Jim Hightower: We're Mad as Hell and the Dems Aren't Listening

[babylonsister]

We're Mad as Hell and the Dems Aren't Listening

By Jim Hightower, Hightower Lowdown. Posted January 14, 2008.

The Democrats' fizzle in the face of the power-grabbing Bush administration is doing serious damage to America's political psyche.


What I am hearing from across the country is a surge of angst and discouragement. In conversations, calls, emails, and letters, people in general (and progressives in particular) are expressing profound dismay at the deterioration of America's democracy, not only because of the BushCheney regime, but also, and especially, because of the fecklessness of the Democratic Congress.

"For crying out loud! Why do we even bother to have elections?" Mark wailed in an email.

I am afraid of what this country has become and that at any minute the people in charge may bomb Iran, and I have lost all hope that there will be any checks and balances," Marshaleigh wrote, adding bluntly, "Congress doesn't work."

Jay bemoaned the dismal performance of Congress in this letter to the editor: "Despite the 2006 congressional elections and the overwhelming antiwar sentiment among our citizens... have become enablers of the White House's misbegotten Iraq venture."

Susan wrote, "What little optimism I had is vanishing. I am much more overwhelmed by the Democratic party's lack of gumption than I was by Bush's wickedness. And the small ideas offered by the presidential candidates make me cringe. I need help."

The damage now being done to America's political psyche by the Democrats' fizzle is way out of the ordinary. These writers are smart, engaged, committed people who are not easily surprised or discouraged by negative political developments. They constitute the grassroots base of progressive activism in our country, and it is truly worrisome that even they are becoming dispirited -- especially as we head into a watershed election year.

more...

http://alternet.org/story/72875/?page=entire

[Octafish]

1. Been wondering about a lot of that myself.

Whatever happened to the "opposition" part of "loyal opposition"?



I know what happened to the "loyal" part.

[tom_paine]

2. Onto the ash heap of history, down the Memory Hole, and it turned out nobody cared

We now have essentially the same government as Russia or China, we just get treated more nicely (for the moment) because we have to have "settling in time" to our new life as Imperial Virtual Slaves with no say and no hope.

Another generation or two will do it, LESS if the Bushies decide to risk more overt Shock Doctrine, like 9-11-ing us again so they can bring about all their shiny new Police State Laws, just waiting in the wings for the next shock to come...

[Octafish]

8. That's the scenario. And that's why I don't like Mitt.

Mitt beats Hillary or/and Barack in a squeaker.
A decent time after the inaugural, a terrorist attack shocks the world.
Fuhgedaboud worrying, America.
Vice President Jebthro is thrust into the Oval Office...

[Warpy]

3. Hightower, better late than never

but I've been screaming about this since the Carter years. The liberals in the party, you know, the ones who actually knew how to run a country so that all of us had a chance to benefit, went out of power in 1969 when Humphrey got defeated by Johnson's war. The party has been playing to the Repugs ever since then, trying to counter Nixon's southern strategy that scooped up the bigot vote after Johnson pissed them all off, instead of playing to the working class party base.

A party that is too stupid to play to its own base will not gain enough of a majority to do itself or anyone else any good. The GOP has been great at playing to a base of fudegelicals, bigots and people who are obscenely wealthy or think they're going to get that way fast. That's how they got all three branches.

The Democrats have been lousy at playing to the base, taking working class issues off the table and allowing the GOP to define the issues.

Hey, boys, how's that been working for you? I know the DLC has kept the Congressional cash flow positive, but what's been happening to the country in the meantime?

Hightower is right, as usual, but a bit late. However, his is a voice that is louder than mine, so let's hope a few party wonks hear it and start to wake up.

[RuleOfNah]

9. Republicans hiding fom the blame.

Why is it Republicans commit so many crimes, in public, and the blame for Republican crimes still goes to the Democrats?

Oh, right, spinning.

[demnan]

4. Check out my reply to Chris Van Hollen's fundraising efforts

on my webpage link below:

[drexel dave]

5. As I sat having drinks with Mojo Nixon about 15 years ago

he said then, and his words hold true now: "The Democrats and Republicans are just two piles of shit in different colored bags."

Some things never change.

[xchrom]

6. recommend.

[flasoapbox]

7. Disheartening but true

:(

[NorthCarolina]

10. Kucinich Would Be a Huge Step in a Positive Direction

he's not part of the establishment that's for sure, and better yet He wants to return Government Power to the people where it belongs. I say we give him the President's Bully Pulpit and citizens will rally to his side in support of his ideas for change. DC power brokers won't be able to do squat about it outside of foul play.

[PDittie]

11. Listened to him live a week ago

in Galveston, at our Texas Democratic Party fundraiser. Even some of my (so-called progressive) blogger friends don't get it. They think the system for electing officials, running the statewide party, etc. isn't broken at all.

It's so broken that we're going to have to junk it and start all over, and that's provided it's not too late already.