That's a quote from that miserable bastard, Gen. George S. Patton. While not a big fan, he had a way with pithy war qoutes. That and a sack of stones bigger than bowling balls. Its a sentiment we could use as some sort of malaise seems to have settled around these parts and the Democratic Party over the last few weeks. Even the NY Times this week had an article about how in the wake of Katrina, liberal hopes were already fading as the GOP worked to turn the rebuilding of New Orleans into a conservative public policy test case.
This malaise includes a lot of fear - fear of where the economy is heading, fear of whether the GOP really could be taken down, fear of whether the Iraq War issue can be resolved, fear of the future, fear of fear.
There is a warm stream of piss dribbling down some folks legs lately. And I say this: If that is your response to challenge, then get the hell out of my foxhole.
More on the extended.
Infantry must move forward to close with the enemy. It must shoot in order to move.... To halt under fire is folly. To halt under fire and not fire back is suicide. Officers must set the example.
There is a lot flak flying around right now. Its unsettling. Its easy to lose one's bearings. But if anything, it means its even more important not to let up. We need to head into the fire, not away from it. The GOP wants to eliminate the AMT and give more tax cuts to the over-privileged? Fuck 'em. We'll hang 'em by their entrails. The Fundamentalist Extremists want to get a born-again nutjob on the Supreme Court. Fuck 'em. We'll parade their naked lunatic asses down the middle of Main Street for all to see. The GOP wants to build a bridge to nowhere so somebody's nephew can get some kickback? Fuck 'em. We'll pimp-slap their weasely hides from here till next Tuesday if that's what it takes to get the public to understand what selfish pricks they are being.
Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.
For all the sky is falling talk that goes on here, you'd think I'd be up to my eyeballs in mud at this point. But that's not what I see. I see a broadening field in front of me, a wide open battlefield just begging to be seized. There are challenges to be faced - but they should not be cowered from. Far from it - the challenges we face should be reveled in , gloried in, rolled around in like fat little hogs in warm slop. To paraphrase Patton, the harder the challenge, the sweeter the victory.
For the younger generations (whether Gen X, Gen Y, Gen Wake Me Up When the Family Guy is On), have you ever looked back at the Civil Rights movements of the 50's and the 60's, the Vietnam War movement, the various social movements of the 70s, and wondered "They had a chance to fight for something big. To be part of something historical. What do we have? When is my chance to be a part of history?" Well, history is sitting on your doorstep, you motherf*&kers. Its the quiet before the storm. Are you ready to rumble?
A good plan executed today is better than a perfect plan executed at some indefinite point in the future
Recently, the Democrats have let out a salvo in offering up an initial plan, a sort of Democratic version of the Contract with America. (Some may complain that we need to stop explaining it like that as it somehow means we are cedeing ground to the GOP by using their language. In war, we put folks like that in the mail room. I don't give a flying fruitbat what its called - I just want to see it rammed down the GOP's throat until they are spitting up blood.)
Already the sniping at what is and is not included has started. As well as sniping about whether its warmed over old ideas or new ones. I know I feel that way at times myself. But the question we should ask is - can we succesfully execute it TODAY? I don't have time to spend picking my nose about "frames" and "memes" and whether a national biodiesel strategy should be included. It's been almost a YEAR since the slaughter of the November 2004 elections. And what great plan exactly has the netroots come up with? Exactly.
Can we execute on the Democrat's plan today? If we can, then let's go. The flak is flying and I need to move forward or get shrapnel in my ass.
An army is a team. It lives, eats, sleeps, fights as a team.
This individuality stuff is a bunch of bullshit.
As Democrats, and especially as liberal Democrats, we love to celebrate our diversity of opinion and thought. Well, bully for us. But taken too far, it becomes a weakness. Having too many points is the same thing as having no points at all. We cannot hope to address all issues and all concerns. We must pick our challenges and tackle those. We cannot fight a hundred fronts, so we must pick the ones that matter - the ones with the opportunity for the broadest victories for all Americans. For example, there's a reason universal health care keeps at the top of our lists - because its a general need that affects ALL Americans, of ALL classes (well, almost all), ALL races, ALL genders, ALL sexual orientations, ALL national origins. Victory on that front is a victory for all.
This also gets to the continual potshots taken at parts of our Party. DLC-types take potshots at the Left. The Left takes potshots at the DLC-types. The "centrist/moderates" take potshots at the ideologues. The ideologues take potshots at everyone. Next thing you know, Sen. Obama comes along and asks the generally sensible question: "Could we all quit it with the friendly fire and start aiming at the enemy?"
We stand alone, we fall. We fight as a team, we win. Its that simple. Or do you think in the GOP the WASP country club set really likes rubbing elbows with the pro-life nutjobs?
There's a great deal of talk about loyalty from the bottom to the top. Loyalty from the top down is even more necessary and is much less prevalent. One of the most frequently noted characteristics of great men who have remained great is loyalty to their subordinates.
As important as it is to pull back from the infighting, the potshots, the calls of "Vichy Dems" and "DINOs" whenever a politician strays from some bullshit idealized golden path, its just as important for those same leaders to realize we aren't just "muffins", walking ATMs and envelope stuffers. The mark of a great leader is one who puts as much stock in the lives of his men as his own, who is as loyal to his troops as he expects in return. (And I'm looking at you, Lieberman. You dine with the enemy, you fall with the enemy.) You want us to follow, Democratic leadership? Then convince us you are willing to take a few risks and possibly take some shrapnel.
I don't give a damn about the color of your skin, just kill as many sons of bitches wearing green as you can.
I don't care if your personal issue is primary education, the Iraq War, global warming, chicken flu, transgender rights, or the Cookie Monster. As long as your gun is aimed at the GOP and you take some of the sumbitches down, I'm ok with you. But if you want to hop into everyone's bed like a $10 whore, then you will be on the wrong side of my bayonet. I can understand why something like the NARAL/Chaffee issue gets Kos goat: its that the sides have been pretty clearly drawn by the modern GOP and no one can remain neutral. Pick your side AND FIGHT. If I can't confident that you will be in my corner, how the hell can you expect me to be in yours?
You must do your damdest and win.
That's really what this comes down to. We only have one choice: win. Just win. I plan to - even if I run out of gas and bullets and all I have left is a rusty spoon. 'Cause I ain't learnin' German.(*)