Top Comments - Kneebones

Diaries for the DailyKos are very hard for me. There are too many things to write about, truly an infinity of them. How in the world do frequent diarists whittle down the choices?!

I remember seeing Morey Amsterdam on a show many (many many many) years ago. He had a reputation for being able to produce or spontaneously generate a joke on any subject anyone could suggest. How could he do that? I think it is because of his great creative gift, and, simply, because he spent his lifetime viewing the world through a generous comic lens.

I am not funny like Morey, but I am a liberal/progressive Democrat, and there is never a waking moment when I don’t view the world through progressive eyes. I pick up a newspaper and it seems to me to be full of possible diaries. Every paper, every book, every song. Conversations I have with friends or acquaintances are opportunities to expound progressively. I believe very deeply in the power and the value of ‘framing,' in the true George Lakoff sense.

I also believe in the power of the stories candidates tell in their public appearances. I mention that because of something I have noticed about the diaries (Written, not yet written, never to be written) that I encounter in my travels. A high percentage of them ‘capture’ me because of their possible value as candidate stories, as stories to promote a progressive world view, a progressive morality.

We all have things we hope to contribute to the campaigns we support. It seems easy to get caught up in the ground games for those campaigns - I sometimes get caught up that way, myself. One of the worst mistakes we can make, I think, is to forget the value of taking it to the air. Conservatives have built their strategy over several decades now. They have made their moral ‘argument.’ They have articulated it through every imaginable channel. Talk Radio, print media, private schools ... there really isn’t a medium they have not incorporated into their strategic thinking. In a very real sense they have moved the entire electorate to the right.

Of course, we see very clearly that their morality is characterized by deep selfishness, by extreme disregard for everyone in the world outside their comparatively small clique. They are happy for there to be a war as long as none of ‘their people’ have to fight it, as long as none of their people have to be in harm’s way or make the many terrible sacrifices. And certainly as long as, thanks to unequitable tax ‘breaks’ that completely ignore the ramifications of extreme, long-term national debt, they only have to pay the tiniest percentage of the cost, for their relative wealth in the society.

Yet, it is not enough for us to see the immorality of their world view, and incapacitating anger over the injustices is no path to countering their very comprehensive strategies throughout our society and our culture. Too many Democrats seem to think elections can be won through election activities alone. It isn’t so. They can be won by engaging progressively, using a progressive world view and morality, in every encounter with other human beings we ever have. Because - hard though it may be to imagine in today’s currently charged climate - there are more important things than elections. And the victories we seek most transcend those. If we seek a world that is peaceful, happy and secure, if we seek a more loving, more caring, more equitable world, then elections alone will never suffice.

The immediate inspiration for tonight’s diary came from Tuesday’s (March 4, 2008)  USA Today, page 1B, first page of the ‘Money’ section, the article at the very top, entitled, ‘Housing troubles put dent in auto sales.’ The premise of the article, which I agree with, is that the housing expenses in the currently hyper-volatile mark are putting enormous pressure on financial resources, such that even auto sales are impacted. I experienced something of a ‘Duh! moment’ reading that. Of COURSE ramifications from the housing crises impact auto sales!

It cannot be that lost equity in homes (due to downward spiraling home values and adjustable rate mortgages) would not have ripple consequences in auto sales. Another USA Today article, this one the cover article on the front page of the Feb. 29, 2008 issue, states that more Americans are using credit cards to stay afloat. Those of you who read my Top Comments diary on credit ‘pushers’ will know this is an issue near to my heart.  (Not one MENTION is made in that article of the consequences of the behavior of credit card pushers on our economy, or even of the consequences of predatory lending practices!)

That article flatly states that large numbers of US citizens are allowing their mortgage payments to lapse, in favor of keeping their credit card payments current, simply because they do not have the day in, day out cash flow to make ends meet without loading ever more debt onto their credit cards! Even a conservative idiot, unaccustomed to thinking deeply about things, can see that this is an unsustainable trend.

Here are some graphs ala bonddad to illuminate the argument:

Okay, hmm. Well, I am not sure what those graphs depict. I just know that according to the FAQ you're supposed to include graphs if you're going to make an economic argument. I am no bonddad, obviously. gloriana speaks graphs, perhaps she can add explanation in the comments tonight. :)

Anyway, credit card debt is rising, housing expenses are becoming a lower priority than credit card payments, auto sales are off. I ask myself, what is happening here?

What is happening is, all of the elements of the economy are interconnected. You throw a rock into the pond on this side, and ripples from that impact cross the entire pond, colliding with myriad other ripples in the same medium.

(That one I can interpret: It is ripples in a body of water.)

This affects that, everything interconnects. Conservatives don’t want to believe that. They want to erect a little Berlin Wall of reality around themselves, everything, every simplistic assumption which fits in their perfect world view locking out everything which contradicts it. They don’t want the problems of the poor and the liberal to affect them. They want to live happily in their own little Stepford world.

Sorry, but the world is not that simple, and even credit pushers will not remain unaffected by the consequences of their greedy, self-serving practices. Everything is interconnected. Here is a little song as mnemonic device to help them remember.

Dry Bones

Written By: Unknown
Copyright Unknown
 
Ezekiel cried, "Dem dry bones!"
Ezekiel cried, "Dem dry bones!"
Ezekiel cried, "Dem dry bones!"
"Oh, hear the word of the Lord."

The foot bone connected to the leg bone,
The leg bone connected to the knee bone,
The knee bone connected to the thigh bone,
The thigh bone connected to the back bone,
The back bone connected to the neck bone,
The neck bone connected to the head bone,
Oh, hear the word of the Lord!

Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk aroun'
Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk aroun'
Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk aroun'
Oh, hear the word of the Lord.

The head bone connected to the neck bone,
The neck bone connected to the back bone,
The back bone connected to the thigh bone,
The thigh bone connected to the knee bone,
The knee bone connected to the leg bone,
The leg bone connected to the foot bone,
Oh, hear the word of the Lord!

(Lyrics taken from kididdles. :) )

Thanks for reading. :) On to tonight’s comments!



From sardonyx:

Hope08 confesses to loving ice cream from Oberweis dairy—Jim Oberweis is the millionaire Republican running to replace Denny Hastert in IL-14—and Publiusj explains why Illinois democrats don't buy Oberweis products. From Jerry 101's dairy diary Oberweis Dairy Suing DCCC!!

sawgrass727 reminds us of the close Democratic nomination race in 1984—Mondale vs. Hart—and why Gary Hart matters.

From malharden:

While Thomas C's comment here ... is a 'candidate comment', it is jarringly lucid and concise. If it were possible, I'd make it my sig line.

From Neon Vincent:

Land of Enchantment writes in jotter's daily digest about the value still available in diaries these days.

From terrypinder:

A crappy diary gets the perfect non-response.

From Land of Enchantment:

From my group hug diary, from UntimelyRippd.

From Elise:

Kath25 inspires activism and donations!

Let's win that TX Senate seat!!

From bubbanomics:

As the recent diary list whirled like the numbers on a gas pump, I caught hold of  "where is hunter?" 

thank heavens!  My neck hurts, bobbing up and down as the diaries scroll by.  Within this little gem, I found the comment of Dave the Wave sums up much.

My humble submissions:

renogal bemoans the negative energy in comments, in a zero recommendation comment.

My reply? You are reading comments in the wrong places, you are writing comments in the wrong places. There is a much better way, and it begins with a state of mind in which positive energy is highlighted and reinforced. TC, among other places, shows the way. :)

ScottyUrb on the balance between too much and too little, presented in a delightful little excerpt from the new book in progress. :)

Top Mojo - excluding search-identifiable tip jars and first diary comments (top 30 of each plus ties):

1 I read that by bonddad - 219
2 no by hekebolos - 201
3 Ha! by LackLilLies - 168
4 Might as well.  Fox CEO gave Hillary a by rlmeade - 143
5 What? by DAVE DIAL - 138
6 The troll rating is just disgusting. by Same As It Ever Was - 124
7 Exactly! by MaverickModerate - 123
8 You know by kath25 - 121
9 Hi TexDem. I will try to give by blue jersey mom - 120
10 Mo Mojo Mo! by kharma - 118
11 Better than that. by Fonsia - 113
12 Don't ya just feel bad? by TexDem - 110
13 Springing forward for some Mojo this morning by earicicle - 109
14 How do I give a diary a non recommendation? by Squirmy Rooter - 109
15 I feel guilty - NOT. by Floja Roja - 106
16 I can't believe that the people of Ohio by Jeff Y - 106
17 Mojo Friday: Where lions & lambs by earicicle - 106
18 it has to come in like a lion... by joe shikspack - 104
19 The Lounge is Open by TexDem - 103
20 bobddad, thank you for a non-candidate by blue jersey mom - 102
21 PLEASE Recommend this diary by donnamarie - 101
22 More Mojo Mom! Please? by MyBrainWorks - 100
23 Heh by TexDem - 99
24 Indeed, a worthy reason to recommend by martydd - 98
25 See? by Floja Roja - 96
26 awww, that's sweet!  sniff sniff. by jlms qkw - 95
27 How Is The Weather Back Home, blue jersey mom? by Fungible Chattel - 95
28 Naughty, Naughty by donnamarie - 94
29 Just to allow for those times where there is a by TexDem - 93
30 I'm mojoin' from work today too! by Team Slacker - 93
31 Definitely bonddad. by Ellicatt - 93
32 The mojo, that is by Team Slacker - 93

Top Mojo - everything included:

1 Tips. by Land of Enchantment - 429
2 Wishing you peace by gchaucer2 - 376
3 tip jar by poblano - 323
4 Looking forward to it by Rick Noriega - 290
5 tips for getting rid of her by nevadadem - 268
6 Tips for a united Democratic Party! by DAVE DIAL - 243
7 Tips for truth by Travis Stark - 230
8 you want to be a leader? by clammyc - 229
9 I read that by bonddad - 219
10 It's time to move on by kid oakland - 205
11 no by hekebolos - 201
12 1 by DemocraticLuntz - 194
13 Tips for a full and complete vetting by JedReport - 179
14 Ha! by LackLilLies - 168
15 Might as well.  Fox CEO gave Hillary a by rlmeade - 143
16 Mojo Mug by TexDem - 141
17 What? by DAVE DIAL - 138
18 The troll rating is just disgusting. by Same As It Ever Was - 124
19 Exactly! by MaverickModerate - 123
20 You know by kath25 - 121
21 Hi TexDem. I will try to give by blue jersey mom - 120
22 Mo Mojo Mo! by kharma - 118
23 Hey bonddad... by Dood Abides - 115
24 Better than that. by Fonsia - 113
25 He won 2 states last tuesday by bbrown8370 - 111
26 Don't ya just feel bad? by TexDem - 110
27 Springing forward for some Mojo this morning by earicicle - 109
28 How do I give a diary a non recommendation? by Squirmy Rooter - 109
29 tips for foster by SamGrahamFelsen - 108
30 I can't believe that the people of Ohio by Jeff Y - 106
31 Mojo Friday: Where lions & lambs by earicicle - 106
32 I feel guilty - NOT. by Floja Roja - 106

Please submit your own comment gems below! :)