:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Beautiful!
November 8, 2009 12:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's a beautifully sunny fall day. If I close my eyes it actually feels like spring. Definitely affects your mood.
November 8, 2009 12:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
How true. :-)
November 8, 2009 12:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Amen, stilli! Amen!!! Yes!!!!!
November 8, 2009 11:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
"We have gone from the tears of joy at the President's election, to tears of sadness as we realize how little one person, even a president, can accomplish in Washington."
It would have made a huge difference had he actually tried to accomplish real change but he didn't. We certainly were naive, but the naivete was in believing his sloganeering about change when all the cards he showed were for "more of the same but with a Democrat in charge." He's not even a liberal let alone someone who is willing to challenge the status quo. Even the health care bill (if it ever passes) is, more than anything else, a gift to the insurance companies and big pharma at the expense of taxpayers. Now that it's clear he is a stalwart defender of the status quo and the corporate powers that be it is time to make clear that it isn't written that the have mores get to flourish while the little people suffer but it is up to us as it always was. Guys like Obama will never do it. That's not what they're in the game for. They are in the game for themselves and unlike our great leaders in the past they don't give a damn what happens to "the commonality" as was said in times past. One concrete thing we can do is to stop supporting those who say they are for change at election time but whose every action in office proves otherwise. We must demand that those who do get elected actually serve their constituents and not just their rich and powerful constituents. The corruption and rotteness of the Democrats is a far worse thing than it is with Republicans because everyone with any sense assumes they are rotten and corrupt from the jump. That the Democrats of DC have so obviously and completely sold out to the same interests the Republicans serve is maddening.
November 8, 2009 12:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
What a buzz-kill you are.
November 8, 2009 1:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
The truth has that effect sometimes.
November 8, 2009 1:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oleeb, as much as my darker side is afraid you may be correct, I refuse to believe it just yet. I prefer, for the time being, to believe that there were things he wanted to deliver, only to discover once he got in office that there are things beyond his control that keep him from doing what he wants to do, either as quickly as he wanted, or perhaps at all. Some of that may have been naivete, but some was inheriting a country that was in much worse shape than he thought he would. You could see it on his face when he won. The realization of the enormity of the task ahead of him.
Even the most jaded could not have believed the roadblocks the repubs (or as I call them now, "the party of the insensitive) would be capable of throwing in front of him. By the same token, who would have believed that so many dems would be eunichs (I counted, what? Thirty something last night?)
There are many ways in which I have been disappointed by the slowness of change. But our government runs that way by design. Our forefathers wanted enormous change to be difficult, to keep us from capsizing due to jerky moves from one direction to the next. It's painfully, but necessarily slow.
And is complicated by greed and selfishness and laziness and a lack of morality and integrity that I don't think they envisioned, at least not at the levels we are seeing today.
I still believe this man has the capacity to be one of the best Presidents we have ever had. I believe that if this country has even a small chance at changing course and becoming the country I believe we can be, he is it. If we cannot do it under HIS leadership, I believe it cannot be done.
So, for now, I am going to believe it can happen. I am not prepared to succumb to the bitterness I think I will feel if he, no WE, are not successful.
Also, I think this President is prepared to lay the groundwork, but not see his vision complete, if that is what needs to be done. He is thinking long term, not just into the next election cycle.
We have become the "I want it all and I want it now" country. We have no patience. If (and perhaps even when) we do ultimately lose our dominance in the world, it will be because countries like India and China look much further into the future than we do. But, we have our video games where we can be and do anything we want, so what do we care about reality? We are pathetic, and we don't deserve to be the leaders of the free world.
Whew!
November 8, 2009 3:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
I believe the final count was 39 - including a certain Dennis Kucinich. Yet, no firebombs being thrown his way on these pages. Very curious, indeed.
I mean, I totally understand the "nay" votes from people like Artur Davis and Charlie Melancon, who are facing difficult statewide elections soon in places that aren't exactly Democratic strongholds. But Kucinich?
I'll also take this opportunity to note that I was dead right about Nancy Pelosi's abilities.
Excellent post, by the way. Rec'd.
November 8, 2009 5:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obviously the bill was not liberal enough for Dennis Kucinich (or for oleeb, or for me, for that matter -- not sure I would have voted against, however). DK is no Blue Dog, that's for sure.
-- ARG
November 8, 2009 5:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not sure he would have voted against it if he thought they didn't have the votes to get it through w/o him, but, he is a pretty independent guy and seems to have a lot of integrity, so maybe he would have. Who knows?
November 8, 2009 6:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't believe I claimed Kucinich was part of the BDC. Feel free to demonstrate otherwise.
I prefer to believe Kucinich is intelligent enough not to vote "nay" as some ideological protest. If he did, that alone illustrates why he was an unsuitable Presidential candidate.
The towers on either end of the National Mall aren't made of ivory, and even the most hardheaded idealist must realize that real change comes wrapped in packages marked, "Made with kaizen".
Nothing as big as HCR happens wholesale, with one piece of legislation. Even Medicare (which this thing dwarfs) took 18 months. There are parts of the House legislation that I'm not happy with. However, it still represents a first large - and most important - step in the right direction. And I'm amazed that it looks like this thing might get to reconciliation within 11 months. I was sure this would become a midterm issue.
Given a choice between this bill and the status quo, voting "nay" is an effective endorsement of the status quo. And that's something I don't believe Kucinich endorses.
November 8, 2009 6:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
I never meant to imply that you had implied that DK was a Blue Dog. Clearly he is not. I think we are in heated agreement on this.
-- ARG
November 8, 2009 10:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
It isn't liberal at all. It is a corporate subsidy program and an extraordinarily costly one at that which doesn't cover everyone and won't be sustainable or popular. If this bill becomes law there may be some temporary political benefit for Obama and those who went along with him, but the long term fallout for Democrats will be very, very negative.
November 8, 2009 9:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Kcionich voted against the bill because it is a bad bill. The Democrats have foolishly chosen the strategy of "any bill is better than no bill" and that is not true. A bad bill (which this is in current form) is much worse than no bill.
November 8, 2009 9:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
"I prefer, for the time being, to believe that there were things he wanted to deliver, only to discover once he got in office that there are things beyond his control that keep him from doing what he wants to do, either as quickly as he wanted, or perhaps at all."
This is, of course, the definition of denial.
Your preference simply is not true. He is doing precisely what he intended. Yes, there were some circumstances that were surprisingly grim such as the auto industry crisis, but the financial crisis was not a surprise and he never missed a step in the pace set by Bush and the Republicans for servicing the needs of Wall Street at your and my expense.
He and his corporate Demcratic cronies want you and as many other people as possible to believe this fale storyline that you prefer so that they can continue to sell your interests and mine down the river along with those of our children and grandchildren which is precisely what they're doing. Anyone who was paying attention could eaily understand the magnitude of the train wreck the Bush years made of the government and the economy. Anyone. And the Bush years were only the crowning blow in nearly 30 years of increasingly right wing political and economic policies. To go out of one's way to make excuses for Obama and company for selling out the people's interests with respect to the Wall Street Heist (aka: "bailout"), the caving in to the interests who insist on institutionalizing the outrageous violations of the rule of law and our constitution that Obama has gone out of his way to do is absurd and even the fanciful idea that he somehow found things he hadn't foreseen cannot cover up his willing continuation and expansion of these illegal power grabs on the part of the executive branch. His failure to be bold with respect to the economy but instead to be far too timid with the stimulus has everything to do with his timidity as a leader and his reluctance to do anything that will upset the status quo, and his sell out of the people's interests on healthcare (while masterfully done) and making people think it's going to be good for them is still a sell out. The final sellout to the antiabortion interests was particularly degrading and disgraceful.
I'm sorry, I cannot share your desire to "believe" that he isn't exactly what he appears to be. That desire to believe his intentions are good despite how bad his policies are is just a modern version of the old hope of peasants in any number of kingdoms that despite the fact that the King's government does horrible things and the King's policies harm his people, the King himself doesn't really intend this for his people. The peasants held onto this false belief because they had nothing else to hold on to. We are not that downtrodden. Not yet. The other version of this is the old saw that "if only he knew" or "if only his advisors were not evil" as is often put forward regarding Emmanuel, Geithner, Summers, etc... Our good King would never do these horrendous things if only he knew the truth. Bah! It's time to wake up and smell the coffee folks! He is what he appears to be. He's a sellout! He has chosen to sell out instead of fighting for the changes the millions worked so hard to put him in a position to make. He has sold out to Wall Street, he has sold out to the anti-democratic and unAmerican national security state, he has sold out to big pharma and big insurance and we'll never see an end to the two pointless imperial wars we are engaged in under this President. He, like the rest of the courtiers and courtesans of imperial DC, live in a bubble where they think the empire will last forever and that the economic calamity that has been playing out for the past couple of years but building for muc, much longer is temporary. Well, it isn't temporary and the empire is destroying our republic as we speak by bankrupting us and the new Emperor is doing absolutely nothing to protect the interests of the people despite knowing this is precisely what is going on. Instead, he works for and on behalf of the richest and most powerful imperial corporations and interests. The change he was talking about last year was simply changing the face at the top to his. In all the most critical areas of interest to the common people of this country where fundamental change is an urgent necessity there is little separating the new Emperor and his party from that of the old Emperor and his. The longer we continue to deny this very real, albeit unpalatable, set of circumstances the less chance we will have of ever restoring constitutional government and the rule of law in this country, let alone restoring some modicum of prosperity for the common people.
November 8, 2009 9:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have already given you that you may be right. But I refuse to give up hoping that he will come through for us. I would like to say that I envy you your certainty. But I don't. I don't think he's had enough time yet for us to be certain.
But let's say you are right. Who are these bold leaders you want? I sure haven't seen any lately.
The picture you paint just doesn't ring true to me. I have a hard time believing that he would, with malice of forethought, sell HIS children's and grandchildren's futures down the river.
If it turns out you are right, I will give you your due and admit I was wrong. But I don't think I am in denial, I am just being fair, and, I think, realistic. This country didn't get AFU in a year, it certainly isn't going to get fixed in one.
November 8, 2009 11:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
"I refuse to give up hoping that he will come through for us."
Stilli... wake up! It isn't a matter of certainty in terms of deciding how one looks at the situation. It is a matter of simply acknowledging the undisputed facts and drawing the obvious conclusion.
He hasn't lifted a finger for us little people. Not one finger. Quite the contrary. He has worked against the interest of the common people from the outset and if his obeisance to Wall Street doesn't prove that to you this healthcare bill ought to. This is a question of being given crumbs from a feast we provided the food for, that we cooked, but that we were not allowed to partake in. He has no intention of the being the kindly and benevolent King you wish him to be. He has every intention of being the ultra cautious enabler of corporate interests which is precisely what he has shown himself to be.
November 9, 2009 2:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
If I had a dollar for every time I thought I had arrived at the only logical conclusion, only to find out that the truth was something I had never even considered, I'd have much more money in my pocket than I do now...
Patience, my dear Oleeb. Truly, I will congratulate you on your ability to judge character far better than I, if you are, in fact correct. This will play its itself out in time.
They say politics make strange bedfellows, and Leiberman may get you the "nothing" you are hoping for, in lieu of this bill. It ain't over 'till it's over.
November 9, 2009 3:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
You are right, of course, oleeb, that Obama is not as different as many of us had hoped. But I am not as surprised by this as (perhaps) you and some others. (I supported Dennis Kucinich originally, then (after DK officially dropped out) Edwards very briefly (since he quit just a few days later), and then Obama. So he was my third choice.)
Think how things would be if McCain/Palin were in charge. I was downtown at the rally last year on election night, and I am still supporting Obama.
Here's what I believe. First, it is up to us. (Ask not what your President can do for you...) Second, some serious shit is going to happen in the next seven (to 15) years. It will fracture our country, and will require great leadership to avoid having things fall completely apart.
What I'm talking about is the consequences of Peak Oil, and the likely result that our country will face a major currency crisis. If you are not already familiar with this concept, it may sound a bit crazy, but read up on it, and decide for yourself. I like this site as a starting point, due to the many, many excellent links:
http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/Index.html
It's hitting the fan, folks. Sooner rather than later. It's how we -- as individuals, and as a country - react to these events that will determine our futures. As I said upthread, this can be pretty depressing. But we won't have much choice, except to adapt and move forward.
And a pragmatic leader like Obama may be the perfect person to lead us through this mess. We'll see.
-- ARG
November 8, 2009 5:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Woah, ARG...we're going to need to talk...I'm a peak oil gal myself. Seems like not too many people are getting sweaty over that, but I am.
November 8, 2009 6:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Definitely perspiring, myself.
-- ARG
November 8, 2009 11:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
The fact is ARG, things for the common citizen would not be all that different if McCain had won. Unemployment would be a bit worse and we would still be reviled in the world. The first matters to the average person, the second matters very little to the common citizen (though I am glad to see the change in perception myself). In all the areas where the Democrats, including Obama, promised real change, we have seen precious little change in the course set by Bush and the Republicans.
November 8, 2009 9:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Forgot to add that I agree with you that a huge crisis is coming. All the more reason to be disappointed in Obama's timid, tepid leadership. Now is the time when the dramatic changes we need could have a beneficial impact. Once it becomes clear that our money is worth much less than it has been in the past it will be far too late. Now is the time for bold leadership not then and we've been sold out by a man who refuses to act boldly in the face of clear disasters both current and visible on the horizon for those willing to look and see.
November 8, 2009 9:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think we disagree that much about the reality of Obama's administration, so far.
I don't blame him for the bank bailout, since he was still campaigning at the time, but I do wish he'd made bigger changes since taking the reins (accepting Geithner and Summers into the fold amounts to an endorsement of their previous actions).
But, again, I'm not all that surprised, and (as a result, perhaps) less disappointed than you. I mean, Obama's vote on the FISA bill in August (?) of 2008 told me how he'd deal with the secret government and the wars, etc.
But he's less DLC corporatist than Hilary. And any Democrat is better than a Republican. Plus, let's face it, we can't know what Obama would do if he were truly king -- you go to war with the Congress you have, not the Congress you wish you had (to paraphrase Rummy). Obama didn't write this bill. (Some think he should have, but he didn't.)
Big things need to change. Like making corporate "citizenship" a thing of the past, and reversing the notion that money equals speech. But bad things need to happen before those things can ever be achieved. I don't know whether history will view Obama as a hero or a villian when events finally prove that the corporate takeover of our government has been a bad idea. But I'm hoping for the best, and trying to encourage him to do the right thing. Your point is that he (Obama) shows no signs of bucking the trend yet. And I agree. But maybe he's playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers. (And maybe that's just a stupidly optimistic thought.)
Your view could be described as cynical -- or is it realistic? I am trying to move beyond cynicism. I try to see things as they really are, but then I try to ask, What can I do about it?
So I accept and understand your disappointment with (even animosity toward) Obama. What do you propose that we do about it?
-- ARG
November 8, 2009 10:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think it is realistic.
Obama is a weak leader in a party of weaklings and all one need do is look at the Congressional leadership now and in the past 25 years to confirm it. My complaint is that he is a total sell out who hasn't expended even one thin dime of political capital in the interests of the people. I have been horrified by his betrayal on transparency, the rule of law, and the whole farcical war on terror. I have been even more horrified that he has no conscience whatsoever with respect to violations of the Geneva Conventions and war crimes we know have been committed by American personnel and leaders. He had the worst healthcare platform of any of the Democratic candidates last year but what he has worked on this year is far worse than the BS, pro-insurance industry plans he proposed during the campaign. What is taking shape is not just a bad bill, but a horrible bill that does little by way of the American people while charging them an exhorbitant price to boot. It has begun to become all too apparent that he sold the people a bill of goods during the campaign just to win. He's no liberal and he's barely even a Democrat. One of the reason he has been backing so many Republican ideas is because he is much more of a Republican in many respects than he is a Democrat. But again, I don't believe being cynical has anything to do with my assessment. The cynical one is Obama.
November 9, 2009 2:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Then I wonder why the repubs hate him so much? If they have their guy in office, they should be ecstatically supporting him. But they aren't. They wouldn't support a bill he supported if it was their idea. If he says the sky is blue, they say it is green. Why is that, since he is so much more of a republican than a democrat?
November 9, 2009 3:08 AM | Reply | Permalink