In two previous posts, called
What Are We To Do, An Introduction and
I. The Democratic Party is the Party of Empowerment respectfully, I issued my own sort of manifesto in regards to what I think our future should be for this party and country.
Steve Gilliard, who is rapidly becoming my favorite blogger to read, issued his own manifesto in two different letters, one to liberals, the other to conservatives. Everyone should read these letters as we get ready for what will be probably the biggest battle for this country's soul since the Civil War. I won't post them in their entirety, but I'll include excerpts from each that I find very important.
First off,
Steve's letter to liberals:
Dear liberal,
It's time you put your ass where your mouth and money is. Stop the whining. You want to preserve abortion rights, defend them. Don't whine about Bush and his future judges.
You like your values, well you better defend them, and I mean for real, every day, in your lives. The free ride is over. I'm tired of the bitching and moaning. Time to do. It is simply time to do.
...But here's the deal: we are on the cusp of something really good. Really positive. Losing sucks, but in defeat the seeds of victory are planted. We have the ability to organize and raise money and communicate. And we aren't just talking to ourselves. We're not the old left or the new left. We're different and we've learned. We know where we have to go and what we have to do. No more cliques.
...I wouldn't worry too much about the people who bought Bush's lies. The ones who want to will come around. ... The question you need to ask is this: what do we offer them when they wake up? What do we tell them? Who do we offer for them to vote for. We need to pick the fights closest to home and be credible. We should go after the liberterians and fiscal conservatives and tell them the GOP is leaving them. The Vets, who are being betrayed by them. We need to welcome these people and explain what the GOP is really turning into.
...This will be neither easy nor quick. It will take work and effort and some disappointment. But every time we act, we learn and we help make the America we want. And that is the goal we're striving for. Not just winning one election for one man.
Now, for conservatives:
Dear conservative,
Yes, you won the last election.
You will regret doing so.
Why?
....(Y)our friends in the Christian right will expect payment. No more shuffling off the wingnuts to obscure posts in the agencies. Nope, they're gonna want their bills passed, so they can make the America they want. So while you and your urban friends talk about less government, they're plotting theocracy. They want to tell you how to have sex, whether to use birth control and well, they could care less about fiscal responsibility. After all, the rapture is coming and will leave all the Jews behind.
No, you've played them long enough. They're not idiots, you know. They will want their due. And they will expect your support. What? You like pre-marital sex and smoking dope? Sorry, your comrades in arms are on a crusade and those things will have to go.
You've sold your soul to the devil and the devil always collects his due.
...We take you at your word. We know you want to own the middle east. You want to kill the New Deal. We thought even that you would see the benefits of social stability, but it's clear all you care about are your gated communities, country clubs and office jobs. ... So we will no longer laugh at your delusions and write you off as hopeless lunatics. Oh no. We take you at your word.
And will fight you every inch of the way.
...The only word we can trust from you concerns how you will get rich, even if you destroy America in the process. You don't care about America, except as a way to blind the poor into supporting your destruction of the country. You prey on their idealism and twist to enrich you. Your greed has caused America to become poorer and more divided than ever. You act as if you owe no one anything for your life. You have this ridiculous myth that you did it by yourself, your success, whatever it is, is yours alone. Did you build your schools? Create the roads. You shit on the social compact because no one has called you to account.
Well, that is our failure and our shame and it is one we will correct. We should have challenged you long ago.
I don't think there is any other way to put it - the war is on!