If I see one more melodramatic hand-wringing misanthropic post

[WildEyedLiberal]

I'm going to scream.

I'm worried about the state of the world today, too. Very worried. Worried we're on the cusp of WWIII because of George Bush's morally bankrupt policies that have driven the world to the precipice of ruin. Worried we're on the cusp of a total economic crash rivalling the Great Depression in scale. Worried that this corrupt cabal of fascist thieves have so thoroughly entrenched themselves in power that they will see bloodshed before they give it up. Of course all of these things worry me; how could they not?

But I don't think that's any excuse for the constant stream of garment-rending malcontent. It seems like every other post in GD in the past several days - including those highly recommended on the Greatest Page - has consisted largely of:

"I weep exactly 1,000 tears every night for all of the innocent blood spilled! THEIR BLOOD IS ON MY HANDS. I BOUGHT THE BOMBS THAT KILLED THE BABIES WITH MY TAX MONEY. THE STENCH OF DEATH CLINGS TO ME. HOW CAN I EVER BE REDEEMED? Humanity is a blight upon the world! We are a LOST CAUSE - I despair for humanity! I give up all hope - we are EVIL! EVIL AND IRREDEEMABLE!!"

Not only is such rhetoric eye-rollingly over-the-top, but it's also counterproductive - who is going to listen to the solutions of somebody who just sits around bemoaning the wickedness of the world? When GD is starting to sound like the Old Testament prophets, you know things are getting just a little too kooky, even for DU. The doomsaying and despair is casting a pall over the entire site.

Despair is poisonous to the soul. I am distressed about the state of the world today, but I refuse to give in to the cynical abandon of desolation. After all, throwing your hands up and saying "it can't be fixed, fuck it, I'm done" is the easy way out - the coward's way out.

I choose not to abandon the world in its greatest time of need. I choose to dig in deeper and fight - to the end if need be, if the doomsayers are right and this is the end of the world as we know it. I fight because what I believe is worth the fighting for - only a hollow, empty belief could be so quickly abandoned and surrendered. If I get knocked down, I will get back up, dust myself off, and go another round. Because this country is worth it. The Constitution is worth it. Human life is worth it. The world is worth it.

I choose hope.

[babylonsister]

1. Righteous, WEL!

:applause: :applause: :applause:

[WildEyedLiberal]

6. Thanks babylonsister

It's just something that's been bugging me the past several days on DU. Despair is NOT a positive emotion and nothing good can come of all the bleak hopelessness that's infected this site recently. Life is beautiful - it's such a simple lesson some here should take the time to remember.

[chimpymustgo]

36. In other words, "Don't get so worked up - it's just a bunch of Arabs

getting blown to smithereens?"

Well, enjoy the plaudits from the few here who want to stay in denial about the carnage - and our complicity in it. I think you have completely mischaracterized the horror many here feel about the lack of humanity in this world, and on this board.

But if that makes you feel better, and that's what is most important to you...LAUGH ON!

[WildEyedLiberal]

38. When you tell me what hopeless handwringing has ever accomplished

I'll grant that you have a point.

Until then...

[chimpymustgo]

48. I don't see it as hopeless handwringing. It's recognition of humanity.

And maybe it can pry a crack into the hardened hearts of the uncaring, the racist, the oblivious.

Don't dismiss people's sorrow, or expression of it. Don't ignore their cries of anguish and disgust. Open your own eyes, your ears. And your heart.

[Redstone]

2. Here, borrow my asbestos overcoat. Keep it as long as you need it.

Excellent post.

Redstone

[WildEyedLiberal]

8. Thanks, Redstone. nt

[cynatnite]

3. Well said!

I see it often here and it appears no different now than at other times. We all need a reminder that the human race is still worth fighting for.

Thanks for that!

K&R!

[Tsiyu]

4. Scream, then

You're on a discussion forum, where people discuss their feelings about things.

Does that bother you, that people in America sometimes feel despair?

I'm usually trying to play the cheerleader when folks are down, but right now I am so depressed over this nation. I come here to talk about it becasue people in RL don't understand but DUers do understand.

There is a function called ignore and another called hide thread. Why not use them instead of putting people down for having hearts that are breaking?

Is that too hard or have you been just dying to get some digs in at the "bleeding hearts?"

.

[Taxloss]

5. I feel much the same way, which is why

I wrote this cheerful thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1782507

Now, I approach the apocalypse with a wry smile rather than a rictus of concern and sleep easier for it.

Another way to make yourself happy is to write a thread making light of the MIddle East crisis and then pimp it on other, more serious threads. I've only just started doing this, and I'll let you know how it goes.

Or, you could cheer yourself up by making another DUer happy. You can this in any number of ways, but I suggest going tto this thread - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1782507 - reading it, recommending it, and leaving a comment saying something like "I AGREE 100000%! THIS THRED IS TEH BOMB! TAXLOSS R00LZ!"

Results may vary.

[Mandate My Ass]

10. Taxloss always spreads cheer

and never sows discord. His/her words are always the brightest spot on DU. Please emulate Taxloss, it's the only way to the unlikely salvation of your weak, poor, and oh so pitiful soul.

[Taxloss]

13. Do I detct a hint of sarcasm?

Honestly, try and do something nice ...

[Mandate My Ass]

14. I do equally as much as you do

;-)

[Taxloss]

21. Then we concur.

Is this a first?

In all seriousness, I harbour zero ill-will over this latest round of GD hostilities. Life is too short.

[Mandate My Ass]

23. Usually when I try to do something nice

it is recognized as such. Never by you though. Peace anyway.

[Taxloss]

24. ????

Are we talking about the same thing?

[Name removed]

43. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Taxloss]

52. Let me see if I have this right.

1. We flame each other; me first, admittedly;
2. A few days later you stalk me onto another, unrelated, thread and attack me there;
3. I send you a courteous PM asking you why you did this; if I remember correctly the text ran "I don't understand your responses on this thread, if I've done anything to offend you I apologise"
4. You send me a very nasty PM explaining about our previous exchange of flames and saying don't contact me again;
5. I send a one line response saying "That explains it. I advise against glass houses"
6. I ignore you (it's a function where you can blank out contributions from DUers you don't like, try it some time)
7. You decide to stalk me across half a dozen unrelated threads
8. I alert the mods and ignore you again.

Grudges shorten the life. That's why I don't bear them.

[WildEyedLiberal]

16. Actually your post was the most lucid thing I've read on the ME today

Which may or may not be sad, depending on how you want to look at it.

[Taxloss]

19. I consider that bad news for DU, but thank you anyway.

I should have said earlier that I agree with your OP, but I was too busy self-promoting. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off the spam the cookery, knitwear and softball groups.

[NuttyFluffers]

34. i tried the same w/ my post

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1777592&mesg_id=1777592

but it sank like a stone, too, because everyone likes a chance to wail like paid mourners. i like to indulge too at times. in fact, if things weren't so serious, i'd indulge in gallows humor and wallowing in melodramatic hysterics -- 'cause i'm a sucker for drama. but these times need some positivity to diverge from a dangerous spiral.

[Taxloss]

35. Well, I liked your post.

I think you were right.

[rockymountaindem]

7. Rock on!

DU is b-a-n-a-n-a-s these days. It's been that way for awhile, but I just like arguing so I hang around.

Well, I like all you cool people in our little club (which shall remain unnamed) as well.

[WildEyedLiberal]

11. It's pretty batshit right now

I understand why people are upset but I have no idea why anyone thinks despair and melodrama are really going to help the situation. If it were "hopeless" why are you even bothering to post? Why not just go curl up under your covers and cry?

The world has never been changed by those paralyzed by their own despair, but rather by those galvanized by the righteousness of their cause.

[Tsiyu]

18. You know what? You are so right

one of the longest threads on this page is one discussing women's tits.

That's the way to solve our problems.

And how proud you must be that you never feel despair,

Now let's talk about some fake boobs. Hoorah!!!!!!

[WildEyedLiberal]

39. Wow, what an incredible strawman

You seem to be purposely not reading my actual posts and instead responding to the post you wish I had made. Care to point out where I've ever discussed fake boobs on DU?

:eyes:

Go ahead, throw up your hands and wail about how the world is just so evil and wicked. Meanwhile, the rest of us will actually work to fix things. You tell me which is the better way to "solve our problems": wailing and screeching, or taking action?

[Tsiyu]

45. So now feeling despair and taking action are mutually exclusive?

Is this what you're saying?

That you can't feel immense sadness and yet still do things to help?

Fuck, then why did I just spend almost a week's money to help the Dems?

There are politics in despair as well as in happy-go-lucky living.

You assume a whole hell of a lot; I will assume this is because you are young and have health insurance.

See?

We can both be assuming all sorts of things.

I made the statements about tits because you were discussing "useless threads" and I was giving another example.

Must be awesome to be you.

[VOX]

9. Absolutely! Well said, WEL, well said!!!

Thank you for posting this well thought-out dose of sanity!
:toast:

[Poppyseedman]

12. TEOTWAWKI rants are highly overrated.

I can hardly imagine what the people went though in the old Soviet Union under Stalin, the Chinese under Mao, The Cambodians under the Khmer Rogue and of course the Jews under Hitler.

We sit here in front of 'puters and whine far too much. It can be cathartic to a point to rant.

The fight has hardly begun.

[Gabi Hayes]

17. it's already over

get used to it

wait til it takes fifteen minutes to get onto DU

[PCIntern]

15. I posted a more succinct but much less eloquent

version of this yesterday and got blasted by many. Maybe because some of my other posts riled up so many of the residents...

Well put...couldn't agreee with you more...

[Gabi Hayes]

22. hey, PC! remember I told about those Sturdy Beggars guys from Philly?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-sturdy-beggars/

they blog above!

check em out

I'm going to email them and find out if they're onair anyplace...online, I hope

I didn't know this:

"With Adam McKay, they co-wrote Will Ferrell's Global Warmin' Talk for the TBS special "Earth To America", and WhiteHouseWest. They are currently writing their first screenplay."

[PCIntern]

25. I do!

Let me know...

[quinnox]

20. agree

But the Du drama people are always trying to make the current world events into the sky is falling hysteria. Mad cow, bird flu, and others are hyped up.

This is a minor skirmish goin down there in the middle east, why are people so surprised and proclaim worlds war 3 when they have been fighting for years down there?!

[Cameron27]

26. Agree totally

I stopped posting to those threads and now it's worse, I can barely read them.

[fishnfla]

27. Scream on, wild one

:thumbsup:

[w4rma]

28. I fully agree. (nt)

[mom cat]

29. Dispair is part of the process, but it is not the endpoint. Let people

here express their despair so they can move through it and start kicking ass again.

[The Straight Story]

30. people are venting their frustrations, pretty simple really.

this is our bar, our outlet.

Talking helps, ranting helps us. It helped you apparently ;)

We can't always help the world, but we - at times - can help ourselves and fellow DU'ers.

[WildEyedLiberal]

41. Fair enough

I can see your point - it's easy to feel helpless. But eventually people have to move past their grief and take action if they ever hope to right the wrongs they lament.

"Be the change you wish to see in the world" - Gandhi

[chill_wind]

42. I think it's possible to do both, and that many DUers here in fact do

both *agonize and respond to appeals to act*--- to write to Congress, the media and other people in positions of power and influence, to start, sign onto and/or circulate vital petitions, give time and money to activist causes, to candidates, to charities and much more.

And our names ARE on those baby-killing bombs, god dammit.

[MH1]

31. Excellent - Agree 100%

:yourock:

[Rex]

32. If our gummit was run by people like you

we'd never have problems, because you WANT a better tomorrow. Hope is awesome. Things here always get frenzied, but settle down. IMO, it is stupid to worry about death, because it is not an if but a when and no one knows the time so why worry.

Awesome post!

[rosesaylavee]

33. Good post and well stated.

I don't mind people starting the occasional thread telling of their despair and/or their concerns and looking for comfort. I think DUers are usually empathetic and compassionate for the occasional posters.

I have noticed recently tho that there are a handful of posters who post despairing threads almost every day... and tho I have spent most of my time here on DU not using the ignore button, I have resorted to that since I made that choice with a few select posters, I have found that I spend a lot less time muttering to the computer. :)

We don't have the luxury to wallow in despair right now. There is too much to do and we need to have our minds clear and full of hopeful visions of ways we are going to turn this around.

MLK Jr had this to say on what to do with despair...

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:fwpGlE9EHwQJ:www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/Ihaveadream.htm+no+time+for+despair+Day&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1

[WildEyedLiberal]

40. Beautiful quote, sums it up perfectly. Thank you! nt

[mia]

37. Uplifting post. There's so much to celebrate too.

At any moment is could be the end. It's always been this way. We mourn that some have to go so painfully and do everything we can to make things better.

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that it's all worth living for.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7G7PR8u4wc&NR


Once you choose hope, anything's possible. ~Christopher Reeve

[omega minimo]

44. Oh yay! Forget those expressing the angst we're all feeling

and critique it for greater affect!

:woohoo: :yourock: :bounce: :bounce: :headbang: :puke: :yourock: :kick:

an remember "Our integrity sells for so little, yet it's all we really have. It is the very last inch of us. But within that inch, we are free."

I GET KNOCKED DOWN AN I GETUPAGAIN AINT NEVER GONNA KEEP ME DOWN :puke: THEN I GET KNOCKED DOWN AN I GETUPAGAIN AINT NEVER GONNA KEEP ME DOWN

[muriel_volestrangler]

46. OK: Boycott Hizbollah. Boycott Israel.

I promise not to buy any goods I know have been made by Hizbollah-run businesses, or Israeli-run businesses, until there's a ceasefire. I will write to the Israeli embassy to let them know - if anyone can point to a Hizbollah equivalent I can inform, I'd be glad. This might be worth extending to Israel and Palestine - until Palestinians stop attacking Israel, and Israel withdraws from the Occupied Territories, we should boycott both countries.

International pressure on South Africa did work in the end, so I don't think this action would be pointless. Are you all with me? I guess we should tell our representatives we're doing it too, and urge them to call for a boycott by the general public, and let them know opposition to the boycott will be regarded as a serious reason for not voting for them.

[rman]

47. Why would anyone care about your screaming?

I file this in the same category as the
"i'm getting sick off..."
"i'm getting tired.."
"i'm so disappointed.."

If you have a point to make you can do so without trying to play on peoples sense of guilt regarding your getting sick, tired, being disappointed or going to scream.

[Lilith Velkor]

51. In cyberspace, no-one can hear you scream.

[lectrobyte]

49. Go ahead an scream. It's a vent, as is posting a "despair" post. I'm

not seeing the misanthropy, either. Some days I think this country is beyond hope, myself, and some days you have to vent a little, get it out there, and go on. As Mr. Stipe says:

I know that this is vitriol, no solution, spleen venting, but I feel better having screamed, don't you?

[jonnyblitz]

50. self-delete not worth it. nt

[sgxnk]

53. brilliant post nt

[tabasco]

54. It's an internet message board.

Deal with it in your own special way.

[GeorgeGist]

55. Methinks you're a bit desperate...

but go ahead and scream if it makes you feel better.

[bigtree]

56. folks feel things differently, have different needs

their despair here, on a discussion board, may be the best place to express it. Obviously some folks here identify with it. How can you just declare that these same don't have hope, or are driving 'DU' to some sort of destructive distraction.

I think we all contribute to change everytime we speak up and out. Every voice is valuable, even the dissenting ones. I resent folks being labeled as kooky, as if one viewpoint is gospel, as if there was some line that is set up for Democrats to toe.

BTW, I detect more than a little despair in the OP. Ironic?

[porphyrian]

57. Kick to the top of the swill. - n/t