The world is exploding while we engage in candidate flame wars raging here on DKos. This IS NOT a lecture about troll rating, being nice, or shuttingTFU when someone doesn't agree with your POV or candidate; or about my candidate being better than yours or convincing you to abandon your candidate to support mine. But, it is a yell out to GET A GRIP and remember our world is being destroyed all around us and what's happening ain't much different from the not too distant past. Change a few dates, faces and places, but it's still the same script.
WARNING: graphic & disturbing images in video.
REMEMBER? There are enough of us around this place to know it's STILL THE SAME SCRIPT. Yet, we fight and diddle about our candidates while wars rage and the world's exploding...
Look, I'm as guilty as the next person for getting caught up in the candidate flame wars, although I have tried to stay respectful and not add too much fuel to the fire(s). I'm totally committed to my candidate - my ballot has been signed, sealed, delivered - and I've been 'doing my part' and I've been snarky, left some cookies for trolls or stupid people and I've TR'd more in the last few months than I have in all the years I've been around here. But, generally speaking, I think I've been fairly successful at staying civil, at least I hope so. I'm sure I'll be made aware if that's not the case ;-) And like so many of us, I'm tired and worn down from the assaults on all candidates and the impact it's had on our community. But still I'm here...
And so, as I was wading through the dairies on the rec list the other day (almost all candidate diaries - no surprise there!), the radio station I was streaming played EVE OF DESTRUCTION. I hadn't heard it for quite a while and I was reminded how much the words still apply to our world even today. As I've said, just change some dates, faces and places and it's STILL THE SAME SCRIPT. I was slapped across the face, hard, with the realization that I've been absolutely consumed with the primaries and being here at DKos 'doing my part.' I've paid little attention to what is going on in the world. Yes, I read the news and listen to Olbermann, but I haven't been digging deep because I was consumed with my candidate being better than yours!
I stopped, took inventory and realized that other than cursory reviews of headlines and reading an occasional non-candidate diary about an issue, I really wasn't aware of shit - unless it was about the presidential election and issues related to it. And I was embarrassed for myself because I take pride in staying at least generally informed of what's going on around the world, not just our country. My parents always encouraged me and my siblings to stay informed about what was happening in the world and I've always been grateful because it made me passionate about the things I believe in, sometimes too passionate ;-) And when I got that slap across the face, it jolted me back to reality. I had to acknowledge that I let the media and DKos divert my attention from the fact that while I joined in with the bitching and ranting and raving about our candidates and who should be President, wars rage, the world's exploding and it's STILL THE SAME SCRIPT. I don't know about you, but I NEEDED THAT WAKE-UP CALL.
If you don't think it's STILL THE SAME SCRIPT, well as much as things change, they don't - only the dates, faces (somtimes) and places are different.
War is hell
THOSE WHO FORGET THE PAST ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT
George Santayana
Are you wavering about whether or not it's STILL THE SAME SCRIPT? Here's an EVE OF DESTRUCTION for today's world.
We need a Democratic President. And yes, I believe we each need to do all we can for whomever we each believe is the best suited to reside in the WH. We Kossacks are passionate, we are devoted and we are single minded - we know we have to elect a democratic president if we have any hope of stopping the destruction and dismantling of our Constitution and democracry. But, as we are consumed with flaming each other's candidates and getting sucked into nasty bickering and unpleasantness, we ignore, at our own peril, that the world is at THE EVE OF DESTRUCTION. We need more than a Democratic President to stop the destruction of our world. No one woman or man can do what needs to be done alone, I don't care how exceptional s/he might be.
For instance, it's up to us to help stop the wars and wage peace.
For instance, it's up to us to help protect our freedoms and our democracy.
For instance, it's up to us to help end world wide poverty & hunger
and to help save our planet and our endangered species from global warming.
So I'm GETTING A GRIP. I'll still be passionate and work hard for my candidate, but I'm refocusing my energy and using my adrenaline to work on important issues concerning our world or else there won't be anything left for our children. And I know that a large part of fixing the world depends on a Democratic President, but I also know we have to do our part to fix what's broken. And I think all of you do, too.
So, For What It's Worth