Sarah Silverman was right
Look, I know I don't have a lot of street cred around here, nor should I, really. I donated to Bernie. I voted for him. I converted my mother and other family members here in Ohio to vote for him as well. But I didn't do much else. I didn't phone bank or knock on doors. I didn't pour as much blood and sweat and tears into the movement as many/most/all on here have done. I've only posted a couple times. And I think this is my first diary, and one that is destined to be unpopular, to say the least. But some things need to be said, and as a student of law (JD) and political science (BA) I fear it is getting too much like and echo chamber around here, and that is dangerous for decision making: see Barbara Tuchman's classic book, "The March of Folly." Plus, I do know a thing or three about politics and our nation, so please, at least give me a read, even though you may not like some of it.
I'm certainly no stranger to politics or being pissed off by the Democratic party or it's corporate leanings. My candidate has never/rarely won the primary in my voting lifetime: Jesse Jackson in 1988; Tom Harkin in 1992; Bill Bradley in 2000; Kucinich in 2004; Bernie in 2016. I would have voted Edwards in 2008, the Two America's thing was right, but then the infidelity thing blew up and I switched to Obama before Ohio voted. I wrote in Ralph Nader in 1996 after Bill Clinton disgraced the nation and voted for Nader again in 2000 after Al Gore called Clinton the greatest 20th century President (over FDR, child please). I canvassed hard for Kerry in 2004. I was an organizing fellow for Obama in 2008 but voted for Jill Stein in 2012 after Obama refused to prosecute the big banks. I wrote a diary saying so on ToS and promptly was banned.
Hell, I wasn’t 100% sure I'll vote for Hillary until last night, so I feel you. I've NOT voted democratic in November for President multiple times in my life, so some may say I'm being hypocritical now in criticizing those who won't vote Hillary this time. But I believe the situation this year is a bit different on a number of fronts. First, the stakes are so much higher than before. Both in terms of the disaster that awaits if Trump wins, and the probabilities of achieving some lasting, tangible, game-changing results in the next four years that will evaporate if we don't seize on them now. Second, the progressive movement has more support now at any time in my voting lifetime, thanks to the efforts of the Berners and millenials, let's not throw it away, let's build on it. Don't act in a way that turns people away from the movement you are trying to expand. Which is what is happening now via the disruptions.
Again, just to reiterate, I don't have a problem with being angry, we SHOULD be angry at a lot of things: corporate dems, cheating at the DNC, TPP, the 40 year stagnation of the middle class and wages, prescription drug prices, having centrists kick sand in our faces for 40 years then come running to us for help in November, all of it and more. But my problem with the BoBs isn't how you feel, or even how you will vote (though there is some of that), but how you are ACTING. Like a bunch of little Veruca Salts (I want my revolution NOW, daddy!). And calling Bernie a Dem shill is ridiculous. Sarah was right about that.
For those too young to get the Veruca Salt reference, click the link below. For those of you still reading, please read on for some more detail below, as I'll go into some more detail on the four points made above.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRTkCHE1sS4
I. Calling Bernie a shill is ridiculous
He's not been a shill his entire political life. He's doing exactly what he said he'd do the entire time. He said he'd support the nominee if he lost. He's doing that. He said Hillary on her worst day is still 100x better than Trump. That is still true. He said he'd do everything in his power to defeat Trump. That is exactly what he is doing.
He's always said he'd support the nominee if he lost. That is what he is doing. He always said Hillary Clinton on her worst day is 100x better than Donald Trump. That is true, for all her faults. He always said Trump must be defeated and he'd do everything he could to defeat him. That is what he is doing. That isn't being a shill, it is keeping your word. See the difference?
He always said that we should treat each other with dignity and respect, even to those with whom we disagree. This is precisely what the BoBers on the floor were NOT doing. Disrespecting others. Elijah Cummings doesn't deserve to be heckled. Liz Warren? We trusted you chants? My god, if Elizabeth Warren isn't a strong enough advocate against Wall Street for you, then no one is. And booing Bernie when he calls for unity WHEN HE SAID ALL ALONG THAT'S WHAT HE'S GOING TO DO? Ridiculous. Heck, HE TRUSTED YOU by selecting you as delegates to the convention, and this is how you act?
Again, I'm talking about how you are acting inside and heckling speakers. Protest outside? Fine. Decide you want to hear more from camp HRC before you support her? Fine. Keep the pressure on by all means. Heck, even decide you can't support the Dem ticket or folks running for office? I think it is a big mistake this time, but fine. It is your right. But acting disruptive inside while folks are trying to talk about criminal justice reform or anytime HRC's name is mentioned makes you look like brats and ultimately harms the movement you are trying to build. This coming from someone who is extremely sympathetic to your goals and has walked in your shoes at other times this election cycle and in past ones. I think the view from folks who are less sympathetic to your views and aspirations will view it MUCH more harshly. And thus the damage to the movement you are tying to grow.
EDIT: The Day 2 walkout (around 150 of 1,800+) was perfectly fine. No issues with that at all in terms of behavior (the wisdom of not voting for HRC is another matter, but to that later).
II. Again, no problem with being angry, you SHOULD be angry
I understand being pissed about the emails, and we all should be. Clinton cronies putting their fingers on the scales while they profess neutrality exposes them all for liars and frauds at the DNC. And using religious beliefs (or lack thereof) to do it while publicly decrying Trump dividing us on racial lines in purely disgusting. Boo DWS and her cronies all day long, and loudly, they deserve it. But also realize it is a kind of weird compliment. We had them worried. Scared. Won 23 contests. 45% of pledged delegates. If it is really no contest, you don't scheme about ways to cheat for your candidate.
I understand being pissed about the current corporate state of the democratic party establishment, and we all should be. It has damaged the middle class for 40 years. I understand the rank hypocrisy and general annyoing-ness of Hillbots who forgive anything if a Clinton or a Dem does it, but rail against it if it harms their candidate or someone does the same TO them. The sight of Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi (of all people) saying single payer would never happen was disgusting. Or that Bernie’s college plan didn’t add up (it did). Or that single payer might not save money (it does).
But Sarah was right last night, those people were acting ridiculously. You are making Ted Cruz look gracious. You sound like idiots when interviewed on the convention floor (like the girl who was upset that Bernie spoke last: memo to Bird-brain, that the most honored spot). Furthermore, the way you guys are acting damages the movement you are trying to build.
III. This type of behavior damages the movement
EDIT: I started this diary Tuesday but didn't get it finished until Wed, and in looks like Think Progress was thinking along the same lines, full article/link here:
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/07/26/3801963/bernie-protesters-u...
First off, it makes those doing it look childish and ill-behaved. Less likely to get a seat at the grown-up table that way.
Second, it shows a stunning ignorance for how politics works. Please, spare me a diatribe on how you are sick of politics at usual and are trying to change HOW it works and don't want to support it. I get that. That's all well and good. But that is not what I mean.
I mean that politics, inherently, is more than just fighting for causes you believe in and trying to win elections. That is certainly part of it. And the incredible passion shown by the movement this cycle his incredible. But, politics is more than that.
It's also about relationships that are built up over time. That's why it is so hard to storm the castle in one cycle. There are a lot of folks out there that have been relying on, and having favorable results, dealing with their local reps over time. When you ride in, as an outsider and tell them the whole thing is corrupt, that doesn't jibe with their experience with their local rep. Further, that local rep has likely built up those relationships over a long period of time in the community, while the outsider has not. It is just a fact. This is particularly true in AA and Latino communities. Heck, I know I wanted it to happen fast as well. And foe a brief moment there, it looked like we had a shot, but we came up short. But keep working. Get progressives in at the local level, and then we'll have a much better shot. It will take time, however.
Lastly, it is also about having chips to cash in. There is a YUUUGE opportunity for us to collect a TON of chips this time. Let's not pass it up. The results of the Dem primary were decided in 2008, IMHO. That's when this cake was baked. Obama beat Hillary in an election that was much closer and much more divisive than this one. In some states (I know Indiana), over half of HRC supporters said they wouldn't vote for Obama and 1/3 said they'd vote for McCain. Obama had issues with white-working class voters (they cling to their guns and religion, you know). Hillary and Bill both busted their butts and the convention and on the stump, working for Obama. She delivered the PUMAs (Party Unity My Ass, for those too young to remember). Obama won. She got SoS and the support of the Dem establishment if she decided to run post-Obama, which she did.
With the support of the entire Dem establishment behind her, it was going to be nearly impossible to beat her. Bernie came closer than I ever thought possible. But if we deliver for HRC this time, and for down ballot dems, WE are the ones who will have the chips going forward. And we've seen fist hand how useful those can be. This is an opportunity for progressives that we should not waste.
IV. The stakes: great opportunity and possible disaster
The opportunity:
It isn't just about the chips we can gain politically if we win. That is certainly a part. But there are also an unprecedented number of actual progressives running this time. And a lot of folks who endorsed Bernie. Check the list out:
http://berniecrats.net/
It took a lot of guts to come out against HRC this year. And it takes a lot of guts to make a real progressive stand after 25 years of triangulation in the Democratic party. The power of the movement, both in terms of poll numbers and enthusiasm, and fundraising encouraged these folk to take a stand. The more of these folk we get elected, it will encourage more to take similar stances in the future. All while building the types of relationships I was talking about before. That's how you grow a movement.
However, if we have a snit and leave them on the vine to wither because we abandon Dems because Bernie lost, what are the chances that progressives come out of the woodwork anytime soon? In the words of Galadriel, "Do we let them stand alone?"
This is true both on the local and national level. HRC has bent over backwards in a lot of ways to progressives. The first night of the convention was all us: Bernie, Liz, Ellison, Grijalva, Merkley, etc. I haven't heard hardly a discouraging word from a Dem about the protests or heckling. Very understanding. Not to mention the platform concessions. The implied bargain here is we bust our butts in return. If we deliver, more Dems. More progressives. More chips. More opportunities to build relationships inside the party. More clout. More likely that more progressives run. Less likely to get bad laws this way.
This is an opportunity I haven't seen in my adult lifetime, lets not waste it. We are poised to make a serious run here, potentially. Voting patterns are shaped in young adult hood and usually hold for a lifetime. People who came of age in the age of FDR are the most liberal around. Those who came of age in the age of Reagan the most conservative. Good pols know this. If we can turn out large numbers of progressive millennials, that could hold for a LONG time. Doubly so if we have an Obama--> Clinton ---> genuine Progressive dynasty which is certainly on the table.
I fully believe that if it had been anyone but Clinton, Bernie would have won this thing. And if he had, he'd be up on Trump by 10+ points. Next time, we have a real shot. The whole party is shifting left. If the Obama coalition holds: blacks, Latinos, Asians, unions, young people, and liberal whites, things will only get MORE progressive as time goes on, especially given the size and very liberal beliefs of the millennials (more numerous than Baby Boomers). And the progressive bias of good policy, if we can get in enacted.
Lastly, the vacancy on the SCOTUS is an opportunity we can't pass up. One more justice and Citizens United can be overturned. Gettng money out of politics is the domino that must fall for progressive change to happen and corporate domination of our democracy to end. It could cripple the Koch brothers. And that next justice will also make 5 justices appointed by democrats on the court for the firs time since FDR/Truman appointees were manning the court. A VERY long time. A lot could happen there. Gerrymandering. Voting rights. Union rights. EPA's ability to regulate carbon. And it could be a lot more slots: RBJ is 83; Kennedy is 80; Breyer is 78, Thomas 68. Next Prez could remake the SCT for DECADES.
The disaster:
Trump. This isn't just about his personal disaster, which is true. He's 100x worse than Romney, McCain, or even W. But the SCT will likely be lost for decades. Corporate Dems will cry that we shifted too far to the left and likely progressives won't come out again for 20 years.
We can't let this happen. As distasteful as it may be, let's rally and vote for HRC. And especially for down-ballot dems and progressives. I we want to sit out a couple (DWS should she win the primary is a good place to start) and few scalps will help our cause. But not at the Presidential/Senate level. The stakes are too high, and the potential gains too great.
Sorry for the length, thanks for reading.
Comments
No Sale
A vote for Hillary now rewards cheating and theft, and encourages the continuation of their use in the next election.
THAT is what is ridiculous.
Vowing To Oppose Everything Trump Attempts.
Conclusions
I have come to some conclusions. Maybe the Democratic Party needs to walk the wilderness again. They had to after the fiasco of '68 and I believe it is time for them to do so again. They obviously learned the wrong lessons while in the wilderness between 1968-1992.
Hillary will get no support or vote from this household. There is no way to convince myself or my better half otherwise. We have made our decisions, results be damned.
If the best the Hillary campaign and the DNC can come up with is "Trump Scary, Trump Bad" then they have given me no reason to vote for any Democrats. I see the RNC and DNC as two sides of the same coin. Death by bullet or death by a thousand cuts: It still leads to death.
BTW, I can not believe I am seeing this. Trump is now running to the left of Hillary and the DNC on economic issues. The Democratic Party has lost its way.
War, War Never Changes - Fallout Series
B101--Trump has 'always' been to the left of FSC
on a number of issues--that's 'why' the bipartisan neocons and corporatist neoliberals are having a fit, and falling beyond FSC.
The bottom line is that many One Percenters fear that their neoliberal utopia is threatened (by him).
BTW, that's not an advertisement for Trump--voted for Stein in 2012.
Mollie
“I believe in the redemptive powers of a dog’s love. It is in recognition of each dog’s potential to lift the human spirit and therefore– to change society for the better, that I fight to make sure every street dog has its day.”
--Stasha Wong, Secretary, Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD)
The SOSD Fantastic Four
Available For Adoption, Save Our Street Dogs, SOSD
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
Never Never vote for Clintons
Clintons MUCH more dangerous than Trump.
Trump has effectively upended the Republican party. We don't have to worry about the Republican party electing another member of their dynasty.
Time to CLEAN OUT, really CLEAN OUT, the Democratic party - no more neoliberals, no DLC, no Third Way, NO MORE CLINTONS.
Obama nominating Garland took SCOTUS off the table as an argument. Whooosh - off the table.
I will not vote for a criminal, corrupt liar, self interested in her own political viability, being "first woman POTUS" - BFD! Imagine, what the Clintons behavior would be like if they no longer had to worry about their political viability. We thought RECKLESS, extremely careless with TOP SECRET government documents was bad - just try to imagine what they'd be like if they were both back in the White House. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. She put the server in her mansion in Chappaqua to avoid FOIA, and allow anyone at CGF to see State foreign plans, easy way to TAP THOSE interacting with State for MONEY for CGF.
Laureate University - $16,000,000. honorary contribution to Billy, after getting all their cronies invited to State Dept meeting on FOR PROFIT education. FUCK that. Never again. Really, no more Clintons.
This!
How many of those people who had access to the email server read emails that dealt with classified information but didn't have security clearance?
This right there is enough to bring charges against her.
Sidney Bluementhal stole classified information from the NSA and sent it to Hillary.
Why didn't the NSA fry his ass for that? That was worse than anything Manning or Snowden did, yet Manning is in prison and Snowden had his passport pulled and is stuck in Russia and even if he turned himself in, he wouldn't get a fair trial, like Manning didn't because he would be charged under the espionage act and wouldn't be able to defend himself.
Look at the deal Petrayous got after being caught giving classified information to his girlfriend.
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
This "author"
goes by, Searching for P...
The only thing I can figure is the P stands for "putz" defined as a "stupid person". Or maybe it's P for "patsy" defined as "a person who is easily taken advantage of". Anyway, whatever this
trollperson is searching for I wish he/she would search elsewhere.Trump running to the left of Clinton
And on peace, for Cat's sake!
We've definitely gone down Lewis Carroll's rabbit hole!
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
We told them he would.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q8hAb230OE]
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
YOU TOO can be a corrupt Insider one day!
All you have to do is completely give up everything, and kowtow properly, and one day, you will be promoted to the point at which you will be able to have power over others!
And if you don't Trump will destroy you, because FEAR.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
I find it amusing
That the people who swallow the Boogeyman scare tactics, the Lesser of Two Evils tired trope, and the We'll Get 'Em Next Time false promises, every damn time, call the ones who actually have a clue about how the Democratic Party scams us "ridiculous," or "childish," or "naive." These political sophisticates think insulting those they disagree with will somehow convert them to the Right Way of thinking. They think the shopworn expressions of surrender to a rigged game that voters are persuaded to swallow time after time still hold power against people who have adopted Fuck This Shit as a motto.
Those who wish to surrender to either of our corrupt parties are free to do so. They can fall for fear-mongering and guilt-tripping from the usual suspects one more time if they like. But they should take that shit somewhere else. We're here because we're not buying what they're selling anymore.
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Friend said he was teetering, watching the DNC fear propaganda,
then he watched this Democracy Now clip of Hedges debating Robert Reich and it all was refocused.
He's backing Jill Stein as he had originally planned. But the propaganda is at mach levels now it seems (or if not will be soon enough, brace ourselves) and he felt himself being pulled in.
Chris Hedges always challenges my conscience in the best way. And while he projects a grimness that may unsettle people he always forces me to a higher moral standard which ultimately makes me a better person.
"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC"
- Kurt Vonnegut
That's the power of constantly repeated propaganda
It offers the comfort of the familiar, the security of running with the herd. It's what people have always known, rather than the terrifying prospect of the unfamiliar, where there be dragons.
Thinking for yourself and resisting all the relentless gaslighting coming from all directions is hard. I imagine it's probably similar to leaving a lifelong faith in some ways. But once you see the priests in the back room diddling the little boys, their pretensions of holiness can no longer be accepted.
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The Clinton advocates chant in unison:
"But Trump is Eeeeeeeevil!"
The smart people respond: "Okay let's do a comparison. Trump's evil versus Clinton's evil." What does it look like?
***crickets***
“When there's no fight over programme, the election becomes a casting exercise. Trump's win is the unstoppable consequence of this situation.” - Jean-Luc Melanchon
Nope, the smart ones then segue to trying to be cute...
Like:
Oh I once had to choose between coke and pepsi, so I set my hair on fire.
One time I went to the store and they didn't have what I wanted so I set the place on fire.
One time I was given a choice between an ACTUAL FASCIST and somebody who sucks at email, and so I started shouting Heil Hitler.
Etc, etc. Condescending, and always hits the same beats, "You Lost, but you are a crybaby".
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
Fuck 'em. The best revenge is
Fuck 'em. The best revenge is voting well. Just imagine how angry they'll be when you don't do what they want.
Still waiting for that comparison.
***crickets***
“When there's no fight over programme, the election becomes a casting exercise. Trump's win is the unstoppable consequence of this situation.” - Jean-Luc Melanchon
At first I didnt understand why Bernie repeated his speeches but
Now I realize he was countering propaganda and fear mongering. I bet most of us can remember passages and phrases verbatim from his speeches. And that has helped us tune out propaganda cause we have a different progressive script in our heads. It makes me wonder if Bernie studied psychology. Because now I can see how MSM repeats the same messages and same phrases from DNC talking points and its like programming for the mindless.
---The Political Revolutionary's Toolbook
Bernie repeating speechs
I totally agree. Bernie was opening the door every single time to the truth, to non propaganda. He actually opened a whole portal in American political life - the portal back to the New Deal and FDR. He was criticized early on for giving the same speech, but he knew exactly what he was doing. Has Hillary ever given the same speech - one hour mind you - twice ?
Two in one night?
Has top gotten that boring?
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
They've been running the same show for months...
and I think people know the words well enough to try to take their own versions on the road.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
We knew this might happen when DK began to wither,
and HEEERE WE ARE!
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
At least we know where some of the DNC money is going!
These concerned people are probably getting paid.
Maybe it's time, to offer BROCCOLI
We are under seige !
Just the beginning of many I suspect.
It's 2:50 AM Thursday
and this waste of space essay has 6 up votes. That's about 7 too many. Let's see, if this were top and this were a Bernie diary, this author would probably get the ban hammer. I don't have that kind of power so all I can do is tell this person to fuck off and go back to where ever it is they came from. Phony fucker..."WAAAAA! trump is evil! we have to rally around hrc. I voted for Bernie, but hillary needs us now!" give me a break...
Thanks for the concern.
Then again, not being a Democrat, I'm not terribly concerned about Democrats.
Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.
Down ticket maybe, HilLIARy *never*!
Unfortunately I don't think any of the Berniecrats are in my vicinity (unless LuAnn Bennett could be talked into becoming a Berner, which I doubt - she's a Kaine protegee).
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
You sound like
you're saying that if we don't elect Hillary, many down-ballot progressives will lose. I disagree.
I will never vote for Hillary, yet I will spend a lot of time and tennis shoe rubber to support and vote for true progressives. Clinton has no coattails
that anybody can count on. The primaries and convention have made it crystal clear that the DNC could care less about a major core of what could have been their base.
And the fear card you use about Trump makes me laugh out load. He can be controlled while a Clinton administration has the power, and has used it, to inflict damage. I'll take a jester any day over a power and war mongering queen.
Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.
Sarah Silverman?
Why didn't they just hire Pauly Shore?
That was a lot of typing. Another supreme rationalization.
Boo.
"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones."
John Cage
The good thing about Sarah Silverman
is that her career is now over. No more sold out shows for her because she's the other kind of sellout.
"Please clap." -- Jeb Bush
I was under the impression
that her career was over before it started?
Sorry. I have always found her insufferable.
"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones."
John Cage
Yeah, Sarah should know.
I respect her opinion sooo much.
Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.
Thank you for that hot pic!
I now respect her opinion more!
Which means I am even more disappointed in her participation at the Clinton rump-kissing festival.
Please check out Pet Vet Help, consider joining us to help pets, and follow me @ElenaCarlena on Twitter! Thank you.
That is just gross.
Is it supposed to be funny? Or just ridiculous?
Twain Disciple
I disagree with the basic premise of this essay.
That would be the assumption that Hillary is the Lessor Evil.
I am far from convinced of that.
I know for sure that Hillary has lots of blood and suffering on her hands.
Trump, while a bombastic moron, as far as I am aware of hasn't caused the amount of death and suffering as Clinton.
That doesn't mean I will vote for him, my plan is to support Stein.
But if it looks like it may be a close race between Clinton and Trump in Florida I may very well decide to vote for Trump.
After all, that is what I should do if I subscribe to your belief in supporting the lessor evil.
I am hoping that I can just vote for Good, but Clinton does scare me WAY more than Trump.
The things she can pass with bipartisan support terrifies me much more than the chances of Trump getting any of his nuttery implemented.
Sorry, the fear bludgeon has been so used it is no longer effective.
The progressive left is finally fully awake to what falling for that old trope will get us.
Nothing...
Democrats want progressive votes? Then they should probably start running some instead of corporate conservatives.
"I used to vote Republican & Democrat, I also used to shit my pants. Eventually I got smart enough to stop doing both things." -Me
I swear I read it as
My plan is to support Satan. I haven't slept much lately.
Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur.
Well, if that was the case, I would have to go Satan 2016...
Still probably the lessor evil over Clinton.
"I'm Cthulhu and I approve this message."
"I used to vote Republican & Democrat, I also used to shit my pants. Eventually I got smart enough to stop doing both things." -Me
Here's a Satan Doll for you all,
in a satin cummerbund!
Samuel Ramey singing "Ecco Il Mondo", from Boito's Mefistofele. (Opera based on Goethe's Faust, and the only one that carries the story through to Goethe's original conclusion - Gounod's cuts it way short.)
What Boito realized is, Mefisto is the most interesting character in the story.
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
"Satan Doll"?
... or "Satin Doll"?
Faust is one of the most compelling stories originating from the Middle Ages/Renaissance, asking the questions --
"What does it take to sell your soul? ... and what happens then?" (the "sale" being a transaction with The Devil - Mephistopheles - or to a satanic principle, e.g., neoliberalism).
"Once sold, can The Soul be reclaimed?" -- Answer (from literature) generally, "NO". (Mozart agreed, in Don Giovanni --)
When Cicero had finished speaking, the people said “How well he spoke”.
When Demosthenes had finished speaking, the people said “Let us march”.
"Satan doll" = deliberate pun on "Satin doll" :-)
As to the Faust story, just before Goethe people started thinking there might be an "escape clause". Goethe took that idea and ran with it bigtime.
There have been three (major) operatic treatments of the Faust story. Gounod's Faust (probably the best known) stops at the end of Goethe's Part I, with Faust hauled off by the Devil - possibly to Hell, possibly to more adventures (the libretto doesn't say). Berlioz' La damnation de Faust has a spoiler right in the title and a thoroughly traditional ending. Boito took whole chunks of Goethe straight, from the Devil's wager in the Prologue to his foiling in the Epilogue. (His Faust did insert what turned out to be an escape clause, whether he intended it that way or not, and was motivated more by insatiable curiosity than anything else.)
There have been a number of famous Mephistos - Ramey in his time was one of the best, not least because he had a physique that was worth showing off.
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
Now, you know that can't be true.
Alpha already made it quite clear he was not voting for Hillary.....
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
::rimshot:: Ba-dump tish! n/t
And so it starts...
Folks, I assure you that the management of this site is on top of the potential problem that we may be facing and rest assured we are addressing it.
Cheers for JtC & C99%
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the STEWARDSHIP you have for this wonderful site.
It's obvious, Caucus99% now warrants attention from the PTB, or the PTTTB ( powers that think they be) - maybe not being paid, but, living proof of the wisdom of the RAF in WWII:
"When you start taking flak, you know you're over the target."
Guess we fuckin retards, shills, what ever else we were called, must have votes some folks now want? Ya think??????????
This is what I find funny
People on DK come here to look at what we are writing about Hillary and then tell everyone over there who all either laugh at us or if a person writes a comment that doesn't fit the echo chamber there, they tell the person that they c99 would be a better fit for them.
Now they are posting diaries here pushing the idea that Trump will be a disaster for the country and that we have to vote for Hillary to save us from him, and make sure he won't be able to nominate justices to the Supreme Court.
As noted, Garland has removed that threat.
GS posted a diary there about who was responsible for the DNC hack and someone wrote some asinine comment about it being like a rape victim was responsible for her rape because she wore too short of a skirt.
Seriously, whose mind makes that connection?
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
Weeks or months ago, I was at top reading comments
in a diary that was basically slicing and dicing the diarist, Bernie Sanders, and his supporters. I don't remember the name of the person, and I have no link. What s/he said was that "Bernie people he respected and thought to be reasonable (read caved and are now with Hillary) were going to post a series of diaries here trying to reason us back into our senses." So yeah, I do think top is over here peeing in our pool. As long as they are civil, responses are civil, and we aren't badgered with them, I don't mind mocking them in their own essays. Not only did Pericles not comment in his essay, I think he deleted himself and disappeared.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
Not possible...
to delete yourself and disappear, not without some help anyway. Click his/her username, he has two comments and one essay.
multo grazie, JtC!
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
I can see we're going to get hit by lots of
"I never thought this would happen to me......" posts.
At least give PenthouseLetters credit, if you do.
Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.
You are a bad person :-P
I love it!
We can’t save the world by playing by the rules, because the rules have to be changed.
- Greta Thunberg
Given the experience of Dead State, Jan, 2016
We will be reading a lot of "I used to be a Bernie supporter, but...."
Pure bought and paid for by $hillary. Lots of words, or maybe lots of emotion, or lots of FEAR............. all bollox.
Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.
Another round of Bernie Butters?
I thought they overplayed that script sometime last January?
The people left over there aren't smart enough to convince anybody who doesn't already agree with them anymore. The noxious fumes that have accumulated in their hermetically sealed bubble have asphyxiated any critical thinking skills out of them. A few honorable folks remain, but they've mostly self-censored themselves into a corner by now. It'd probably be a relief for them to come over here to take a break from the eyelid-spreaders.
Please help support caucus99percent!
.... shaving cream ......
.... shaving cream ...... be nice and clean.....
[video:https://youtu.be/G8ffkDf0ol4 width:480 height:360]
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Climate crisis climate crisis climate crisis climate crisis
I still love Bernie Sanders and don't fault him at all for the actions he took this week. Guess I have faith in his reasons.
But what really should scare the hell out of you is the climate crisis. Bernie as the dem nominee/then president would have had the wisdom and judgement to deal with it. Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Trump do not.
The environmental shit is hitting the fan right now. There is no stupid waiting until 2020 or 2024. It is going down now. This year. There will undoubtedly be an ice free arctic this September. So many automatic feedback loops are already in place you can hardly count them.
We can't have a president who supports fracking, the TPP, takes oil money, or denies the existence of the climate catastrophe (Trump).
Bernie supporters better not behave as the dems want them to. They need to rabble rouse now for Jill Stein. It's our only hope.
Marilyn
"Make dirt, not war." eyo
I will vote for whoever has a plan for the climate emergency
So far Clinton and Stein have plans. However, Stein is the only one I believe will work to implement it.
I'm not afraid of Trump. I'm afraid of global warming.
The people, united, will never be defeated.
Bumper sticker right there, folks!
"I'm not afraid of Trump. I'm afraid of global warming."
Scare me? The thought that
Scare me? The thought that there may be an ultimate end to human folly - one that can't be lied out of, cheated out of, covered up, paid off, or shamed away - brings me peace.
Thanks for putting in the time for this diary, but I disagee.
I think you may be missing the strategy that has been implemented over the last 24 years.
It's true right now like it was back then. The old devils are at it again. When I say devil you know who I mean these animals in the dark malicious politicians with nefarious schemes charlatans and crooked cops. - 'Old Devils' William Elliot Whitmore
awfully wordy essay just to distill down to one word
if you have a consuming fear of Trump then you had best make sure your side has more votes come November. i'm not one of them. independents are not Democrats.
they're heeeeere. c'ya Carol Ann!
Please use logic
You assembled many nice phrases and thoughts together to justify something that is not of value or true in my book. If you have seen my comments or read some of my essays, you know I am not a harsh person and very supportive of others. But this essay did not work for me.
I am 48 years old, and we have not had a good president in my life time- and I am freaking tired. They talk a good game and basically just take care of their family, friends, and party (the establishment). Jimmy Carter is a decent man, but trying to do the right thing got the crap kicked out of him. By the way, I was just a kid during that time frame, so my knowledge of his presidency and actions are very limited due to my inexperience of the world. So I might be wrong.
However, I digress, this reasoning is basically a fools errand- "we better elect her because we do not have a choice, if not it will be doom, gloom, and end of world". We (liberal and left leaning) citizens have been told to suck it up buttercup and eat the shit sandwich because it is good for you and there is always next time. Therefore, you must roll over and take it by voting for the establishment and be happy (delusional) about with your decision and hope for the best. Well, the system is rigged and it ain't getting better and everyone besides the 1% are struggling to survive. So in my opinion, stand up, be a person of integrity, and freaking make a positive difference by voting for anyone else besides these two bums!
By the way, if Hillary is so great why is she being beat by Trump (the clown candidate). If either candidate were any good, they would be crushing their opponent.
FEAR or the LESSER OF TWO EVILS will no longer earn my vote. The presidency is the most important/powerful in the world, so why do I need to consider these jokes of candidates and people for it. Going forward a politician must earn my vote.
Right now a lying, corrupt, self center/servicing multi millionaire (Hillary) or a bombastic, loud mouth, bias billionaire have and will not EARN my vote.
I know you are pouring your heart out.
You're afraid. I get it. I am not afraid. That's the difference. Accept that some of us are fearless and you'll find peace. Vote your conscious. I am.
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
Raggedy Ann- top notch as usual
I should have waited for you to response, because you summed it up so well, like always. My ramblings are poor a substitute to your line "Vote your conscious"
Thanks, Borkrom.
The shills are a bit hysterical. We've got how many more months to go? Sheesh!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
Zackly! Vote Your Conscience...
My Conscience says No To Corporate Whores in Politics...
My Conscience says No To Corporate Money in Politics...
I voted for Nader in 2000...
I supported Bernie in 2016 because he had a chance to win...
I'll vote for Jill Stein now...
The Democorruption Party had its chance for my vote...
They phucked it up...
Have a nice day and live with the consequences...
I'll be voting with my conscience...
My Conscience says No To Corporate Whores in Politics...
My Conscience says No To Corporate Money in Politics...
I'm the only person standing between Richard Nixon and the White House."
~John F. Kennedy~
Economic: -9.13, Social: -7.28,
Nah, Silverman was not right,
Nah, Silverman was not right, she did exactly what she accused the angry Berniecrats of.
1) the Outside protests are actually being covered by the indie news of online journalists compare to the Media blackout of the demonstrations by the corporate propaganda machines, so protests inside the convention actually let those disgruntled voices be heard as per their Constitutional Rights, and gets on MSM if they don't edit it out. Also, they shook up the Dem Elites as it was not expected.
They also thought Bernie was controlling folks who supported him, they are finding out that was never the case.
2) The movement is not respected from the start by the Dems as the leaked E-mails proves, so who are you trying to convince again? Bernie and NO ONEowes the Party much of anything since they criminally distorted and stole the election as they pre-determined the coronation of Her Royal Magnificence, loaded her side of things with the misinformation she had all those super-delegates by the MSMNOTvote for her. I think many also here have similar misgivings regarding this essay/appeal, I will not vote from fear, that tactic of the Dems about their opponents being worse no longer sticks.
This year, besides Hellery and Frump we have two other choices, Johnson for the more conservative types, and Jill for the actual Progressives. As for the down ballot stuff? like I stated above, we will be voting for the Progressives, the true Progressives.
The Dems have lost me as far as I am concerned.
So long, and thanks for all the fish
Searching for P...
Reply to some comments.
Otherwise, I might think you are a paid shill.
Please engage and dispel that thought.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Last thread I read said we were condemning transgender people to
crematoriums. Now this. This was just patronizing BS with a demand to vote for Hillary because of the usual excuses. And of course, both written by ex-Sanders supporters.
Aren't they all?
I'm tired of this back-slapping "Isn't humanity neat?" bullshit. We're a virus with shoes, okay? That's all we are. - Bill Hicks
Politics is the entertainment branch of industry. - Frank Zappa
Where is your excuse for Clinton's war crimes?
Where is your defense of her crimes against humanity, causing little children to die? A vote for Clinton is a vote for more war, more murders of little children. What exactly do you say about that? You're either choosing to ignore it or somehow rationalize it as not being crimes against humanity.
It really is that simple. You're making this out to be more complicated than it should be.
The Democratic party is the opposition in whatever Revolution many of us hope forms. Same with the Republican party. Whatever movement you're talking about within the Democratic party is just bullshit. I think the challenge for those with ethics and morals is to work to ensure neither of these assholes get elected as President of this country.
And Sanders is a shill for the Democratic party, he proved that by endorsing Clinton which he had planned all along. His fake revolution rhetoric was nothing more than shilling for the party. That is classic shilling.
Swing states, its about swings states
There are maybe 11 swing states. I would argue that the decision is more meaningful there. You gotta do what you gotta do and hope they don't steal or nullify your vote (sorry ma'am you're not registered here).
In safe states- red or blue - vote however you want - maybe there's something down ballot. We've got an amendment to let our state parks keep what money they earn. Amazing you have to vote for something like that.
So I'm suggesting it is only a few of us that have meaningful votes. Do what you think is best. It's your vote (maybe).
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Swing states are only
Swing states are only predilections. Could potentially see a lot of them this year.
Pass.
Same old, same old arguments. No, Trump is not 100x worse than Romney. No, you have no opportunity whatsoever to get the Democrats to do anything. They hate you and anyone even vaguely left. Yes, considering all the time and money donated to Sanders he owed his followers a little more than an early exit to stooge for Clinton, IMO. And to me, what the Supreme Court looks like 10 years from now is a minor problem compared to what climate change and economic shit is going to go down in that period. I actually thought Sanders believed what he said about the urgency.
Then there's this little nugget
About how Hillary feels about the people who vote for her.
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
Speaking for unpopular positions
takes courage. I applaud you for taking the time to lay out your thinking. I think you make some very good points and I strongly disagree with you on others. Where to start?
Lets go with the good first. The echo chamber and relationships in politics are well argued and spot on. A month ago I would have disagreed on your echo chamber comment as it relates to this side. I still don't think C99P is in danger of becoming a place where there is no room for a wide variety of views. I also think the heated emotional atmosphere is mostly to blame for people being less than civil to other members and respectful of their viewpoints even if we vehemently disagree. I've been guilty in a couple of comments I've made. I think I've admitted it when I recognized it. Maybe not. I'll certainly hear out anyone who thinks I've been inappropriate. I think we're seeing people with positions that differ from the prevailing, or sometimes just the loudest, one are wisely staying clear of the line of fire instead of this place becoming an echo chamber. I've also seen more than a few instances of people talking through differences rather than continuing shouting past each other. I think time will allow people to get back to more normal discourse. There is, however, always the threat of an echo chamber forming.
I started to write an essay on the importance of relationships in politics but never completely got a handle on how I wanted to make my point. I'm prone to sounding preachy when that's the last thing I intend. A sermon on the topic is probably the least effective way to talk about relationships. I think my central point is that relationships are both different in politics and required for our system of government to function. No pol has the freedom to refuse to maintain a relationship. It doesn't matter if s/he personally hates the other side or just a particular person. The past almost eight years of gridlock are the result of one side refusing to recognize the right of the other to exist much less govern as they were elected to do. It is an impossible situation that has spread to the population by the terrible examples of our "betters". I'm really tired of the selfish, win at any cost, attitude of elected officials regardless of party. In all ways we are all in this together as a species that can no longer afford to let petty shit get in the way of solutions. But then there are folks on both sides who won;t even recognize a threat. sigh The only way to start to correct it is for us to change the practice of severing relationships over differences of opinion. Refuse=ing to talk to each other, unfriending, banning are all the same middle school yard version of taking your ball and going home. When we each start doing it in our own lives we'll eventually do it here and others will follow the example. Eventually. Or not.
The part I strongly disagree start and end with voting for Hillary. There is validity in almost everything you say about the threat of Trump. There is validity that the next president will make some generationally important decisions. My disagreement is how I see the threat I see from HRC being president in comparison to Trump. I cannot say HRC will be less of a threat or more likely to attend to issues like climate, our worldwide addiction to military adventurism, and the financialization of our economy, to name a few, in ways that will improve anybody's life except the very wealthy and powerful. They both pose threats and neither is proposing suitable solutions beyond the other one sucks more. HRC has to earn my vote. Nobody is entitled to it by reason of the other candidate sucking more. I'm being given the virtual choice of the noose or being shot. Both will do damage and you want me to choose which I think, there is no way to know, will do less damage to my interests. I refuse to make that choice. None of the above for the loss. As in we all lose with either one.
Thanks for the essay. I look forward to the discussion. You do have flame retardant undies right?
"Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now..."
It's been pretty hairy here lately
Between the server intermittently crashing, the unmitigated disaster of the DNC Stalinist convention, and several whiny tantrum-throwing brats who just HAD HAD HAD to Get Our Attention In The Worst Way (they succeeded - in the worst way), we're all a little short of patience.
File that "vote for Hillary" jazz for a month or so, and bring it back after Labor Day. Maybe some people will listen then. Or maybe not.
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
tell your friends that this is a bad technique
the only argument that could work is that we vote for Hillary as a placeholder, a one-termer.
Any "ridiculous" or "idiot" or "stupid" is the end of the discussion. Let me know if you understand that.
No thanks.
No thanks.
Don't believe everything you think.
I don't know if you are reading the comments
If you are, then read this article
https://www.corbettreport.com/the-last-word-on-voting/
Obama told us to hold his feet to the fire if he wasn't doing the things he campaigned on and how did that work out for us? Why should WE have to tell him to do his job?
We did try over and over and over again ad nauseum and did that do any good? No.
We got a shitty health care system, more wars, many more wars with no end in sight , he's trying to engage Russia into a war and how do you think that will turn out?
He put social security on the table and for his grand goodbye fuck, he's trying to get the TPP passed. You know, the trade agreement that was decided by the corporations not our congress members who can only read it if they go to a room in the basement, take no notes and can't talk about it with other members of congress.
And Hillary is on board with it no matter what she tells us.
This part of the article sums up our voting system quite well.
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
Oh wow snoopy, what a mouthful that link is.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
Thanks, dkm
I too thought that it was a brilliant essay and Corbett nailed what our voting system is and what it achieves.
I found another link at the bottom of the article where he writes that Hillary is a threat to all of humanity.
And she will be. We have seen what she did as SOS when it came to wars. And we know why so many neoconservative warmongers are backing her. Including Kagan who wrote PNAC and his wife Nuland who helped destroy Ukraine is being considered for SOS. Kagan is advising her now on foreign policy.
Paulson endorsed her because Trump wouldn't promise to privatize social security.
We saw what they did during Bill's term as president and I don't want to see them finish the job of privatizing social security as Bill almost achieved until the Lewinsky scandal broke.
https://www.corbettreport.com/hillary-clinton-is-a-threat-to-all-of-huma...
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
Posts like this always sound to me like
always sound to me like the poster assumes people just haven't thought things through properly. As soon as they explain everything we'll understand why it's important to vote for the "lesser"evil.
When people are paid shills, do they have to write
the article themselves, or just know where it might sell? I was going to complain about the condescending tone, but your comment made me laugh. ......"just have to phrase it right, and I bet I'll convince them" hahahahahahahaha
You are right about one thing.
You don't have a lot of street cred around here.
Nobody owes your movement a thing
No, this isn't popular, but you can post this endless garbage all you want, I'm not budging.
Hillary Clinton and her crooked, vote-stealing DNC and her money and her government usurping, woman-abusing husband, and all her bullshit AND all her #MillionDollarTrolls and she can fuck right off. I will not vote for her. I will NEVER vote for her. She is a grave threat to this nation. If you can vote for that bitch after she stole an election in broad daylight, there is something wrong with your ability to employ actual critical thinking. You might try turning off that goddamn propaganda television, for starters. They are LYING to you.
You're not going to change anyone's mind around here at this point. You are free to stay, of course, but you might want to go where you are more welcome. Like the Daily Kos--I hear they're looking for some more suckers for their echo chamber....
So many words
So many words. Look, demonstrations outside the convention center are more or less ignored by the corporate media. I think the Bernie supporters were smart to demonstrate INSIDE. Elizabeth Warren deserted us when we needed her the most, I'm glad she got called on it during prime time.
If anything, the Bernie delegates were too polite and well behaved. Trump is now the only populist in this election, and the Dems risk blowing it by nominating Hillary.
Sarah Silverman can... fill in the blank.
"We've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty."
populist candidate
Not to disrespect you in any way, but false. Jill Stein is still running.
Jill Stein 2016 -- because fuck this shit!
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Some right some wrong
You are right that Bernie is not a shill. He has a many decades long track record that eclipses anyone at this site. You are wrong that Bernie's success this year means that there will be a Berniesque Presidential nominee in 2020 (if HRC wins) or 2024. The leadership of the Democratic Party is thoroughly corporate and dishonest. However, they are also incompetent as Hell so there is reason to believe that an overthrow is at least conceivable. Now: Trump vs HRC. We know that HRC will be a bad President. She will be like Obama but worse. She has a long career that tells us what she will be like as President--corporate and militaristic and she can be pretty damned stupid. She will be inadequate on climate disruption, probably the biggest issue of our time (probably of all time). She will favor charter schools and the privatization of Social Security if she thinks she can get away with it. She will do her best to pass TTIP, the "trade" treaty with Europe after Obama signs TTP which will likely be passed in a lame duck session. Her continued support of neoliberalism will lead to continued strengthening of neofascism (which as Jill Stein points out is a consequence of neoliberal wealth and hope distribution). Trump is a loose cannon. He will run to the left of Clinton on foreign policy and, frankly, has a more realistic attitude toward Russia. He will be somewhat worse on climate change. His choice of VP is scary. Trump is breathtakingly narcissistic and this is a very frightening characteristic for a President. I believe that Bernie really sees Trump as neofascist and it is easy to see why. So pick your poison. HRC will be like a 4 year migraine headache. Trump will be like having a heart condition and waiting for the big one.
Hillary the Movie Star
Wow, I didn't know Hillary Clinton had a role in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Do you think she's been type cast?
You might want to extend your study of politics. Hillary Clinton could not have gone further out of her way to demonstrate that the progressive wing of the party is getting no chips for its efforts. In the week before the convention we received definitive proof that the DNC, contrary to its charter, put more than a finger on the scale. A statistician from George Washington University, a former president of the American Statistical Association, announced he is convinced that ballots were tampered with in Hillary's favor. Was it enough to tip the nomination? I don't know and neither do you. I know you don't think it's as serious as I do.
Then there is the selection of Tim Kaine as her VP candidate. He's one of the least progressive Democrats in the senate. He campaigned for the job by signing a letter in favor of deregulating banks and doubled down on his support for the TPP hours before his selection. Ronald Reagan selected George Bush, his strongest opponent and the man who coined the term "voodoo economics." Barack Obama selected Joe Biden, one of the senators likely to have a strong impact on the bigoted misogynists who were then Hillary's firewall of hardworking white voters. Those actions built party unity.
Donald Trump, allegedly the ultimate narcissist, found the intestinal fortitude to allow Ted Cruz to stand up in front of a national audience and call for people to vote their conscience. Trump knew in advance. And Hillary can't find room for Nina Turner? Those "concessions" in the platform are worth as much as Obama's promise to renegotiate NAFTA.
And where the hell are you. People took the time to read your lengthy submission and respond and you run away. We don't ban people here. It must be a new experience.
Wow. Just wow.
First off, I really don't care who you are. I don't care what your background is. I don't care if you actually were a Bernie supporter. All of that is irrelevant to me and doesn't add anything to your argument. Maybe you're trying to do what you think is right by writing this or maybe you're getting paid to do it. I don't know and I don't care. None of that will affect who I vote for in November.
I find it amusing that your argument boils down to "don't be like children and hold grudges" when that's exactly what Hillary is doing. In the last week alone, Bernie's delegates were purposely locked out of the Rule Committee meeting. His supporters have had their signs snatched from them. They have been threatened with arrest for supporting their candidate. They were given the incorrect forms to challenge Tim Kaine's nomination as VP. His top surrogate, Nina Turner wasn't even allowed to voice her support for him as a nominee because she refused to bend the knee for Hillary. Let me be clear that if Hillary has any desire to win over Sanders supporters, it will absolutely not happen through authoritarian means.
Elizabeth Warren, Elijah Cummings, Barney Frank, John Lewis, and many other members of the Democratic Party have shown their true colors throughout this primary, Warren in particular has been very effective in evading her critics in her own district. She deserves to be booed and chanted at. If you can't handle that, don't be a politician. Don't pretend to represent people, then silence them because they refuse to clap for you when you do wrong. I love how you're okay with them protesting outside where absolutely no one will see or pay attention to them, but as soon as they dare to be heard, you think they've crossed the line. Do you understand how protest works? You're supposed to disrupt. You're supposed to make people uncomfortable. You're supposed to challenge power. You're supposed to interrupt the status quo, and illuminate how it is unjust. You only think it's "childish" because you can't ignore them when they engage in those tactics.
Additionally, your argument reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of what is happening here. Bernie's supporters refuse to listen to them precisely because he did such an effective job showing them the way forward and leading by example. His candidacy allowed this movement, the seeds of which were planted by OWS and probably even father back, to grow and evolve. The left has finally stood up against neoliberalism and said enough is enough. The reason people are fighting back against the DNC, refusing to accept the status quo, and even rejecting Bernie himself is because they're doing exactly what Bernie prepared them to do. This is no longer about Bernie Sanders. This is about fundamentally changing the system from both the inside and outside and reshaping the electoral map to create a space for voices on the left. If Hillary wants to be a productive part of that, she can be, but if not, we will continue to fight her every step of the way.
Hillary's biggest mistake by far was going after Bernie's supporters on a personal level. Whether it was telling millennial women that they were "going to hell" for not supporting her or labeling everyone as Bernie Bros, she didn't just keep her attacks isolated to Bernie but directly went after his voters. She disenfranchised them systemically and institutionally, rigging the election and engaging in fraud. Because of it, not only do many of us dislike her, but we also see her an an illegitimate nominee.
As of right now, very little would ever convince me to vote for Hillary in November. Offhand, I might consider it if every single member of the DNC was forced to resign, including anyone in the state parties with strong ties to the Clintons. Hillary would have to release her Wall Street transcripts and testify under oath to Judicial Watch. There would need to be renegotiations over the platform of the party, and she would have to sign a legally binding agreement that certifies that she will work to enact what she promised no matter what. I would need all of that, and none of it is negotiable.
I honestly don't give a shit about Trump. He's a con man and a carnival barker. To me, Hillary is the bigger threat. I have more to lose under a Clinton Administration than a Trump Administration. He's not Hitler. He's not a Nazi. He's a plutocrat, just like Hillary. He's a scumbag, just like Hillary. He's a pathological liar, just like Hillary. Yes, he is a racist, sexist, and xenophobe. But he's also against TPP. He's against nation building. He's also against cutting social security. Every 4 years, the Democrats cry wolf in order to win. Every election is the most important election in our lifetime. Enough. If the Democrats actually did the things they said they would do 4 years ago, they wouldn't be losing to Trump right now. He's a joke. The only person worse than him is Hillary.
So feel free to run back to your masters at GOS or CTR or wherever and tell them everything we all said. Fact is, you need us, not the other way around. You did a heck of a job fucking up this entire election to the point where you're going to lose to a giant orange orangutan, but the pottery barn rule applies here. "You break it, you bought it." And Hillary broke the shit out of it. It's her job to fix it. If she doesn't make this right, she won't be president. It's as simple as that. Acting like a fascist at the convention isn't helping.
Fascist
What makes you think it's an act?
Sieg Hill
I disagree with everyone. No. Really.
I see a sea of glass heads filled with smoke. Certainly there are some filled with nothing but clarity. But most are cloudy and some are completely opaque.
When movements or projects or large-scale collaborations fall apart -- it's because every participant does NOT share the single overriding Original Vision — in this case to topple the thoroughly corrupt Democratic Party and defeat their subversive right-wing candidate, Hillary Clinton. Whether or not Bernie prevailed did not matter, she was an evil that cannot tolerated.
In November 2015, the Original Vision was beginning to gel into reality. "What are we voting for?" "What do we want?"
By January 2016, sometime between the last "hidden" debates and the first few primaries, both the challenge and the battlefield were very clear. Ever greater obstacles were erected against the populist awakening. "How can we destroy the all-powerful establishment and rip their greedy hands off of the lives and future wellbeing of the people?"
After the first few primaries were held, the experienced and savvy folks could see where this was going, what the obstacles were that could easily thwart the Original Vision, how it was going to end without a determined collective resolve on the People's part. They could see the extraordinary step that must be taken, and what sacrifices must be made to completely crush the establishment junta and emerge victorious.
Along the way, many people detoured down one of the many rabbit hole traps that were set to sabotage the Original Vision. For example, the author of this essay scurried down the Donald Trump hole, lickkity split, with a side trip to the OMG Supreme Court. He or she had plenty of company.
The majority who continue on, are holding to the Original Vision, but so far they are unwilling to act decisively or make the necessary sacrifices that would finally give them control over a defeated Party — even though this is easily within their grasp. They believe they are helpless without Bernie. And, thus, they are. They grasp at every straw of salvation, from the saga of Hillary's email server, to the current dumb Wikileaks show — all so they do not have to act courageously, themselves, and self-govern. They want somebody to do it for them.
This describes the Original Vision that gelled early in 2016 and illuminated the way:
That reality hasn't changed.
So, what has?
IMAGINE if you woke up the day after a US Presidential Election and headlines around the the world blared, "The Majority of Americans Refused to Vote in US Presidential Election! What Does this Mean?"
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