John Cory begins: "So far there is no direct factual connection between the violence in Tucson and the toxic GOP and its subsidiary Tea Party screaming mobs, or the despicable daily spewing of hate-radio or the crazy chalkboard diagrams of the coming end times."
A supporter at a Sarah Palin/Tea Party rally, Boston Commons, Mass., 04/14/10. (photo: Brian Snyder/Reuters)
A Liberal Dose of Reality
16 January 11
Reader Supported News | Perspective
"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds."
- Samuel Adams
o far there is no direct factual connection between the violence in Tucson and the toxic GOP and its subsidiary Tea Party screaming mobs, or the despicable daily spewing of hate-radio or the crazy chalkboard diagrams of the coming end times.
The false equivalency by the right wing and corporate media that the left does it too is merely a deflection intended to distract and shift focus away from them and their tactics. You can't connect the dots, they say.
A drop of ink on porous paper slowly seeps across the sheet. Multiple drops in multiple locations eventually bleed together without any external help. No one has to connect the dots; they connect themselves.
Thirty years ago Ronald Reagan said, "... government is not the solution to our problems; government is the problem."
Plop.
Over the next three decades, vilification of government became a self-replicating meme. Big government fed the cash-driven paranoia machines. Politics got religion with the Moral Majority, which was neither, and Jerry Falwell made a devilish new BFF in Ronald Reagan. The Christian Right was born.
Plop. Plop.
Bogus welfare queens were created from thin air. The dismantling of Unions and the Fairness Doctrine turned news into a product for the corporations, who insisted that they owned the airwaves, not the public. The public good was tossed aside in favor of free-market profiteering without protective regulation.
Money is free speech and some of us have more freedom than others.
Plop. Plop. Plop.
With all this madness came Iran-Contra, the Savings and Loan crisis, HUD grant-fixing scandal, the Lobbyist scandals, EPA scandals and more. An estimated 130 Reagan officials were indicted and/or convicted or investigated for misconduct and/or criminal violations. But Reagan was the best president ever says the GOP.
Big government is bad. Small government, small enough to fit in a President's zipper is good. God be praised.
Boom.
The Great Microphone of Anti-Democracy was created and funded under Reagan and allowed to grow and smear at will over the following decades.
Politics became reality television. The profits of fear made millionaires of the new hate-media puppets, supported extremist think tanks and generated a publishing industry dedicated to the propaganda of self-appointed "real" America; all in the name of the corporate owners of America.
And where has our liberal progressive movement been?
Pointing out their victimhood at the hands of the GOP and how the GOP is mean. Ignoring the elimination of investigative journalism. Scrambling for consultants and pundits to appear on the TV to provide "balance" while agreeing that both sides do it. Gently promoting "objective" media in a world rewarding biased punditry and outright lies.
Woe, is us! It is so unfair. Whatever can we do?
We need to get off our ass and quit pretending the bastardization of corporate media is something new, or that the hateful politics of the right wing cannot be defeated. We need to face reality and stop looking to billionaires and millionaires to fund us or rent us a megaphone to speak to the people.
We also need to disabuse ourselves of the illusion that the Democrats are on our side, or that they represent liberals and progressives let alone the concept that they represent everyday citizens. Modern Democrats are Mugwumps straddling the fence between self-enriching celebrity and GOP corporate compromise.
All of this is obviously more complicated than my simplistic presentation. But I'm a simple guy that believes in the KISS principle. Keep It Simple, Stupid.
And if we think MSBC is the anti-Fox or that it is the liberal platform needed today, then we are just dumb. Snark and shouting and satirical lists are not news reporting or analysis, just tribal entertainment for the converted and like-minded.
No, we need to walk our talk. The other side will call us names no matter what we do, so let us embrace their hatred, as FDR said. Let us be proud radicals and fierce promoters of the common good.
Unions and organizations like the NAACP and La Razza have money that could be used to invest in a non-profit internet/newspaper/broadcast network instead of being spent on lobbying politicians.
Think of it, our own news outlet that conducts investigative reporting and covers real issues. Public subscriptions for print editions and sales of apps for iPad and other devices would provide support money too. Media of, by, and for the people!
Think of putting Robert Parry, Chris Hedges, Sy Hersh, Amy Goodman, Laura Flanders, Glen Greenwald and so many other wonderful voices together in one powerful force of messaging.
We pick a half dozen or so prime issues to promote - issues that overlap compatible areas so as to serve multi-functional roles. Here's a short list off the top of my head:
- End the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. War creates graves, not jobs.
- Universal Healthcare - explain why the US spends $7500 per person on healthcare while most other countries spend $3500. Is it American exceptionalism, or just plain greed?
- Promote government spending on infrastructure like roads, parks, schools and bridges and playgrounds. Immigrants can earn a living and progress toward citizenship by repairing and building infrastructure and paying taxes including Social Security taxes. Jobs, immigration and saving Social Security all rolled into one.
- Taxes - progressive and enforceable on all persons including corporate persons. Taxes are not evil or onerous, they are the investment in America that sustains all of us.
- Financial Reform regulation to protect the people. To paraphrase George Carlin, if we're concerned about street crime - that means Wall Street too.
- Labor must be protected. The right to a living wage. The right to collective bargaining to protect the powerless from the powerful. Labor is not a product - it is not enslavement for corporate enrichment.
- Bring back the Draft with some modifications that expand the age groups, limit exceptions, and include private contractors being converted to active duty and subject to military pay scales. Government contracts must be severely restricted. To profit from death and bombs cannot be a government function. Conservatives should love this because it is patriotic and confirms their mantra that government does not create any jobs. Right?
- Support Marriage Equality. "If you're against Gay marriage - don't marry one!" (I saw that on a button.)
Impossible? Why?
In an interview on Democracy Now! Slavoj Zizek pointed out, "Did you notice how strange the word 'impossible' functions today? When you talk about private pleasures and technology, everything is possible. But the moment you go to social changes ... practically everything that disturbs the market is impossible ... we will live forever ... whatever you want ... we will travel to the moon - that's all possible. But a small social change of more healthcare is not possible."
Corporations don't see "impossible." Conservatives did not see "impossible." Fox News and talk-radio were not built in a day, but over years.
If we don't unite and combine our forces, progressives and liberals will drown in the coming corporate GOP takeover of democracy.
In the Pennsylvania coal strikes of 1902, miners wanted to cut their work week from 7 to 6 days and cut their work day from 10-12 hours a day to 9 hours a day and raise wages.
George Baer, president of Reading Railroad, spoke for the owners in what became known as the "divine right" letter when he wrote: "... the rights and interests of the laboring man will be protected and cared for - not by the labor agitators, but by the Christian men to whom God in His infinite wisdom has given the control of the property interests of the country."
When the letter became public, support shifted to the miners as the public saw what was headed their way. An informed citizenry is the greatest fear of every corporate driven government.
It took progressives years and years to bring change and enlightenment to workers and politicians alike. People like Ida Tarbell, Eugene Debs, Emma Goldman, Sinclair Lewis, W.E.B. DuBois and so many others all fought and organized and published their cause and the cause of the everyman and the poor and the sick. And it worked; not always in big events, but in small continuous determined steps.
To quote Edward R. Murrow: "We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information. Our mass media reflect this. But unless we get up off our fat surpluses and recognize that television in the main is being used to distract, delude, amuse, and insulate us, then television and those who finance it, those who look at it, and those who work at it, may see a totally different picture too late."
An ink drop on porous paper slowly seeps across the sheet. Add another and then another, until at last they bleed together to forge their own image and shape.
"Difficulty is the excuse history never accepts." - Edward R. Murrow
-PEACE-
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Comments
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A new draft, or something requiring either “domestic” or military “national service” would be a disaster for all Americans. It would increase the problems we already have. A new draft would ensure a steady supply of “fresh meat” for those armchair war hawks who see either monetary or ideological gain in starting new wars in the future.
It is also somewhat naïve---or just wishful thinking---to argue that a new draft would create wider opposition to future wars. It wouldn’t. The sons and daughters of the wealthy and influential would find some loophole, in one way or another, to escape any real obligation or sacrifice. Very few members of congress would ever have to worry about their own children; they’d make sure of that.
If there were a draft, the wars would continue to be fought largely by the underprivileged , and ultimately nothing would change; except that more families would now be forced to sacrifice their children, whether they wanted to or not.
A new draft would not end our current wars, or prevent any similar future wars. A new draft would probably make such wars easier to conduct and much more likely to occur in the future.
Please; No Draft. Please.
Assuming citizens would automatically rise up against that system and the wars originating with the U.S. harkens back to a time when citizens were of a different mindset, and the government a bit (a little bit) more civilized. The penalty now, for refusing to be forced to serve in the military would be much worse than in the past. If any think not, check out the U.S. system of military prisons and the reasons for incarceration.
The draft is nothing more than a political/psych ological football that has nothing to do with reality, much less telling the truth to citizens.
We are all now expendable. Don't forget that.
We have to live in reality; and the reality is that if a new draft were instituted, (or "National Service", which is what they'd call it, in order to fool people) the children of the rich and influential will never have to go to a war zone and the rest of us will be forced to hand over our kids to the war makers.
I'll never agree to a draft. Let's not naively play into their hands. Reject any calls for a draft.
You will have Canadian support and maybe show leadership that we Canadians could follow in order to prevent our own right wing from aiding and abetting corporate takeover of our media and political parties.
But -- how will this inspiring message become reality?
How do we take the first steps?
I suggest that you/we listen to Norman Goldman's ideas on how to take these first steps. He's advocating, with practical steps, a way to combat RW extremism and advance a progressive agenda. He has a daily show with free podcasts. please listen. I personally don't have the financial means, but do have plenty of motivation, confidence, and energy.
Norman Goldman--an attorney and progressive talk show host. Seriously, he's even-handed and makes a lot of sense.
NNpost was funded initially (a nonprofit) by Kramer and his wife, and also gets money from subscribers, voluntarily, although you can look at it free.
As the name suggests most of the news that is covered is MN oriented, but not completely. All we need is someone (or several someones) with enough money to star it and continue helping it.
- ending slavery
- ending racial discrimination
- allowing interracial marriage
- allowing women to vote
And I love how you claim that tea baggers agree with us on anti-corporatis m yet support all the conditions that allow it to fester, particularly a weak federal government with little to no regulatory power.
I bet it would be a hoot to play Monopoly with tea party rules. I'd be sure to make myself the banker and pay myself thousands under the table when nobody was looking. After all, with no central power to make and enforce the rules, the rules are what I say they are. And if you don't like it, TS.
All four of these element defend an unethical Israeli government. The truth is that the democratic leadership have a great bit of disdain for progressive democrats, but rely on the progressive democrats for vote, financial support, and the footwork.
The greatest anger I have seen from Obama and Clinton has been toward progressive democrats. Where is Obama or Clintons anger at the conservatives for shooting Gabby and other democrats?
I think a starting point (just for now) is save Social Security from greedy private hands and explain how health care reform will be beneficial to most Americans. Like many I was very disappointed in health care reform once it evolved into insurance reform. But it's something worth saving and building on. The republican agenda to overturn this helpful legislation can, hopefully, jump start some healthy and vociferous opposition to their plans.
Don't let them fool you with talk about a "Fair Draft" or "National Service for All Young People". It's nonsense.
The sons and daughters of the well-connected will fulfill their "National Service Obligation" by working as lifeguards at their country club, or backpacking in the Grand Tetons. And the rest of us will watch our kids do all the dirty work of war and occupation.
No draft, under any circumstances. Please.
If everyone got along just fine and nothing bad ever happened, if we all looked out after one another, drove reasonably, studied hard, shared our happiness and wealth, treated those with whom we didn't agree with respect, and contributed to the common good via self tithe and good spirit, the there would be little need for ANY government. (Though sewage treatment, garbage collection, emptying bed pans and numerous other activities don't easily lend themselves to volunteer effort)
But, when difficulties arise, whether among men or between man and nature, most often it is necessary to coordinate and aggregate resources to address and resolve the problems. Inevitably there arise differences over what solutions at what price, by whom, toward what end which must be resolved.
Utopia is not close at hand. Charity is a limited commodity in a depressed economic environment, Agreement by victory through force (police or military action) is our most widely manifested method for resolving differences, and even the smallest groups of humans seem driven to differ, argue and resent rather than evaluate, compromise and agree with one another.
Big government, small government, liberal or conservative, capitalist, communist, socialist, fascist, monarchical, totalitarian, democratic, plutocratic, corporate, welfare or religious ... mankind keeps trying or struggles under the yoke of virtually ALL of our experiments ... and SOMEBODY always bitches ... somebody always has an ox that gets gored.
John Cory has laid out a clear, concise justification of progressive, liberal thought on the goals and purpose for activist government with a humanitarian bent. Perhaps opponents would like to offer an alternative for debate - before we kill one another out of righteousness.
"No, we need to walk our talk. The other side will call us names no matter what we do, so let us embrace their hatred, as FDR said. Let us be proud radicals and fierce promoters of the common good."
I've used Google and found no reference showing FDR ever said such a thing.
Google provided two great sources for FDR quotes:
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/f/franklin_d_roosevelt.html
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt
As Obama and Reagan say, Trust, but Verify. I still need verification evidence, or we can't trust you here or elsewhere.
in his Oct. 31, 1936 speech, FDR said:"...We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace--business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering.
They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob.
Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me--and I welcome their hatred."
You can read the whole speech at the link below.
Link: http://docs.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/od2ndst.html
Did you "Trust but Verify" when Bush said that Iraq had WMD so we must attack in order to "save" our american Way of life'?
This may take extra brain vitamins, . . . but the reason we cannot all just join hands and COMPROMISE together is the nature of collectivism. In a perfect world we would all look to each other and find perfect consensus and accord. That's not the world we're living in. Instead, looking to each other becomes a game of guesswork and each collective undertaking needs a Voice to guide it. Whatever intuitive function used to choose the voice, the result is the same. All collectives must be administered. Right there you've created a hierarchy where there should only be equality. Your administrators, a Soros, a Kennedy, become your elite controllers. There is no substitute for being all you can be as an individual. When you get there you've become a conservative or libertarian. Big Gov't just gets in your way, steals your steam, your self-direction. Who needs it?
REPLY TO BRUCE GRUBER PART 1:
Looks like those Vitamins were just sugar pills.
Big Government? Who needs it?
Without a government to regulate the powers to be (the controlling/"el ite" class), the remaining 98% of us would be the "other" class who would have to do their bidding at whatever payment and conditions they saw befitting.
I suppose your definition of "Small" Government is one that doesn't have the power, or teeth, to protect the working man and his environment from those who would enslave us if given the chance.
If you're part of the 2%, I can see where you are coming from, if not, I don't understand why you would want to set up conditions that would subjugate you and your heirs.
The corporations of the World care for you as much as you do for a rock on the ground - you either kick it out of your way or step over it.
I grew up a liberal, Bruce. My father ran government programs. At the end of his career he confided that he was the only director he knew that was actually honest with the people's money and resources. Every other program he encountered was criminally corrupt; petty fiefdoms for fat cat bureaucrats. I always hear from my liberal friends referring to this program or that, "These things take time; need tweaking." Problem is, the tweaking never comes to an end, the programs grow more and more bloated. You think you can declare by fiat just, honest, ethical administrators. My bias for individual liberty versus government is from a life of observation of what works and what doesn't. Somehow in this liberal-conserv ative bipolar game we have let the reins slip from our hands. What is running government now is corporatism, monopolism. We have the best government money can buy, but we didn't have the deepest purses. The NeoCons infest both parties. Witness Warhawk Joe Lieberman continually trying to hit the hot button on Iran.
So, don't try to sell me on the collectivist grand scheme. Somebody's always guiding, administrating. It's not true unity of purpose. Sooner or later that elite inner core begins serving its own purposes and not those of the people. We all love a parade once in a while. But at the end of the day it is the right of self-direction of the individual, the power over one's own purse, one's own time, destiny; that really counts. That's truly liberal.
Assange is an example of the government's power to "make up rules" to stop Freedom of the First Amendment's power to publish that which we know.
The treatment of the "uncharged" Private to took the information from the government's UNPROTECTED competers is just one more example of BIG Brother doing its dirty work.
How do we begin? That is the next question. Are those who could lead - afraid for their lives? G-d, I hope not.
The ignorance is vast on both the Left and the Right when it comes to global warming and climate change. Not one politician or commentator or even mainstream environmental organization understands how bad the situation already is. Not one.
There is a long lag time, so when I say "already is" I am referring to changes in the decades and centuries to come that will disrupt human life so profoundly that none of the issues Cory mentions will have any relevance.
I'm not exaggerating. I've been studying the science for years, and it's been obvious for years that this could dwarf everything else if we didn't stop it in time. But the latest science shows it already has. The best scenario now is a horrible future.
Please put things into perspective. Who will even remember any of those issues when billions are starving, the economy has completely collapsed, conflict is ubiquitous, and the worst is still centuries away? Stopping global warming MUST be the top priority for us all, or we will fail. And if we fail, we lose everything.
" If it is not true, don't say it. If it is not right, don't do it."
He is also quoted as saying:
"A noble man compares and estimates himself by an idea which is higher than himself; and a mean man, by one lower than himself."
Since then, many have lost both these ideals and their moral compass or simply put it away, along with their conscience. As a result, feigning insult, in a loud voice, has become the touchstone response to all issues with which one may not agree, while real answers to real problems are left on the cutting room floor.
"Turn off the TV - Get your own personality!"
To Johnny Genlock:
I would confess that I did not intend to promote adherence to Utopian idealism as some false equivalency with progressive or liberal goals or principles. I am pessimistic about Planet Earth's battle for survival against mankind's primitive instinct for conquest as insurance. My use of "If" as introduction was perhaps too cute.
To me, your father's message sounded more wistful than pragmatic - disappointment that his lone example failed to inspire his peers, or that his limited power to do 'good' did not succeed against greed and self service (possibly less likely among government employees than corporate managers).
Your interpretation and application of his observations (on the failure of morality and altruism) as justifying 'self direction' (to escape being led or supervised ?) - seems to justify your belief that individual effort generates the most 'success' or prevents the frustration of being controlled or influenced by others.You seem to feel 'common good' is the antithesis of self interest.
To me, THAT is a core principle of civilized behavior - acceptance that our common interests bring us to a better place than individual concerns or efforts. Successfully hoarding your purse or thinking you control time or destiny are unlikely probabilities. But, the Kochs, Rush, Neal and Hannity would be proud.
I'd make it an even 10 ("Commandments" ?), invoking some earlier posts/columns/blogs:
9. Commit ourselves to preservation of the ideals of justice. Prosecution for war crimes, unlawful detention, torture, and graft is not just for small countries with difficult to spell names and capitals known only to quiz show champs. The Big Banana Republic must stop spying on its own.
10. Turn our collective faces to the TRUTH. This includes understanding and acting on the reality of global climate change, and various local examples of environmental degredation. Yes, we must face real facts.
Thanks!!
Until the general populace becomes thoughtful, discerning; until they understand how the economy works and it's global impact; until they have the judgement to understand that sensitive diplomacy drives our relations with other governments; and that we have to have intelligence organizations to provide security; and until they learn of Man's struggle with morality and civility-we can not hope for them to understand how government works. every American citizen should be required to learn a foreign language-some of this can be available on TV.
I also disagree with the generalizations that the rich and powerful never have their children in the Military-for centuries many of the most prominent famlies were Military families. VP Biden's son just served as did McCain's and yes,Palin's. Apologies to my fellow progressives-- but if we are to be effective-- we have to be accurate.
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