This too shall pass...

Ahh, the death knell of DailyKos is being rung from within and without.  There is no civility to be found in the former land of the righteous.  This beacon of reason and thoughtfulness now descended into madness, vitriol, and cannibalism.  We are proving them all right.  Democrats are divided, and we cannot agree on anything, and we will fall apart and accomplish nothing if elected because all we are is a bunch of immature partisans (even within our own ranks) tearing each other down over the most petty and small of differences in policy and motivation while using the most unseemly and profane language in doing so.

To this, I say "HORSESHIT!"

I'm pretty disappointed with Daily Kos in the past couple of weeks, but not over the fighting over who should be the Democratic nominee.  That is great, that is passionate democracy in action and on display.  I’m disappointed in the pansy-ass quitters and defeatists whose eyes and ears are too delicate to stand by and watch a good solid political contest that brings out the best and worst in people.  

We are inspired!  We are passionate!  We believe deeply in the candidates and the causes that have brought us to a place of liberal, progressive action and discussion like Daily Kos.  And that is GOOD!  There is a genuine political movement afoot, several actually, and this is the time in the season when we of similar, but not uniform views take our words and actions to the streets, to the people of action, and the regular citizens, to voice our enthusiasm and attempt to inspire others.  This is the time when Democrats are SUPPOSED to be divisive.  I’d be disappointed if we were not.

But this too shall pass.

For the past three years, I’ve been a moderator at a Pearl Jam related message board.  In fact, I was first chosen as a moderator to try to control the nastiness in the "News & Debate" forum that surrounded the 2004 election and its aftermath.  The people there are predominantly liberal, but far from exclusively so.  The ugliness there is more often between liberals and conservatives, but the same patterns emerge.  At times of high political attention, passions are aroused, tempers are raised, venom is spit.  Then things cool down again.

Thus will it go at Daily Kos.  In a few months, the primary season will be over, or nearly so, the candidate will be determined, and we will refocus our attentions where they belong.  On the sub-epsilon, pre-logical, proto-fascist that the GOP will trot out to meet our standard-bearer.

So my message to the community is this.  If you can’t stand the flames, don’t stand so close.  Don’t read candidate diaries (I mostly avoid them myself), write about other things, or just take a break from the interwebz for a while and get an ice cream or some fucking thing.  But to make some melodramatic "I’m outta here!" post is universally understood as the LAMEST thing you can do on the internet.  

Seriously, super-lame, folks.

•  Tips for my first diary?

  Thanks.  Lighten up folks.

  by punkdavid on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:24:05 PM PDT

  •  yeah, it's like

    un-friending someone on myspace for some dumb ass only people that use myspace would understand reason.

    But to make some melodramatic "I’m outta here!" post is universally understood as the LAMEST thing you can do on the internet.

    Great first diary!

    by psilocynic on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:33:02 PM PDT

    •  Which only goes to show that noo good will come

      of Myspace. I mean, un-friending? That's a route few people take. In real life you just avoid people.

      by 2ajpuu on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 01:41:25 PM PDT

•  Amen, brother!

  This is a war, and it won't be won with mamby-pamby, whining little wimps...

  by Ken in MN on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 12:32:20 PM PDT

  •  I assume you're talking about FISA

    Which is a real issue to talk and take action about, as opposed to who snubbed whom on the floor of the Senate.

    P.S. I heard a rumour that (Obama/Clinton) was spreading rumours about (Obama/Clinton)!

    by 2ajpuu on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 01:44:46 PM PDT

•  Others will fill the ranks

  left open by the whiny quitters, and DKos will be better for it.

  I'm new here, and like it because I found a place where people sometimes do get it on, discussion-wise. Much more interesting and informative than group gratification; I can take care of that by myself.

  My ex, and here's one reason why, used to get very agitated when my dear departed Uncle Chester and I would get involved in long, and sometimes loud, "discussions". When she once tried to intervene, Chet looked at her kind of puzzled and said, "What the hell's wrong with you; we're having a talk here. Is that a problem for you?"

  We (Chet & me) truly loved each other's company and what Chicago columnist Erv Kupcinet used to refer to on his great local talk show in the '70's as, "The art of lively discussion."

  I'm sorry some are offended by that art, so it's really best if they censor themselves and stay out of it.

  by jorogo on Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 01:47:12 PM PDT