Warning This is my first diary entry, so please keep the flame throwers set to medium ;)
I've been reading many of the posts here since Bush stole the second election (See Greg Palast) and I realize many of these posts are really just to try and keep us focused until we overcome the rage and depression. I think that's good because we definitely need that. I'm just now starting to recover from the trauma.
However, what I find troubling is the fact that many here think because we are having trouble in Iraq, the economy is in serious trouble, and the majority of Bush's policies are lessons in abject failure that this is somehow a big "plus" for those of us living in the reality based community. As this election just demonstrated, it may be a "plus", but it is isn't enough. As a result, I think we are trapping ourselves in a bubble of our own consensus reality that keeps us from truly being able to fight the political battles we are losing. Because it just seems so "obvious" to us.
I have to say that I do think it is great Bush is stuck with his own mess, because Kerry definitely would have been the one taking the fall for it. However, I don't think it will really stick to Bush. As pointed out in the Suskind article, the people we are up against aren't about to allow a little thing like reality to get in their way. I think there will be many more failures, but what is going to happen over the next four years will be an accelerated version of the previous four. They are going to place so many severely radical changes into our system so fast, that the failures won't be able to keep up with the changes. Their changes are going to outpace the problems in the news, if reported at all, and most likely be controversial enough that they will be able to use their new plans to distract from any real problems.
By the time we figure out a response, most likely about something over which we can do little about, they will be introducing the next change. It will be amazing if we can keep our balance over the next four years. We should also keep in mind that part of the startegy of those who back Bush is to tank the American economy. It will give them the opportunity to finally destroy all of the social programs that have stood in the way of allowing the corporate right to absolutely control the individual. You can't control the wages well if people have opportunity and choices. By removing choices and a safety net, it becomes that much easier to drive down wages and maximize profit. In the long run, that will hurt many corporations, but those that are in it for the long haul, will be able to buy many companies at a low cost as the economy tanks and further increase their control of the market.
It is quite obvious that Karl Rove has every intent of making America a one party system analagous to the old Soviet one party rule. As such, I would watch for them to clamp down on free speech and push more religion once they have stacked the courts with religious zealots. It will be interesting to see how much constitutional rule is replaced with biblical rule. We are going to need to be able to operate under such a system.
Which leads to my main point. Most importantly, I think we have to understand that the Southern Fundamentalists, as represented by the likes of Falwell, etc. are true believers. All throughout the red states, Bush won because of what these people believe. Their beliefs trump reality. I don't have any doubt that no matter how bad things get, as long as their church's tell them that Bush is their man, it isn't going to change.
If we, as progressives, are going to take this country back, I think we are going to have to develop the ability to fight like underdog's should. Nancy Pelosi has definitely been showing some of this of late and I think we are going to need alot more of it.
If we are going to make progress in the short term, the next two to four years, I think the following is what we will need to concentrate on. I know most of the people here are much smarter and more politically nuanced then I am, so I am just trying to organize a list of what I think will be at the heart of the coming battle.
- Wedge issues to separate Bush from Religion. We need to organize and push the fact that Bush goes against just about everything Jesus represented. We will need to push this at the local level and the national level. I see two outcomes possibly to this. One, it starts to slap the Bush believers right smack in the head with their own beliefs. Or, and the more appropriate response, it forces the Republicans to begin abandoning their religous arguments and return to a separation of church and state. We can't confront them head on for separation of Chruch and State as they just turn that into a fight on banning the bible. We fight fire with fire, only we tell it like it is, instead of twisting it like they do. They want to go old testament on us, so let's go new testament on them. Why do they hate Jesus?
- Media, Media, Media. Air America and blogs like DKos are a great start, but we need mainstream media. Media Matters, etc. is beginning to kick them in the ass, but we really need to find a Turner or Soros to purchase a cable news company and get them on cable in America. America needs Air America TV, and I mean that more in the CNN sense, as opposed to literally putting Air America on TV like the Sundance Channel does with Franken's show. Whoever controls the media controls the message.
- Funding issues. Over the next four years, I expect the Republicans to go after 527's, tank the economy, destroy all social support programs with the exception of religous indoctrination programs, and put more Democrats out of work. Under such cicumstances, how will the progressives be funded, since most likely, even more corporate dollars will flow into Republican coffers since, as of now, they ARE the U.S. Government?
- Re-organzie the democratic party, but as seen in many post's here today, you guys and gals are already kicking ass and taking names! I'm waiting and watching to see what you shake out, in that regard, as you know more about internal party politics than I do. I do, however, agree that Howard Dean would be great in that regard. We need big ideas that are worth fighting for.
Finally, the one thing that scares me the most, and is sort of where I fall into conspiracy territory, but it's difficult not to think like this with these people in charge, is this. A large scale terrorist attack on America. Maybe two of them at once. I'm talking bio-terror (The Anthrax attacker got away once already), nuclear terror, serios WMD stuff. Go look at the map of how states voted. Then consider where any major terrorist attacks would be carried out. New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, etc. Definitely a major city is the target for these people. Notice most of the major cities along the coasts are democratic strong holds. I can't help thinking a major terrorist attack on any of these places is a win-win situation for Bush, if things start to get rough for him like they were just before the 9/11 attacks. It would energize his supporters. They wouldn't see it as his fault. Hey, he is doing everything he can to protect us and it's hard work. If he hadn't been in charge, they probably would have taken out the whole country! But in that situation, we go to a war footing, the idealogues are satisfied by total control, alot of their political opposition is taken out and their power is cemented for years to come.
Far fetched? I hope so.
But please, please, let's not fall into the trap of thinking that just because reality is falling apart, the Bush administration's stranglehold on America is as well. They're banking on reality being overtaken by their policies and the mainstream corporate media ignoring truth, and they're winning.