Well I’m aimin’ for Heaven, but probably wind up down in hell.
I’ve never been one to really fit nicely into a group. I always distinguish myself in one way or another, usually in a way that others don’t react kindly too. So it doesn’t surprise people that know me, and certainly doesn’t surprise me that I don’t fit nicely into the box of my ideological siblings. I am a progressive. I am a liberal. I’ve even gone so far as to describe myself as a leftist and a socialist at times. But the fact is, none of those words accurately describe me.
The main reason for this is that on some issues, many of my fellow progressives and liberals take positions that are, well, dumb. Or they take actions that are just as dumb. Or, they take positions that are good, but cannot explain them. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen someone interviewed at a protest that couldn’t articulate why he is protesting.
Terrified of the open road. Yeah, where it leads, ya never know.
So, yes, I’m here to criticize. I’m here to call you out. And I’m fully aware that I’ll probably get a never-ending stream of hate in the comments down below. But if I can convince just a few people to think about what I’m saying here, the whole progressive movement will benefit. I cannot fully delve into every issue at hand in this one diary, so there will be more in the future. But I’ll try to illustrate my point.
The albatross hangin’ ‘round your neck is the cross you bare for your sins he bleeds.
In order to further a progressive agenda we need to win where we can win. And, this should go without saying; we need to NOT LOSE where we can win. Sometimes that means supporting a candidate that isn’t exactly in line with your beliefs. Have a problem with that? Tough shit. Deal with it. But don’t be so caught up in your own self-absorbed view of the world that you can’t see the bigger picture.
Specifically, I’m talking about foolish attacks on people on our side. What good will possibly come of Code Pink protests against Speaker Pelosi? The protests won’t get the troops home any quicker. I guarantee it. It’s a waste of time and energy that could be better spent elsewhere. DO SOMETHING USEFUL!
Be glad you sailed for a better day, but don’t forget there’ll be hell to pay.
I’m in deep now. And clearly there’s no going back. A protest, usually, is an exercise in futility. I’ve protested, I know. The problem is that protests are used as an end rather than a means to an end. I honestly believe that most people protest for the sake of protesting. Why? Because it’s fun. You get together with a group of like-minded individuals and march and chant and generally have a good time. You go home afterwards feeling like you did something to make a difference. Guess what… you probably didn’t.
Now, don’t get me wrong, protesting is a useful tool when used correctly. But there are usually more effective means of getting your message across. Sometimes protesting can even be counter-productive. For example, at the end of October 2006 a large anti-war protest was held in Sacramento. Now, this normally wouldn’t be a problem, except for the fact that we had two very close and important congressional races in the area: Jerry McNerney (CA-11) and Charlie Brown (CA-04). The 11th District probably wasn’t affected too much by the protests given its make-up. But anyone who knows something about the 4th District could easily understand why such a protest a week before the election could hurt Brown’s chances. Protest organizers (Sheehan, Code Pink) should have given a bit more thought as to how the timing and location of the protest might affect the election.
Now bless me father, for I have sinned. It’s the same old story again and again and again.
I plan to continue writing diaries that will be rather critical of the left. Please do not misunderstand my intentions. I am merely trying to point out flaws so that they can be debated and corrected in the future. We all know that most Americans are Democrats; they just don’t know it. We just need to show them. But we can’t show them anything if they ignore us because they perceive us as a bunch of crazy hippies.
Rebels are we, though heavy our hearts shall always be.
Lyrics from Rebels of the Sacred Heart by Flogging Molly.