Is anybody else here fed-up with the constant "calls to action" that center on calling, emailing, writing or telegraphing our "representatives" and "leaders" in Washington? We have been doing all those things for years on end, and all of it has done nothing more than contribute to the landfills around Washington, D. C.
Unless you can credibly sign your little missive "Your Overlord, Jamie Dimon," then you're wasting your time.
I'm taking a pledge and inviting other Kossacks to do the same. I'm calling it the "Real Action" pledge, and you can find the details on the other side.
The Real Action Pledge
Each of us should take a Real Action Pledge instead of fuming over each and every outrage du jour by which this Administration and the Democratic leadership in the Congress betrays their core supporters.
Let us promise to NEVER write, call, email or telegraph a member of Congress or the White House.
Let's face it. I'm in the Greenwald camp on this one. When we send our little cards and letters to our "representatives," many of them probably chuckle. "Well, those suckers are still buying our kabuki show, huh? The little darlings think we give a shit about what they want. Who's turn is it to crash their hopes this week? Ben? How about you, Joe? Don't you think it's your turn this time, Blanche?" (Not all of them, for sure. Sanders, Brown, Franken and others do represent us, but they're not the problem.)
Instead of trying to soothe our anger and frustration by taking pointless action, we will take Real Action.
If you're one who still wants to pursue Conventional Politics, you could:
- Sit down and explain to ten real people, face-to-face, what has happened to outrage you, and why its bad for them and our country. If any of them are persuaded, encourage them to do the same with ten more people. It DOES NOT count if you do this on the Internets.
- Do something concrete to organize or support a primary or third party opponent against one of the perpetrators.
- Find your local Democratic Party committee and run for it on a platform explicitly opposing all Democrats who support "X" where "X" is the thing that outraged you.
Or you could take some Real Action outside the realm of conventional politics. You could:
- Find one way that you're supporting this regime and make a personal change to end it. If, for example, you have a bank account at JPM, pull it out and deposit the money in a local credit union.
- If you've already severed your connections from the squids, sit down face-to-face with ten people and encourage them to do the same. Help them with the process. Then encourage them to do the same with ten people they know.
- After you've become a depositor at your local credit union, get involved in its management. Meet with the current board members personally. Organize so that someone who supports credit union investment politics that help the local community will run at the next annual meeting.
- If you work for one of the squid or their parasites, take concrete action to find another way of making a living.
- If you're inclined toward public demonstrations, organize a picket line of a bank or a local representative's office.
There are many, many things that can be done. At a place as full of bright, creative people as dKos, we can come up with more and better ways of taking Real Action than those I've listed above. Let's quit begging politicians who don't need our money, don't care about our needs and are contemptuous of our votes because they think we have nowhere else to go.
Please, please let's avoid encouraging people to contact their representatives. That's not real action. It takes no real commitment, no real time. And the people on the receiving end are well aware of that. They promptly accord those cards and letters all the weight they're due.
It's time for Real Action.