July 7, 2011 - What a great day for Democrats and Progressives on Daily Kos. I've never been prouder of my party to see all the fantastic action diaries, that felt like fresh air blowing through the 'sails in my soul,' to once again set me back on tract.
As the saying goes, 'Now that's what I'm talking about.' I'm so proud of my party on this day, and we need much, much more of this focus on our own party, and President and a lot less on the fucking Rethugs.
We know what the Rethugs want to do, but right now, I'm more worried about what is left of the Democratic Party, it's platform, our principles, the middle class and poor. The good news is that we have indeed reached a 'breaking point,' and we know this. The bad news is not understanding that reality and either apologizing or marginalizing exactly what destroying Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid means for millions of Americans under a Democratic President.
I was pondering one of the best essays I've read in weeks entitled: 'Voting with Fear: The Evil of Two Lessers' by Margaret Kimberley. Ms. Kimberley nails it right down to the very heart of the matter:
Neither President Obama nor any other Democratic leaders are willing to stand up for what used to be bedrock principles of their party. Democrats once knew with certainty that the already fragile American safety net was protected by their own and under threat only from the other side. Now we see that it is under threat from all sides, with no one in the political system willing to take a stand and fight for their constituents' needs.
The 2012 political campaign has already begun in earnest. President Obama is raising millions of dollars for his campaign and congressional Democrats are doing the same for themselves. They base their request for fund raising and other support on Democrats' fear of Republican control, but there is no reason to once again remain loyal to them when they have no loyalty to anyone except the heavy hitter fundraisers.
snip...
While Democrats were always a war party, just as much as Republicans, they were also known for their willingness to use the federal government to create and enhance programs which benefited working people. They protected and expanded the modern welfare state as it existed in this country. President Johnson was responsible for the horrific escalation of the war against Vietnam, but he also was responsible for the very existence of the programs which Democrats are now ready to eviscerate. Johnson was the embodiment of the lesser of two evils argument, attacked because he waged an aggressive and immoral war, but at the same time credited with responding to movement demands and eliminating poverty for millions of people. That lesser of two evils argument now has almost no meaning. Not only is Obama keeping the country in a perpetual state of war, but at the first sign of Republican resistance, he is willing to throw what used to be the foundation of the Democratic party under the wheels of a bus.
http://www.counterpunch.org/...
And as Ms. Kimberley so astutely points out, there was always a 'trade off' in our own party vs. our Democratic Platform, but now that is disappearing right before our eyes.
I've been thinking these past few days about one of the most remarkable words from a great Tennessee Williams play: 'A Street Car Named Desire,' in which the main character, Blanche Du Bois says:
But some things are not forgivable. Deliberate cruelty is not forgivable! It is the one unforgivable thing, in my opinion, and the one thing of which I have never, never been guilty. A Streetcar Named Desire. Blanche to Stanley, Scene 10.
Certainly as some say, politics is a blood sport, but then there is the other side to what we are now witnessing in our nation, and our own party. I fully understand if you do not agree with me, but I do believe that what is going on in our own party is without a doubt absolutely 'deliberate cruelty,' on the part of President Obama, the Blue Dog Democrats, other cowardly Democrats, and of course the utterly insane Rethugs.
1. It is without a doubt to me 'deliberate cruelty,' to allow a sitting Democratic President to destroy the New Deal: Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, that will fully impact the most helpless in our nation: the elderly, the poor, children, the disabled to once again pay for the endless insane wars, and the sins of Wall St./the Banks that knowingly and fraudulently destroyed our entire national economy.
2. It is without a doubt to me, 'deliberate cruelty,' to allow our Armed Forces to be put in harms way in illegal wars, that are for the sole purpose of oil/for blood and to keep the well greased machine of the MIC and private contractors and war profiteers sucking the blood and treasure out of this country. $4.4 trillion and counting.
3. It is without a doubt to me, in a world fill with so little love, and indeed, 'deliberate cruelty,' for this President and our own Democrats to not stand up for equal rights for our Gay Brothers and Sisters. In DADT, or DOMA, or on any other issues.
4. It is without a doubt to me, 'deliberate cruelty,' to me to keep allowing the Corporations to sell our jobs overseas, to not fully stand up for the Unions, to continue these insane NAFTA so called free trade agreements, that undermine the Middle Class and poor.
5. It is without a doubt to me, 'deliberate cruelty,' to marginalize, or generalize, or dare to call another Democrat or American who is in deep despair, as somehow addicted to 'despair porn.' That is heartless, that is cruel, and is shameful and disgusting behavior. Millions and millions of Americans are in fact in deep despair, and why shouldn't they be? They've lost their jobs, they've lost their home, they've lost their savings and pensions, they've lost the equity in their homes, many have been illegally foreclosed upon. Many are now facing the prospect of losing their unemployment insurance, and their food stamps. Many can no longer afford the continuing skyrocketing health insurance rates.
So here we finally are, at our 'push come to shove moment' in our own party. That is why I am so damned proud of the great activists on this site today. Congratulations my dear, dear friends, YOU ARE DOING IT RIGHT.
Only let's remember who did the pushing and why we are being shoved into this final battle to keep our party and the New Deal intact, and to save our own party platform.
No body is in denial here. We got the fucking memo.
What do we do? We strike while the irons are hot. This is our preemptive moment in history: We call, and we call, and we call until we are all blue in the face from today onwards, until they get the message:
White House: 202-456-1111
Nancy Pelosi: 202-225-0100
Harry Reid: 202-224-3542
Van Hollen: 202-225-5341
Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121
White House Fax: WH FAX # 202-456-2461
While all the secret backrooms deals are being held, and don't be surprised at all if this comes down to the midnight hour, and again, don't be surprised at all if it comes down to one of those bullshit 'voice votes,' but only we can stop this before it happens.
What do we have to lose? Everything. What do we have now? You tell me.
The time for the apologists, and excuse makers, and deniers of where we are now is in the past. No one is buying it, because 'The Evil of Two Lessers,' is nothing more than bullshit at this point.
Deliberate cruelty is unforgivable, and it happens every single day on this site, and all over our nation. I will not stand for that any longer. I fully expect that from the Rethugs, but our party is supposed to be better than that. Apparently, President Obama and our party forgot who the hell they represent, and who the hell is paying their bills. Apparently they forgot the Party Platform, but that Platform does not belong to them, it belongs to us.
I am now reminded of two of my most favorite Kurt Vonnegut quotes:
A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved. Kurt Vonnegut, Sirens of Titan
“Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies — ‘God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.’ ” Kurt Vonnegut
Carry on, and again, I'm just so damn proud of many of you. We must not let President Obama, or other Democrats or the Rethugs destroy our party or our nation. They were the ones that pushed us into this catastrophic disaster, and there has been absolutely NO ACCOUNTABILITY, for their continued actions to now 'finish us off, strip us down to the bone,' for their so called 'Shared Sacrifice and Austerity Movement.'
Americans have already paid the greatest price for the past 30 years, but the last 10 years have been like a runaway train with no brakes going about 400 miles an hour, and picking up speed everyday.
Again from Ms. Kimberley's great essay, and ain't it the truth:
Neither President Obama nor any other Democratic leaders are willing to stand up for what used to be bedrock principles of their party. Democrats once knew with certainty that the already fragile American safety net was protected by their own and under threat only from the other side. Now we see that it is under threat from all sides, with no one in the political system willing to take a stand and fight for their constituents' needs.
BTW, more information on this wonderful honest truth telling writer:
Margaret Kimberley's Freedom Rider column appears weekly in BAR. Ms. Kimberley lives in New York City, and can be reached via e-Mail at Margaret.Kimberley(at)BlackAgandaReport.Com.
Thank you always, and I am so thrilled to see so many fantastic action diaries on DailyKos, that really matter. I'm so proud of so many of you. Thank you for your hard work, your dedication, and for lifting us all up when we needed it most.
Ms. B.