Stand up and have your voice be heard- 2 weeks until the election
This election season has gotten to me and worn me down- one question is always in the back of mind "how the hell are these two candidates the best we have to offer?" Do not get me wrong, there are other choices, but these two morons are the top choices and one of them will win the position of the most powerful person on this planet.
Okay, two weeks is a long time in politics and according to many MSM sources, this race is over, but part of me truly believes it could be a long night (or early morning) Tuesday, November 8. Something just does not feel right with the victory laps Clinton's team is doing right now. To me I think it will be a close one and many people will be upset with whatever the outcome.
With all this swirling in the background, no matter what the outcome and surprises- we will be stuck with one of these idiots in charge for the next 4 turbulent years (I also believe either one will only be a 1 term president). Therefore, you can fall into despair and hopelessness, or think about what is next for you.
For me, I will take action and stand up to be heard. That means I will take care of my love ones, ensure I have a good job and work on side business to bring in extra income. Moreover, I look to help others. Finally, I will work to foster and encourage other viable parties and candidates in this country. Heck I might run/win as an independent for a low-level office- something to get us away from this corrupt two party system.
If I do not take this stance and work to avoid the pain and hardship then I will be lying to myself because I care about my family, you, my country and me. I am really tired of these bums (both democrats and republicans) in charge and running us into the ground and blaming us for their stupidly, corrupt and lies. So instead of apathy, complaining and do nothing, I will stand up (take action) and have my voice heard.
Please fight the good fight and work to make a difference.
Bless each of you.
Comments
And that is a lot
Bravo. Truly.
"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones."
John Cage
Thank you for the kind words
We must help and encourage each other- thank you for your positive thoughts and words.
Bravo
Never give up.
The election is pure nonsense, a farce if you will that people are asked to treat as serious and real, all to create the illusion of choice. Then we are expected to go back to sleep for another 4 years.
Not this time. Not ever again.
"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution."---Tyree Scott
Thanks Steve
This community (by exposing the truth and being real) has helped me survive the craziness of this "election" which I agree is a farce.
I will not go back to sleep! I have too many important things (my family, friends and all of us) to fight for in this struggle of ridding us of this terrible current system.
Sign Report
Back from town. One new 3x4 foot Trump sign, one Johnson bumper sticker, one Clinton/Kaine sign hand painted on a weathered scrap of board and nailed to a tree.
Got my ballot in the mail. Twenty-two options for President. Wait ... there's more than two? Only Republicans for county commissioner, district attorney, and state representative. At least there's a Green Senate candidate to vote for.
"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -- Albert Bartlett
"A species that is hurtling toward extinction has no business promoting slow incremental change." -- Caitlin Johnstone
No need to be insulting to .....
MORONS
There are plenty of morons who try to be decent human beings.
Trump and Hillary are NOT two of them!
When I was a kid, Republicans used to red scare people, now it's the Democrats. I am getting too damn old for this crap!
I get the usual hoopla
and talking point "do you want Trump to get elected?" But there are tons of folks who are just plain disgusted and amazed at our choices.
At this point in time I would be happy with Trump because then I feel dems will fight him. They will just roll over for Hillary.
glitterscale
What you said,
@glitterscale. X1000!
"The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to those who think they've found it."
Terry Pratchett, Monstrous Regiment
I get what you're saying!
The other night I said to my husband, "If Trump gets elected I'll be appalled and disgusted. If Clinton gets elected, I'll be appalled and disgusted, but I'll also be AFRAID!".
How the hell did we get here??
"Stand Up! Keep Fighting!" - Paul Wellstone
How the hell did we get here??
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was afraid for Roe vs. Wade.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was afraid of the terrorists.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was afraid for the Supreme Court.
Then they offered me Clinton and Trump —and there was no one left to speak for me.
"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -- Albert Bartlett
"A species that is hurtling toward extinction has no business promoting slow incremental change." -- Caitlin Johnstone
Great adaptation!
I've seen a lot of clumsy ones.
"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X
Spot on, thank you
Scary but true, history repeats itself- thank you for sharing.
From something in my inbox:
From something in my inbox:
They're manipulating the polls in part because Jill is doing well enough to make them nervous, because she's the only non-corporate, non-billionaire, non-TPP-supporting candidate currently running for President with a chance, and because Indies form the largest voting group in America and she could win with them alone, never mind disgusted Dems and Repubs.
Never vote for evil. Vote for democracy and the survival of life - vote Green!
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
Over $hills?
That's a Really close call!
Someone else here said it best, a choice between a 'pig and a warpig' is no choice at all. But in reality? I'd have to go with the pig. Fuck war, man!
This doesn't mean I'll vote for or against either one, Jill's had my vote since it became clear Bernie'd been robbed. People here complain about being pressured to vote for her(but her can fuck right the hell off) and then discuss pressuring other people to not. Confuse-ed is me. People don't want to wake up and see it, is all. Head in sand-ers.
Had a discussion on the phone with Mom, NO, NOT POLITICS AND RELATIVES?!?!?AAARRrrhhhggg. . . But yeah, it went okay 'cause we both ain't voting her. Something to agree on? Rut-roh, raggy!
But I brought up wwIII and what to do about it and she don't want to hear it. 'I'm comfortable and got just enough and I'm NOT going to lose that!'
That's what we are dealing with on a large scale, people clinging with their fingernails to what they have and just can't see beyond today and tomorrow. And it upsets their applecart to just give ONE GOOD DAMN reflection on how it's all going away. Because it Is all going away, faster than most will see, let alone appreciate.
peace
Ya got to be a Spirit, cain't be no Ghost. . .
Explain Bldg #7. . . still waiting. . .
If you’ve ever wondered whether you would have complied in 1930’s Germany,
Now you know. . .
sign at protest march
Good points, and a timely reminder
I LOVE the sentiment, straight up:
Fix or no fix, we have to stand up and we have to keep standing up. They have to know we're watching and paying attention, or shit will get worse than it's already going to get.
To this end, I do have a request. Mind you, this is not a personal thing, I see this from a lot of folks, but this particular post seems a good place to start. While it may actually turn out that one of those two will win, one thing we can pledge to do going forward is to stop pushing R or D as a given. Even if you believe it yourself? Even if it's "inevitable"? Repeating it in conversation--ANY conversation--is helping to do some of their work for them.
What? No, really. I can't tell you how many times a day that I read this, just here:
Please, we should stop pushing that on their behalf. Let people think that if they want, fine--if you really believe it, fine--but why should we help them with it, when we advocate more choices? The key here is the repetition--that's what keeps it stuck in peoples' heads. So can we please start working on ways to NOT help that? That could even keep us somewhat focused on a "next time", so we stop letting our minds run away from us now. We have to move forward and hang onto hope of some redemption down the road--the only other alternative is to just give up--I don't know about you, but I sure can't do that...
I know, but I want to be real
I get it, and thank you for your input- I am grateful for it.
For me we have the shit sandwich choices and I will not take a bite of either one. However, let us be real and make sure we do not live in our glass bubbles! We are stuck with these terrible people because the establishment has wired it that way- it will not change within the next 2 weeks. I will vote for another choice, but people are asleep and we need to fight for ourselves to stay awake and to wake others up. I will not give false hope or information; I just call them as I see them.
To me the only redeeming quality is whomever is elected the next 4 years will be nothing but heartaches and headaches. My hope is this election outcome will shock our system Therefore, we can prepare for and be ready to change the narrative- get rid of the rotten establishment, and create a system that will empower all of our choices.
Now is our time to start making a difference.
It's a fact, Luna.
It's a fact, Luna. And it's one we need to start planning for and facing. Our Essayist is correct here.
This means discussing it directly. It's time to forget about "optics" and start moving towards figuring out how we're going to deal with Evil Incarnate (the pantsuit variety or the loudmouth bloviator variety, either one) at the helm of our poor country.
Please note very well indeed: I make no assertion of any kind that this doesn't suck. It does, intensely so. But at the point we're at now, denying it will constitute embracing it -- and that I will never do. Nor will I consent to it; and silence is consent! Αρνιέμαι!
For you, Luna:
For the dickwads who are almost certain to reside at the White House after Mr. Obama:
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
Yes, if the herd holds steady.
But that could change overnight. I really believe that a handful of "progressive Dem leaders" still have the power to throw this election to Stein. In any case, they could and should try it.
Sadly it is almost certain they will continue to collaborate with Her instead, putting the Party over people. Their cowardice is the sole reason for her "inevitability".
This is not the action of natural law. It does not have to happen, but it will happen if our "leaders" continue to fail us.
They can howl at the moon and show their teeth! Fierce warriors! Please.
The revolution is in need of heroes.
Stein - Baraka 2016
Thank You irishking!!!
Thank You irishking!!!
That is what I keep saying. If all those who now say that we must vote against trump by voting for hrc; voted instead for Jill Stein, why then, we could actually have some hope for an actual principled leader!
Michael Moore, who I deeply respect, sent me an email with the usual; fear trump; vote hrc talking points . . . and I was so disappointed. If the same effort was waged to switch to Stein we could actually have a principled leader instead of a corrupt corporate death dealing war monger.
Think about it . . .Dr. Jill Stein actually offered her spot on the Green ticket to Bernie~ FOR THE GOOD OF THE WHOLE; FOR THE GOOD OF ALL OF US~
WHAT A GREAT AND NOBLE WOMAN~
When was the last time we've seen such Principled behavior . . . besides Bernie???
NEVER HRC~
I WILL NEVER REWARD SUCH A DEATH DEALING NARCISSISTIC. CORPORATE SHILL~
SO PROUD TO VOTE FOR JILL STEIN 2016~
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety” ~Benjamin Franklin
But the bigger point still stands....
if we continue to repeat that at every turn before all the ballots are counted--even if we believe it's true--we are carrying the water of the cheaters.
IMO, WE have to stop doing that. Period. For good. Repetition is what they count on. Stop being someone they can count on to do their work for them.
Understood and thank you for the message
What is crazy is I agree with you and thank you for these very good comments. We must deal with the present and plan for the future.
Arniemai
There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know.
"Their cowardice is
the sole reason for her "inevitability." Yep. Exactly. Between the complacency and complicity Her Highness should have a nice long honeymoon. Or, BerniBros, Berniecrats and Greeniacs could make it shorter, less sweeet, for HRC.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
The press is all up in Her crumpet around here
Especially neoliberal lickspittles who work at the billionaire-owned former paper of record. But real people aren't so enthusiastic about Her. Today I met two Muslim Uber drivers who are voting for Trump.
If she wins, the Trump people will think she cheated. They're not wrong.
... actually, only a single establishment political party
currently exists in the U.S. -- the republicrats, completely beholden to the 1-percenters.
When Cicero had finished speaking, the people said “How well he spoke”.
When Demosthenes had finished speaking, the people said “Let us march”.
Yup, the corporate
Yup, the corporate/billionaire parties. Yet, the only legitimate US government is of, by and for the people...
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
Voting for Jill. But also already moved beyond
(see sig line)
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Well done on the essay, Borkrom!
I have many of the same thoughts. Whenever I bring up to my husband on what I read here about the next economic crash, he says, "I/we are taking care of what we can-control the controllables." So, that's what we're doing in this household.
Almost daily, I get anxiety about the election/these two pigs that TPTB have foisted upon us this election. I am older and wiser since '08 and '12 (I regret my two votes for Pres. Obama and have come to despise him because I see he's turned on us); I have abandoned old die-hard truth-tellers (because they're liars) and just generally feel like everyone is fuching asleep at the wheel and won't do a damn thing but go along with what the PTB feed us. One thing that bugs me to no end is people who call in to the Thom Hartmann show (I still listen in short, short spurts) and start out with, "I supported Bernie in the Primaries, and I volunteered for him, etc., but I'm a hrc supporter now...", I think how in the world can anyone say that? It's as if they're outing themselves as fuching lemmings, or fuching idiots, FFS!
I will vote for Stein here in Michigan and may go on the local radio show to just get it out there to encourage people who feel as frustrated as I do to let others know you don't have to vote for the pig or the warpig. Register your vote FOR someone who has your best interests at heart. I agree with glitterscale, I almost want Drumpf to win, the d's will fight him.
Peace!
EVERYONE is asking the same question: With 350 million
people, give or take, how are these two the best we have to offer? How are they our only choices? Well, they are not our only choices. It only seems that way because politicians and media have colluded to make it seem that way.
I have been posting about uniting around issues. Many on the right are just as frustrated as we are about choosing between The Hillary and The Donald. Before people forget this frustration, we ought to be agitating about ballot access laws, exclusionary Presidential debate rules, etc. It will soon be all about the holidays until January 2 or so. Maybe we can think of some ways to bombard state legislatures in every state about ballot access. Get petitions signed, maybe?
Stress & break the system
We have many more citizens that can take action than they. But the anti-Iraq war marches were giant and ineffective so I'm not sure how effective marching & placard protesting are.
Something more direct, that takes advantage of our advantage in numbers. The criminal and civil courts are close to breaking and rely on us not protesting traffic tickets/moving violations and plea bargaining.
In 1918 Sinn Fein won 3/4 of the seats and set up an Irish parliament, courts, police service and just ignored the British. The people went along with them. Two years later the War of Independence began.
The demos have the power to change the system whenever they want to. We just need to mobilise.
Open to suggestions on vulnerabilities in the system that we can crash.
Stop paying state and federal taxes and/or stop buying.
When I posted, I was thinking of lesser means, like gathering signatures on petitions to state legislatures in each state, maybe a moveon petition, too. But, if you want to go big or go home, we can urge everyone to stop paying taxes. If that's too dangerous, stop buying anything for one or two weeks (an exception can be made for a true mom and pop store, so we don't hurt anyone small). There's no penalty for not buying. Well, except for Obamacare
I do not believe that petitions to D.C. or demonstrations work, but a state rep may soil his or her linen over a petition with enough signatures from his or her district.
Taxes is brave, very brave and maybe where we end up
but I'd like to start with things that are easy, cost people only a little effort & time. Start with the low hanging fruit. Escalate from there. Build bridges between all the groups hurt by the 1%. Once we have that the system cannot stand long. One must heed the lessons to be learned from the fates of the BPP and OWS.
Enumerate set of things we can do to throw sand in system - it's complicated, it has lots of rules and loopholes, crowdsource protocols to help the demos defeat, frustrate, obstruct them. Build bridges & mass. The hunger for the Sanders campaign shows the appetite is there. The 100 million that don't register to vote want a different choice than any the system currently allows.
Where can we accomplish meaningful reform? Can we agitate for PR in federal elections - it would only take legislation. Could we accomplish it in the states?
I am done being frustrated, powerless, critical, cynical and ineffective. I want to figure out what I can do right here, right now, in small and large ways to push on as many fronts as possible to effect positive change. Primarying HRC in 2020, setting up a successful 3rd party run, obstructing the system, reforming the system. The Richmond Progressive Alliance up the road from me is a great model and looking to see how to get something set up in my part of the Bay Area - but it is pretty f*cking daunting task to take on!
The post of mine to which you initially replied said,
in part.
The next post of mine to which you replied spoke about a buying boycott, which requires zero bravery, as well as a tax boycott. That post said:
As stated, while a tax payment boycott is risky, a buying boycott is not.
All specific, and at least somewhat realistic suggestions are welcome.
"Primarying HRC in 2020" Like we primaried Obama in 2012 and Hillary in 2016? If not, what will be doing different in 2020 than we did in 2012 and 2016?
"setting up a successful 3rd party run" Most recently done at the Presidential level by Abraham Lincoln, running on the ticket of the Republican Party, formed in 1854, around abolition, which had been building steam and consensus here since the 1600s. No candidate has gotten the electoral votes of a single state since Wallace--and he got the electoral votes of a few Southern states because the Republican Party had long been perceived as liberal (Lincoln again)and the Democratic Party had been undermining segregration, starting with FDR and Truman. Electing a so-called third party candidate starts, btw, with changing exclusionary ballot access laws and attacking the Presidential Debate Commission. Also,with getting rid of the term "third" party (also the term "two-party system") which perpetuates the notion that the only parties, or the only parties worth considering, anyway, are the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. We already have many political parties other than those two. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_parties_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org; wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_the_United_States
Right now, the most we can do is vote Green in 2016 in the hopes of getting 5% of the vote to make ballot access easier for the Greens in 2020. That's not because I love Stein or the Greens, but because that is the biggest inroad I feel I can make next month into the so-called two-party system.
By the way, the Greens have been around, in one form or another, as long as the Democratic Leadership Council, now known as the Democratic Party. The DLC and its ideological progeny very quickly took over the Democratic Party. The Greens twice ran no less a populist hero than Ralph Nader for President. In 1996, Nader/Greens got .71% of the popular vote and 0 electoral votes. (Billionaire Ross Perot, who spend the kind of money needed to make and run TV infommericals, got 8.4% of the popular vote, but 0 electoral votes.) In 2000, Nader/Greens did much better, getting all of 2.71% of the popular vote and 0 electoral votes. Without a star like Nader, in 2012, Greens (Stein/Honkala), with all the name recognition Nader gave them, got a whopping .36% of the popular vote and, of course, 0 electoral votes. After decades of existence.
Have you checked into any of the political parties formed in the past ten years to see if one of them might suit you?
BTW, what is the plan for fundraising for another new political party? Because it takes money just to create an organization and find a semi-viable candidate willing to run for President, let alone to have any kind of viability at the Presidential level. The Kochs and others like them back both the Tea Party wing of the Democratic Party and the Libertarian Party. They backed the DLC, too, but that is another story. Billionaires on the left, such as they are, back rightist Democrats like Hillary.
I am not trying to discourage anyone from creating more new political parties, even though it may seem so. I am trying to avoid wasting good time, money and energy on something that is never going to be viable because it is not grounded in reality.
"obstructing the system" Any specific, realistic thoughts that don't, like tax boycotts, involve breaking the law?
"reforming the system" Sanders is working on reform from within. I am not optimistic, to say the least, but anyone who is can donate to his movement or revolution or whatever it is.
I have a bias against the word "progressive" because the DLC has manipulated it so much for so long, but that's my issue.
Passing that, have you tried contacting anyone there to get some advice? http://richmondprogressivealliance.net/
Thank you for the long response
I know all the history you detailed, thought about all of the various actions you have stated in this and recent comments, as well as many others that have not come up.
Yes, each of the things is hard and yes they have been tried in the past and failed. They have also been tried in the past and succeeded. How many rebellions did the Irish have before finally succeeding?
Coming from an Irish perspective, knowing how the Troubles kicked off, were maintained and the cost I am trying for a solution that stops short of violent revolution. Despite feeling that it is inevitable given the power dynamics at play. But still gonna try even if it's doomed to failure.
I have two problems with the Green party - they haven't accomplished anything since Nader in 2000. And not being a class based party are easy prey to take over by neoliberals - as they have been in both Ireland and more recently in Germany.
Regarding progressive & liberal labels - shrug - 1848 in Europe turned liberal into an insult on the left long before the US right turned it into an insult. And given everything else you write, I can't see you really getting hung up on a label. Especially when the RPA predate the recent liberal/progressive slapfight.
"They have also been tried in the past and succeeded." No,
not really.
I am glad you know all the history in my posts and then some. However, I don't know of any "new" party in this country, including the Republican Party that formed in 1854, that managed to elect a President four years after forming. Not since then, anyway. And again, the impetus behind the Republican Party had been building for almost 250 years before it formed. I know of nothing similar today. Moreover, politics in 2016 is nothing like politics in 1854.
Ballot access was not as restricted then as it is now and there was no need for a billion dollars to invest in ad buys, strategists, private air travel, etc. People were far more used to new parties coming and going then. The duopoly did not have a near stranglehold then as it does now, in towns, city councils, city halls, state houses, etc. Or mass establishment media acting like a propaganda arm, shutting out or diminishing candidates like Sanders and Stein and even Koch-backed Johnson. So, no, I don't know of any people who tried this before and succeeded.
There are very good reasons why Lincoln was the last candidate of a new party to win the Presidency and very good reasons why no one, not even billionaire Ross Perot, has been able to get a single electoral vote, other than those who ran on Jim Crow, like Thurmond and Wallace. Once the Republican Party embraced (cough) states' rights and (cough) a Southern strategy, even that possibility is gone.
Again, I am not trying to discourage anyone from forming a new party. But, I am not for sending good money, time and energy after bad. And I've yet to hear or read of a sound plan. Or any plan, in fact.
I am not trying to sell the Green Party or Stein by any means. I think they almost dare people to vote for them. However, I am voting for Stein this time because of ballot access in 2020, which I believe is the most powerful use of my vote this time around. I am not in a swing state, so there is no reason not to. I gave the statistics only to show that even a 30 something year old party with name recognition has a hard row to hoe. As far as being vulnerable to neoliberals, that is probably true of any party in the world these days.
As far as avoiding violent revolution, avoiding one is probably light years easier than having one these days, what with the NSA, Homeland Security, technology that can hear what you say in your own home, etc., but that is another discussion entirely.
I am not an expert on many things, but I'm guessing that I do know my own feelings and views better than anyone else on this board does. So, there's that.
There are more polities than just the US
I find the bulk of awareness and analyses are tunnel visioned purely onto the US experience.
You are correct in your enumeration of the challenges that face a third party. What I am saying is trying and failing is a better alternative to the violent revolution I see coming. I prefer to try, even if it is doomed to failure, than not even try. Because I am far too well acquainted with the suffering and pain that comes from not changing things peacefully. My critique of the GP is that they have not accomplished anything since 2k, cynically I suspect they are infiltrated and not supposed to.
I am not afraid of failing, I am afraid of the dam breaking and violent revolution sweeping all before it. Once that genie is out of the bottle it rarely goes back in quietly (Washington/USA & Collins/Ireland are the only two examples I can think of since Cincinnatus).