What is your definition of progressivism?

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Tuesday April 07, 2009 · 10:15 AM PDT

2009/04/07 · 10:15

In the past decade or so, progressivism and the label 'progressive' has made a resurgence. I credit this, in large part, to the stigma to the word 'liberal'. Many people say that there is a difference between liberal and progressive. I guess my take on it is that one is passive and the other is active. Liberal seems to be more a state of mind, while progressive seems to imply action to change things. I think it would be really interesting if everyone writes in the comments section what their definition is. If you wrote your own diary on the subject or have a link to another article or website on the issue feel free to post it, but please provide an excerpt so we know what we're clicking on or if we don't have time to read the whole thing.

Poll

45 votes Show Results

I'm

45 votes Vote Now!

I'm

Progressive

13 votes

Liberal

17 votes

Neither

4 votes

I don't believe in labels

9 votes

Other, explain in comments section

2 votes

President Obama and the myth of 'shared sacrifice'

AntiConformist911

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Sunday March 22, 2009 · 4:18 PM PDT

2009/03/22 · 16:18

Every other day you either hear a beltway pundit whining about how Obama is raising taxes and soaking the rich or how Obama fails to call for shared sacrifice. Of course, any idiot can recognize that these two complaints are contradictory. Poor people are sacrificing every single day and have been for the past few decades. Minimum wage has remained stagnant, unions are constantly being undermined and destroyed by big business, and public officials from policemen and firefighters and United States soldiers to teachers and government officials are being grossly underpaid.

As far as rich people go, they've had their free ride. Since Ronald Reagan, the top marginal tax rate has dropped about 1% every year. Corporate tax rate and capital gains taxes have also fallen. Mission accomplished. No more free ride. The gravy train is over. Time to pay the piper.

(both articles below are very good, but much longer so I recommend following the links to the full articles)

Poll

75 votes Show Results

I am

75 votes Vote Now!

I am

Very optimistic

11 votes

Somewhat optimistic

6 votes

Hopeful, but cautious

21 votes

Pessimistic

11 votes

We're all screwed

26 votes

Israeli politics might begin to resemble U.S. politics

AntiConformist911

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday February 11, 2009 · 5:13 PM PST

2009/02/11 · 17:13

As someone who's long believed that the United States needs more than two parties, I voted for Ralph Nader in 2000 in hopes that the Green Party would emerge as a legitimate third party. Unfortunately, Nader turned out to be an egomaniac (witness 2004 and 2008 campaigns). I still remain hopeful that sometime in the future we will have more representation (or at least a Democratic Party that listens to the left).

Just as having only two major political parties can be too few, the recent Israeli election demonstrates that it is possible to have too many political parties. Jeffrey Goldberg writes

The Arab world doesn't have enough democracy; Israel has too much. Israel's is an insane system, which gives every lunatic fringe party disproportionate say in the running of the country, and therefore encourages radicalism.

AntiConformist911

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Monday January 19, 2009 · 4:31 PM PST

2009/01/19 · 16:31

Note: This is a somewhat unconventional diary, but please bear with me and you might find this interesting. Hearing the Republican hacks try to spin George Bush's presidency for the past year or so inspired me to write a very short play. Feel free to reenact this script with all your drama buddies. Enjoy!

Anyone unfamiliar with the Bush Legacy Project can refer themselves to this clip:

Poll

81 votes Show Results

The Bush Legacy Project will...

81 votes Vote Now!

The Bush Legacy Project will...

Succeed. 30 years from now history will judge him a great man.

8 votes

Fail. George W. Bush is an epic failure.

46 votes

Too early to know for sure

5 votes

Do you even have to ask this stupid question? On Daily Kos of all places?

22 votes

Can Hamas be trusted when they execute their own people?

AntiConformist911

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday January 14, 2009 · 5:08 PM PST

2009/01/14 · 17:08

Many have seen graphic video of Palestinians been killed or injured by Israeli attacks. The justification was to sensitize people to the perceived atrocities committed by the Israelis. As someone who does support Israel and believes that Hamas is mainly responsible for the violence situation, I take offense at the implication that I (and people like me) don't care about the suffering and loss of life of the Palestinian people. I think it's important to understand what sort of leadership (or lack thereof) Hamas is providing for the people of Gaza. I will illustrate this with a series of videos.

AntiConformist911

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Tuesday January 13, 2009 · 7:29 PM PST

2009/01/13 · 19:29

For anyone who is expecting this diary to link American leadership to Israel and blamed them for all the problems in the Middle East, you might be disappointed. I was reminded again how bad a leader Ehud Olmert, the outgoing Israeli prime minister, has turned out to be. AFP reports

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was left shame-faced after President George W. Bush ordered her to abstain in a key UN vote on the Gaza war, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Monday.
"She was left shamed. A resolution that she prepared and arranged, and in the end she did not vote in favour," Olmert said in a speech in the southern town of Ashkelon.

Poll

49 votes Show Results

Who would you like to win the upcoming Israeli election?

49 votes Vote Now!

Who would you like to win the upcoming Israeli election?

No one, Israel should not exist

7 votes

One of the Arab parties

8 votes

Likud

7 votes

Kadima

7 votes

Labour

8 votes

Shas

1 vote

I don't care

6 votes

I don't know, Israeli politics is much more complicated than I thought

4 votes

Other

1 vote

Israel-Palestine: What's wrong with the liberal media?

AntiConformist911

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Sunday January 11, 2009 · 3:48 PM PST

2009/01/11 · 15:48

I've been going out of my mind this past week seeing how the Israel Palestinian situation has been covered by the liberal media. I realize that even by posting this diary I'm fighting an uphill battle. I don't really plan on changing anyone's mind with this diary. Rather, I will attempt to diagnose where this problem has originated from.

Poll

94 votes Show Results

What are your feelings after reading this?

94 votes Vote Now!

What are your feelings after reading this?

You have been brainwashed by the Zionist American Media

47 votes

I disagree with you, but I think both sides make good points and can work together

13 votes

I agree with you, stay strong and keep fighting for what you believe

25 votes

I don't know enough about this issue to have an opinion

3 votes

Other (write in comments section)

6 votes

Is American media coverage of Israel Palestinian conflict fair and balanced?

AntiConformist911

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday January 07, 2009 · 8:40 AM PST

2009/01/07 · 08:40

As I mentioned in my last diary entry, I am generally a hardline Israel supporter compared to other liberals. I generally pay close attention to how conflicts in the region are covered by the American Media. So far, I've been pretty satisfied. However, Cenk Uygar (whom I agree with about 97% of the time) disagrees with me on this particular issue. He does make some fair points and genuinely seems to be looking at both sides of the issue.

Poll

87 votes Show Results

American Media coverage of the Israel Palestinian conflict has been

87 votes Vote Now!

American Media coverage of the Israel Palestinian conflict has been

Fair and balanced

7 votes

Bias towards Israel

58 votes

Bias towards Palestinians

18 votes

Not sure/no answer

3 votes

Other (write in comments section)

1 vote

Legitimize Hamas

AntiConformist911

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday January 04, 2009 · 11:14 AM PST

2009/01/04 · 11:14

I'm relatively hard line in support of Israel (at least compared to other liberals). Although I would have supported the proposal at the Middle East Peace Summit at Camp David of July 2000 which would have given the Palestinians all of the Gaza strip and 95% of the West Bank.

I've generally had a very poor opinion of Hamas (and still do), but I think it might be a good idea to legitimize their government. Do I think they will renounce violence once they are given real political power? I hope so, but I doubt it. However, if they continue their attacks on Israel they will no longer be perceived by much of the world as being on the moral high ground. Rocket attacks will no longer be mere political protests against an oppressive regime. Instead, they will be an act of war by one sovereign nation against another.

Poll

85 votes Show Results

Israel's response was

85 votes Vote Now!

Israel's response was

Completely Justified

31 votes

Justified, but disproportionate

16 votes

Unacceptable

35 votes

Not sure/no opinion

3 votes

Obama's role in Lieberman standoff

AntiConformist911

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday November 18, 2008 · 5:42 PM PST

2008/11/18 · 17:42

I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what the deal is with Lieberman. He's got to be one of the biggest weasels in the U.S. Senate. Harry Reid and Evan Bayh are right behind him. One thing that has been suggested was that keeping Lieberman provides cover for other moderate senators, such as Evan Bayh, who voted with Lieberman on the Iraq war and domestic surveillance issues.

But that's only half of the equation. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin was initially against Lieberman keeping his chairmanship. After Obama talked with him, he switched positions. For the past few days, I've been trying to figure out why Obama did this. Finally, I've come to a conclusion and, if I'm right, it might actually have been a very smart political move.

Obama met with Lindsey Graham and John Mccain earlier this week. Some sources suggest that Obama is planning to build a coalition of moderate Republicans so he's not completely dependent on Democratic congressional leadership. If that is true, then keeping Joe Lieberman isn't really about Joe Lieberman, but rather it is about forming an alliance with John Mccain and Graham.

Poll

121 votes Show Results

Will keeping Lieberman turn out to be smart politically?

121 votes Vote Now!

Will keeping Lieberman turn out to be smart politically?

Yes. Obama took out the Clintons and the Karl Rove smear machine; he knows what he's doing.

42 votes

No. Lieberman is a turncoat and will stab Obama in the back

49 votes

Not sure

18 votes

I'm too mad to think about this now!

12 votes

GOTV on YouTube

AntiConformist911

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday November 03, 2008 · 9:29 AM PST

2008/11/03 · 09:29

This is going to be a somewhat unorthodox diary in terms of format. I'm running a YouTube site and trying to get out the vote. Also, be sure to check out Barack Obama's YouTube site where he is posting many informative and inspiring videos including how to avoid republican dirty tricks when voting.

The first video I made to remind people how they might feel on November 5th if Mccain wins

I also posted two videos about Michelle Bachman and Elizabeth Dole:

Poll

35 votes Show Results

Who do you want to lose the most?

35 votes Vote Now!

Who do you want to lose the most?

Michelle Bachman

22 votes

Elizabeth Dole

4 votes

Saxby Chambliss

9 votes

Vote early (and often)

AntiConformist911

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday October 27, 2008 · 3:35 PM PDT

2008/10/27 · 15:35

For the past a week or two, Barack Obama has been urging people to not get overconfident and remember to vote. I thought I'd pass on the word for good measure:

Cenk Uygar also urges constant vigilance:

Maegan Carberry writes:

More than ever before, in the last year I have been astounded by the power of one person.

Poll

56 votes Show Results

This election I

56 votes Vote Now!

This election I

already voted

27 votes

will vote

18 votes

might vote

0 votes

won't vote

1 vote

will vote, but for a 3rd party candidate

1 vote

will get at least one friend to vote with me on election day (or early voting)

2 votes

will volunteer on election day to get as many people to vote and/or watch polls

5 votes

will vote for Mccain

0 votes

other (write answer in comment section)

2 votes

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What is your definition of progressivism?

President Obama and the myth of 'shared sacrifice'

Israeli politics might begin to resemble U.S. politics

Do you blame Bush for 9/11? (A short one-act play about the Bush Legacy Project)

Can Hamas be trusted when they execute their own people?

George W. Bush = Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert

Israel-Palestine: What's wrong with the liberal media?

Is American media coverage of Israel Palestinian conflict fair and balanced?

Legitimize Hamas

Obama's role in Lieberman standoff

GOTV on YouTube

Vote early (and often)