I consider myself a liberal, a progressive. I am also a Democrat. I have a set of principles that i truly believe in. I am pro choice, pro union, anti war. I am for helping the poor and middle class by taxing the rich and the corporations, not screwing the former for the latters sake. I hate the fact that Obama and the Dems have given up or gone right on many of the issues i hold dear. At the same time i am a person who also believes in common sense. That why i support the Democratic party and President Obama. It seems common sense is missing in the debates around here. I'm sure this diary will be ignored, but at least i get to vent my frustrations about the current state of things going on.
On this site there are progressives that are true to their principles and don't like the president and don't want him to be elected. He has betrayed them and they have a legitimate beef. We'll then don't just sit there and ramble on. Find the progressive candidate of your choice and primary him. I am totally against this personally because it will cause us the presidency and the senate. But maybe there is something going on i don't see. Maybe, this so far non existent progressive will handily defeat Obama, then destroy the Reps. Maybe the ultra left is correct. This country must be ultra left like you are. Your progressive candidate will sail into the white house and enact every single policy you've ever dreamed of. Don't just sit there, make it happen. Put your money where your mouth is. Common sense tells me you can't because in a country as diverse as this one. There is no one political ideology so dominant. Bottom line you cant do it. You can dream about it. But it won't happen. There will be a time when it will be possible. When the masses are so sick and tired of this corporate right wing destruction of our society. Sadly, not just yet.
Right now and over the last 30 years this country has been duped into believing we are a center-right county. The opposite is true. Over the same time the right has successfully tilted policy waaaay right. We are all suffering because of it. Why then can we not use this fact and vote in a true progressive?
First off, the media will not allow it. They need to continue to lie to Americans by pushing the false equivalency of the political ideologies. They need division and people to think that both conservative and progressive ideologies favor the people. Otherwise they cant get ratings by sponsoring the political fights. Bottom line is they are owned by corporations so in effect the equivalency they push has a right leaning tilt, big time.
Second, the majority of people who may be predisposed to progressive values may not have the time to get informed. Look at the recent budget battles, the media made it out to be like a sporting event. They didn't tell the people right now is a time to spend more on our recovery, not enact budget cuts that hurt the poorest while giving the rich even more tax breaks. Even if they did, the right slanted media would not help our cause. So ignorance of the truth is another factor why the right wing ideology is gaining traction.
Third, the right wing is bolder, louder and more effective in their messaging. They are mostly lies, but they get their lies out there into the mainstream. Our message of truth is overshadowed by their lies. We talk about civility, they prey on emotion. I've heard the argument about not stooping to their level, but in the meanwhile we are getting the shit kicked out of us. I say we need to get back in the game. Not by lying, but sticking to the truth. Just not be so cerebral about it and get emotional to a point, that’s where the large part of America will come over to our cause. Don't just tell them about our ideas, make them feel them. It can be done.
Fourth, there is a class war going on. You and I know this. But most Americans believe there is one too. But they've bought into the right wing lie that it is the left who is waging it with redistribution of wealth and such. The right wing has taken the truth (class warfare by the rich on the poor and middle class), and turned it around (the commies are coming for your money) and are destroying our message while they literally wage class warfare on us. This is fucking bizzaro world. How have they succeeded? By winning the fight not for people minds, but their fears. I know fear mongering sucks. But if people don't start to fear what is happening, we are doomed. Fear can be a powerful ally. They figured it out, we haven’t.
Lastly, politics. This country has people with many different viewpoints. To believe that the majority are progressive is naive. It's fantasy. How can there be a progressive revolution when most people are not progressives. I wish there was a progressive majority out there. I believe progressive ideas can solve the worlds problems. That’s where common sense comes back into the picture. Compromise sucks, but it is reality. How many of you progressives get to dictate to your significant others, what you'll do, how you'll do it and when. How many of you get 100% of what you want at home. You want to see an action movie, your partner wants to see a romance. Do you, can you, force your partner to do what you want or else? Or do you compromise? This week romance movie, next week action. Everybody gets something. How can you expect the Democrats to dictate and not bend or break when we live in such a diverse country. Even though the Repubs don't compromise as much, at times they have to. The ticket is to win more in the compromises, is to sway popular opinion our way. We are not doing that right now. The other side is winning the media and policy wars. We are too busy at each others throat.
So if your agenda is to help win this generational fight, we will not beat the entrenched corporate right wing forces overnight. No one presidency even in 8 years can achieve that. Even if they were the dream progressive, the entrenched interests are not going down with out a fight. This will take a bit of time. If you support that I’m with you. If you support knocking down what few allies we have in congress and the white house, then you are a part of the problem. Not a part of the solution. I will do everything in my power to fight not only the right wing and democratic corporatists, but you as well. Because in my opinion you are just helping them. Because in your zeal to stick to your principle you are tossing out common sense and fooling yourself to the political realities we face today. Your principles are fine, i applaud you, i am firm in my own. But i have common sense that tells me don't let my principle harm you, i expect the same from you. To say that allowing the right to win just to show somebody a lesson is equivalent to becoming the enemy. Don't help the right cause our families even more harm because of your principles. If you don't wanna vote, don’t. But don't try and sway other democrats that do. This is real life, not fantasy land.
You wanna hold the Democrats and Obamas feet to the fire, fine. I'm not thrilled with them either. This isn't the lesser of two evils argument, it's simply the good vs evil. And in my opinion those that disagree are just as extreme as the tea baggers.
Your opinions are just as valuable as anyone elses, just don't cross the line. this is a we thing, not an I thing.
I salute the progressives in Wisconsin, Ohio, Washington state and others who are showing how progressives truly fight. Hitting the streets and government centers to show the right wing corporate forces that they wont bow down to their dirty tactics. If we want true progressive change we need to follow their lead. Hit the streets in such numbers that the corporate media can't ignore us. That’s how we get true progressive change. Let's put our energy to a constructive use, not to keep on fighting each other. To those of you hoping that the right wing wins, and are actively trying to keep others from voting, your day will come and you'll regret it. If it doesn't apply let it fly.