to save the world.
Or a response to Cindy Sheehan' diary that was so long that it may as well be a diary unto itself.....
Without that level of commitment you won't even come close to the task.
You need look no further then the words of our founding fathers: "We pledge our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor."
Ms. Sheehan has done what she has done to give purpose to her sons life, to finish HIS ostensible mission of saving this nation from it' enemies be they foreign or domestic; and tragically in this case it seems to be a mix of the two. And in that she has brought credit and honor upon her son and done so far more peaceably then I would in her situation.
She is right; there is a profound lack of commitment, lack of organization, and a lack of vision here on the left when it comes down to ending this war and bringing the perpetrators of a crime against humanity in our own government DOWN.
She can not do it on her own, and the supposed instrumentality's of the left whether they be peace organizations or the democratic party, or even the blogosphere are not pulling as a team on this. There is no order just ego and chaos and so much "practical politics" that it would make anyone with some principles left that they have not whored for a mortgage gag.
Standards are standard, they apply equally to all and should be ruthlessly applied to those you call "friend" more so then those you call enemy. And if your guys standards of behavior are as reprehensible as the other guys?
Then who exactly is the "good" guy? Or do we have nothing more then two teams of bad guys feeding us two different flavors of bullshit?
Our boys and girls in Congress in the Iraq funding bill traded human lives for sideline benefit programs pure and simple. And then relied upon "nuance" to cover their asses and attempt to limit the blowback. That is a fine example of the kind of "practical" politics that makes people sick. And that is OUR leadership up there doing it! Not the ratfucks in the GOP, no OUR guys and gals! Makes a voter proud....
Yes everyone, it IS necessary to destroy yourself or at least be willing TO destroy yourself to affect change. Ms. Sheehan is withdrawing from the field of battle not because she was not willing to do that; no but because she was taking friendly fire and getting no meaningful support from the flanks. She was being annihilated and the rest of the army was either so busy putting rounds into her back or squabbling like school children to make any further offensive action as meaningless a waste of a life as the loss of her son'.
How many here have that level of commitment? Would you lay down your life physically or metaphorically for your nation? Is there anything more important to you then it and your freedom? Because somedays it does not seem like it around here. Sure a lot of talking goes on, and some wonderful prose is sent into the ether; but far to few of us (myself included) actually get out from behind our keyboards and march.
The best I do is occasionally put up an impassioned rant or other such to gauge the temperature of the community. And so far other then a few noted exceptions there is much heat now and again but very little real pressure behind that heat that would translate into motive force (to steal a steam engine metaphor). There are just plaintive voices in the dark seeking comfort and validation but no leadership to organize that cacophony toward actually relieving their suffering laments.
There is no vision as to how to actually achieve the goal of ending the suffering of the American people effectively, cleanly,or legally. Not even the impeachment voice can make a claim to all three of those as it would be a bit messy. But messy is far better then bloody.
And that really is a possible end point to this rudderless meandering policy of political practicality over principled leadership: A point where the people are so bereft of options and so desperate to relieve the pain of their suffering existence at the hands of a political class that treats them like chattel with a checkbook that they take direct actions against them.
Think I am being hyperbolic? Then you obviously did not pay attention to, or had a rather poor 8th grade and above history teacher(s)! We, ARE a violent people as our crime statistics prove out, and when you take a violent predisposition and couple it to impotent rage and pain? That is an equation that leads to madness as it' sum. The kind of madness that leads to some of our more insane foreign policy choices such as the Iraq war....
Now imagine that in Cleveland, or Seattle, or New York being vented piece meal across the board at other Americans based upon political ideology and world view. It is not like such has not happened on these shores before or other places in the world.
What we need is a statement of principles and a discussion that hammers out a vision on how to achieve those principles politically in as expeditious a manner as possible with the fewest moral and ethical compromises.
And we need to do it soon before more of the Cindy Sheehan's of the world get chewed up and spat out.