Happy thoughts for happy holidays!

The Democrats are capitulating on all kinds of issues for whatever reason:  Some speculate cowardice, other avarice.  In any case, we're disappointed and more than a little annoyed.

It's also the holidays (most cultures and religions have some occasion to celebrate at this time), and to be blunt, holidays are not marked by merriment -- rather, they're stressful times where simmering drama and tenuous relations surface as lines are drawn -- between friends & relatives, around malls choked with traffic, in clogged airports, and in letters and cards.

This diary is more intended as a thread to help change that pace.  You're only human; join me past the jump.

Personally, for some years I found myself getting more and more stressed and, in turn, aggressive during the holidays.  When I realized I was being a jerk just when I was supposed to be anything but, I was ashamed.  Now I make it a point to live the holidays in spirit (inasmuch as I'm areligious, we Japanese celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday).  I generally don't buy presents that people won't know what to do with; I donate to charity.  The more clogged the traffic, the more I keep a lookout for stuck cars that I could let in with just a few seconds of my time.  These aren't miracles by any stretch; they're just day-to-day attempts to reverse the stranglehold dog-eat-dog consumerism has on our mindset.  In short, this is a sincere effort by a pessimist to think positively during the most ironic of seasons.  I'm bad at it, so in the likelihood that you're better at it, I hope you can join me.

Here are a few things I noticed that make the world seem like NOT such a bad place:

1. The media has its horse race, and it's the right one.  We all know the media cares more about parity than issues, and we all know how the primaries are going.  What got lost, perhaps, in the flood of information is that the Republicans are doing America a double-favor:  As long as they're in cascade failure mode (a good thing by itself), the media can splurge its petty-minded attention span on the "exciting" GOP primary race, shining the spotlight on those cockroaches whilst sparing Dems the mess of having to re-frame asinine narratives.  This is a stroke of good luck, folks.

2. The Dems aren't in all-out looting mode.  No one is or should be happy with the way they rolled over for (or, depending on the theory, collaborated with) the GOP on Iraq funding.  They also failed to expand SCHIP.  That said. . . You do realize if the GOP was still in the majority, we'd be trying to keep SCHIP from being eliminated outright instead of actually trying to improve it?  You helped that happen, especially in Montana (Tester) and Virginia (Webb).  When you're in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.  In that analogy, what the netroots pulled off was the equivalent of sabotaging a mining bit drilling full-throttle into a volcanic vent using only a screwdriver.  We ain't done yet either, but pat yourself on the back, mmkay?

3. The narrative about how the blogs are irrelevant went away in 2006.  Gee, now media pundits are talking about kos in terms of how evil he is, and not what a joke the blogs are.  The difference?  A winning record.  Now the blogs are talking about Donna Edwards and Mark Pera in terms of knocking off incumbent Democrats.  Let me rephrase that for clarity. . . We, the blogs, are now OPENLY AND LEGITIMATELY TALKING OF KNOCKING OFF WEALTHLY, ENTRENCHED INCUMBENTS IN PRIMARIES.  Not dreaming of it; planning for it.  You do realize that this is a feat that most disillusioned citizens considered impossible?  It's so quixotic that a protagonist in the story "Sin City" put a bullet through his head rather than take on a Senator.  Yet that's what DailyKos is doing, and after Ned Lamont and Jon Tester, no one's laughing anymore.  At the real thing.  Just fathom how mind-blowing that is.

4. Telecom retroactive immunity isn't dead, but it's not a done deal, either.  Again, a little perspective, here.  Take on the phone companies and win, even temporarily??  Do you guys realize that when the phone companies are even mentioned in fiction, it's usually in the context of a dystopia where they're emblematic of inevitable, overwhelming power??  And with a GOP legislature, it would be just so.  But you guys got in just enough of the right people to get the right thing done.  Dodd couldn't do it without the small army we helped assemble.

. . . That's off the top of my head.  I know this is an uphill climb, but it ain't mountaineering.  Don't be afraid to look down and see how far up you are.  Think for a bit, take a look around, and try to see what you might've missed or taken for granted as the approaching holidays whirled around you, personal or political.  Now share that thought on this thread; we could all use more reasons to be happy.

Happy Holidays!

Edit:  Come to think of it, this would be a great time to post any diaries featuring good news.  I covered a few front-page blog entries, but I'm sure that's just scratching the tip.

•  Of course. . .

  I could be the only person at this party, but I still think it's the thought that counts.

  by Dragonchild on Fri Dec 21, 2007 at 05:11:08 PM PDT

  •  Making ME feel better at 2 am is

    a pretty good trick too. congratulations.

    Thank you.

    by geez53 on Sat Dec 22, 2007 at 12:22:15 AM PDT

•  Wednesday I got a knock on the door

  When I answer there was a young lady at my door holding a turkey and behind her was a group of carolers singing. They were going around the neighborhood caroling and handing out Christmas turkeys. I didn't have any wassail to give them but I did thank them for the turkey before they moved on.

  by Wes Opinion on Fri Dec 21, 2007 at 11:01:59 PM PDT