Argue Nicely.

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Sunday December 05, 2010 · 6:41 AM PST

2010/12/05 · 06:41

Rule number 7 here, for writing diaries, is "Be civil." I like that. We agree or disagree on issues. Sometimes we heatedly disagree. Or, together, we're angry at some stupid action taken by a politician who we think is doing real damage.

I know things get heated, but overall I think we do a pretty good job being civil. As far as it goes, this is (despite some occasional shortcoming) a pretty great site.

But we're all roughly coming from the same place: Democrats and/or Progressives. (Note: I'm probably to the left of most people here.)

But where can we talk—civilly—to unlike-minded people?

Rayk

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Saturday June 20, 2009 · 5:33 PM PDT

2009/06/20 · 17:33

[NOTE: This is not a duplicate of an earlier diary. It’s an enhancement.]

We CAN do this. Absolutely. If we really want it, we can get it.

Here’s how...

We go on a general spending strike, and don’t let up until we get what we want. We buy only necessities. We buy nothing else. (How else will we be able to even TRY to save enough for healthcare?)

Oh, I can hear the objections. The howling. Let me answer those first...

Rayk

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Thursday April 23, 2009 · 6:19 PM PDT

2009/04/23 · 18:19

We're having a lot of debates that reveal something distressing: a whole bunch of people don't know right from wrong.

Of course, many things are debatable, and reasonable people can disagree about them. But some things are obvious. And it's distressing and puzzling that there isn't near universal agreement on them.

Torture is wrong.

How hard is that to understand? It doesn't matter WHO does it. It doesn't matter WHAT party they are from. Or what country. It doesn't matter how bad the people being tortured are. It doesn't matter how "effective" it is. It is wrong.

Rayk

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Monday September 22, 2008 · 7:25 AM PDT

2008/09/22 · 07:25

The most fundamental founding principle of our country is that a government draws its just powers from the consent of the people.

I withdraw my consent. I am sending this letter to my Congressman and to both of my Senators. I invite you to use my text or adapt it as you feel best, to inform your representatives of your withdrawal of consent.

Poll

13 votes Show Results

I won't send a letter like that because:

13 votes Vote Now!

I won't send a letter like that because:

Iâ€TMm terrified of being kidnapped and tortured by the secret police.

8 votes

I think our government is just swell.

1 vote

Iâ€TMm afraid people will laugh at me.

0 votes

I misplaced my quill pen.

1 vote

It wonâ€TMt work so I wonâ€TMt try.

3 votes

Iâ€TMve got a much better idea (specify in comments).

0 votes

Pie.

0 votes

Give Wall Street The McCain Treatment

Rayk

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Sunday September 21, 2008 · 6:33 AM PDT

2008/09/21 · 06:33

This $700 billion gift that the Federal Government is stealing from us to give to Wall Street is a sham. It won't save the economy because the system is completely f%cked up. It's only designed to help those who destroyed our economy.

Here's what we SHOULD be doing (and after we take Congress and the President to the woodshed, I hope we WILL be doing.)

(continued below the fold)

Poll

15 votes Show Results

Which are you most looking forward to?

15 votes Vote Now!

Which are you most looking forward to?

Seeing the expression on Bushâ€TMs face when he gets Osama and voters donâ€TMt even look up from the breadlines.

0 votes

Watch President McCain tell the tent cities that the economy is fundamentally strong.

4 votes

View good old boys with AK47s hunting Wall Street execs from helicopters.

9 votes

Pie.

2 votes

The Capital Almost Had The Feel of Wartime.

Rayk

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Saturday September 20, 2008 · 5:13 AM PDT

2008/09/20 · 05:13

"The capital almost had the feel of wartime."

I'm drinking my coffee and reading the NY Times and reading that sentence. We invaded Iraq in May 2003. More than 4,000 Americans are dead, more than 30,000 wounded. We don't know how many innocent Iraqis have been killed or wounded.

And now this: "The capital almost had the feel of wartime."

Poll

38 votes Show Results

What should WE THE PEOPLE do now?

38 votes Vote Now!

What should WE THE PEOPLE do now?

Stop paying our taxes because we don't think Wall Street has earned the money.

15 votes

Bend over and take another one for the GOP.

6 votes

Makes rationalizations that the economy is being rescued and isn't that great!

4 votes

Go shopping.

13 votes

The People’s Attack Machine

Rayk

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Tuesday April 15, 2008 · 4:38 PM PDT

2008/04/15 · 16:38

I, for one, am sick of anyone ever playing "defense" against the right-wing attack machine. The right-wing has nothing to use but nonsense. We all know it. I mean, the right-wingers are firing blanks.

We The People have an incredible arsenal of weapons that, frankly, cannot be defeated. The ONLY way we can lose is if we let them control the conversation, and if we only respond rather than seize control of the dialog.

Rayk

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Tuesday December 18, 2007 · 4:50 PM PST

2007/12/18 · 16:50

I am watching Senator Voinovich argue for the Levin amendment which is a "sense of the Senate" amendment saying that the Senate demands that the Iraqis do their part, and take responsibility for their actions.

This amendment is actually an excuse for Senators to EVADE RESPONSIBILITY for the ongoing war in Iraq...a war created on lies and, apparently continued with lies.

I am disgusted to watch the Senate posturing over a nonbinding amendment while our troops die, and continue to die, due to their negligence and the bloody policies of the Bush administration.

I am further outraged that these same Senators yesterday did their best to destroy the 4th amendment of the Constitution. They did everything in their power to empower the executive branch to exercise the powers of Big Brother - to spy on Americans en mass with no oversight.

Shame, shame, shame.

Here's a reminder of what the job of a U.S. Senator is: TO PRESERVE, PROTECT and DEFEND the Constitution of the United States. Only 10 are doing so. The other 90 should do their jobs or step down, or be indicted for treason.

How YOU can Save Our Constitution and Our Country: Part I

Rayk

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Thursday October 25, 2007 · 2:36 PM PDT

2007/10/25 · 14:36

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If you approve of this diary, please recommend it by clicking the "Recommend" button on the right.
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Tyrants have been overthrown before and they will be overthrown again. History has put the responsibility of abolishing today’s tyranny in America on US. We cannot delegate this responsibility to our "representatives" or our "leaders". They won’t do the job.

But WE can, and ultimately we will. We cannot wait for our Gandhi or our next Martin Luther King to emerge. We must begin our efforts now.

Rayk

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday October 19, 2007 · 7:55 AM PDT

2007/10/19 · 07:55

The federal government is not legitimate; it is a rogue government. It operates in violation of the principles of our Declaration of Independence and the laws of our Constitution. It routinely degrades the unalienable rights of WE THE PEOPLE.

It has no legitimacy.

NOTE: I also recommend this diary... The General Strike

[ continue below the fold ]

Poll

13 votes Show Results

The focus of our efforts should be

13 votes Vote Now!

The focus of our efforts should be

to elect a good candidate for president

3 votes

to persuade our elected officials to do the right thing

1 vote

to get election reform passed

3 votes

to establish the illegitimacy of this government and provide unrelenting pressure for its abolishment

6 votes

Too Damn Bad

Rayk

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Wednesday October 03, 2007 · 8:58 AM PDT

2007/10/03 · 08:58

I feel no sympathy for the American people. We get what we deserve.

Rayk

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Monday August 06, 2007 · 9:22 AM PDT

2007/08/06 · 09:22

"When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it—always."

Mahatma Gandhi

---

Of course, nobody can predict the future. But we know from history and life experience how people generally behave. We have observed recent events and have seen that the Republicans continue to accumulate and abuse power. And that the Democrats fail to stop them and often actually support these crimes.

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Argue Nicely.

How to get the public option in healthcare

Obviously Wrong

Withdrawing Our Consent

Give Wall Street The McCain Treatment

The Capital Almost Had The Feel of Wartime.

The People’s Attack Machine

A nonbinding resolution is NOT oversight.

How YOU can Save Our Constitution and Our Country: Part I

On Removing the Veneer of Legitimacy

Too Damn Bad

Why and How the Tyrants Will Fail