There's an epic story underway, a modern adaptation of a classic tale. In this distinctly modern version, an electronic David is taking on an Neo-Imperial Goliath using a virtual slingshot loaded with nothing but electrons. But the stakes are familiar enough; life and death for some, bondage or liberty for many, and prosperity Vs poverty for millions.
Each of you plays a part in the saga. It's going to make for a hell of a tale to tell your grandkids. But for now, the conclusion of this story has yet to be written. And unlike the movies, a happy ending is not guaranteed. That's where you come in.
The Yearly Kos Convention, your conduit via the nightly news straight into mainstream American awareness, Needs Your Help.
For those of you who’ve been around here for awhile, you know what's riding on this. For new members or casual readers who aren't sure what this convention stuff is all about or why it is so important, follow me below the fold, and I'll try to provide some context on the real life odyssey you are cordially invited to join.
The first graf above may sound over the top. In this FX video world of imagination brought to virtual life in IMAX 3-D surround sound, words like epic and odyssey have become cliche, overused, replayed to the point that they're divorced from our reality and their original meaning. And yet, even a cursory review of recent history handily demonstrates this isn't hyperbole.
Our nation has been locked into a bloody, endless war based on lies or stupidity -- take your pick. We're losing ground against the people who planned and executed the deadliest foreign attacks on American soil. One of our greatest, richly diverse, major cities lays in ruin at the mouth of the Mississippi. Hardworking men and women live precariously, paycheck to paycheck, many without basic healthcare, even as their payroll taxes are blatently redirected into the offshore bank accounts of the wealthiest individuals and the most lucrative entities in the history of mankind. Our very Constitution -- which encodes the cherished values of our shared political heritage -- is under assault. Politicians of both parties are bought and paid for like a pound of butter by the rich and powerful.
Figuratively speaking, the Neros fiddle in luxury, the people suffer silently, and Rome burns to the ground.
Fortunately for us, we don't live in ancient Rome. And our system of governance does not rely on Senatorial assassinations -- or for that matter stealing into homes and markets to assume power from the barrel of a smoking gun. No, our system relies instead on discussion and debate to craft policy and action, and those actions then either earn public approval or they do not.
The struggle we're embroiled in now is, again, one waged in part with words. 'Actions' we're told, 'speak louder than words.' But words can precipitate the most decisive action on record. The written word may well rank as mankind's singular, most powerful invention. If there is any doubt about that, consider the actions associated with the words, We the People ... or I have a dream ...
In our democracy, one of the key vanguards of words and the information they convey has been a free and independent press. There are still scores upon scores of solid, dependable, objective reporters working in every field of journalism. But over the past decade or two, partisan ideologues sounding like traditional media personalities have risen to superstardom on every media venue and gone on to dominate the public discourse on every issue. Far too many have been corrupted by the very system they're supposed to be reporting on. At the same time, magazine, radio shows, cable news segments, and newspaper articles -- in some cases entire newspapers and networks -- have been bought or created to act as propaganda organs for everything from eccentric religious cult leaders to specific extremist political ideologies.
The flagging integrity of traditional media is one of the main reason blogs like Daily Kos came to exist. Blogs are raw, independent voices. They're not necessarily held captive by the bottom line, or the interests or the political agenda of a single person or party. Furthermore, the writers are held accountable by their readers in comments in real time, starting from the second a new story is posted. Instances of lying, spinning, sloppy work, or simple ignorance are thus quickly exposed and judgment swiftly rendered . If this social dynamo sounds familiar, it should: It is the same engine that powers democracy.
At first, various elements in the establishment ignored bloggers. The few who took notice mostly laughed at us. But regardless of conventional wisdom, over time, reputable, quality sites emerged and grew ... and grew. And then something amazing happened: We found that most of the consensus views expressed widely across the progressive blogosphere were in fact the majority view of the American people.
A little over a year ago, a handful of diehard progressive blog readers thought it would be fun to get together in a conventional way. And so the head "dreamer," a former high school science teacher named Gina Cooper, approached the proprietor of Daily Kos and persuaded him to lend his moniker to the idea. And the concept of Yearlykos 2006 was born.
Frankly, some of those involved in organizing it were worried that no one would show up. But that small group of dedicated volunteers persevered, recruited others, and ultimately succeeded. Over one-thousand people attended Yearlykos 2006 last summer in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was covered by major media and attracted prominent democratic politicians and four possible 2008 Presidential contenders. Still the general public is mostly unaware of our movement. Or at least, they were ...
Last November, progressive politicians dramatically swept the midterm elections. And although we must recognize that many individual factors contributed to those victories, I feel it’s fair to say that the progressive blogosphere played a role in many of them. Time Magazine may have mentioned YouTube and MySpace when naming the Internet User as 2006 Person of the Year. But I have a strong hunch the progressive blogging community was a significant factor in that decision.
Yes, there is an epic story here waiting to be written. It's been told before and probably will be again, but there's a difference this time, a big one, at least for us. In our nation's past, whenever lust for power, corruption, or simple boneheaded incompetence overwhelmed our political system, there have been people who took it upon themselves to set it right. Perhaps like myself, over the last few years, you kept waiting for those people to appear, here and now, and do the same? To be honest, I was starting to get a little worried that they weren't going to show. Then, after seeing the mark those of you in this community and others like it made in our nation's history books on Blue Tuesday, election day 2006, it hit me: WE are those people.
Which brings me to YearlyKos Convention 2007: It’s a key piece in the strategy to return power to the people. This year’s convention will be held in Chicago during the first week of August, 2007. Details on the content, format, and speakers will be released over the next few months, and yes, it will be blockbuster stuff. YKC 07 is open to anyone who wishes to attend, regardless of party affiliation or political philosophy.
This is where you come in: YKC 07 is going to be absolutely over run by media, celebrities, politicians, and consultants of every political flavor. Those who were laughing at us in years past aren't laughing anymore. Our people-powered movement will be put under intense, sustained public scrutiny by mainstream media, partisan ideologues, and the American consumers they serve, for the very first time. First impressions are often the cornerstone of future success or failure. And to even begin to to get the ball rolling on making that good first impression, we must raise a healthy chunk of change right here, right now.
If you've stuck with me this long, and if you're relatively new here or to the blogosphere, you now have the cliff note version of progressive blogging 101 and a bare bones outline of the stakes we're playing for.
So please, help us, help ourselves: Give Generously Here to YKC 07.