Teeth gnashing talk with a "liberal" friend...

[Surya Gayatri]

I live abroad, which has its advantages as far as avoiding the worst of the Corp. Media excesses. I can't afford cable and get most of my news through the Web, notably DU, the foreign press, and streaming of US radio stations (AAR, Head On, etc.)

Just spent the afternoon with another American expatriot friend who, according to external criteria, appears to be a dyed-in-the-wool lib (born & bred in Mass., lived in NYC, voted straight Dem in 2000 & 2004, used to teach American cultural issues, etc.

BUT, you guessed it--she rarely goes on the Web and gets the bulk of her news from CNN (cable) and the International Herald Tribune (which, if you know it, is mostly rehashed stuff from the NYTimes & WaPost.

Would you believe she'd never heard of FISA, didn't know or understand why this November is so crucial or what's at stake (House & Senate), had little or no idea of the parlous state of the elections in Ohio, didn't know of the recent Federal Court ruling on NSA spying, etc. etc. etc.

But, the real kicker came when, after I'd mentioned Judge Taylor's ruling, she raised her voice to a fairly petulant pitch and practically screamed at me: "But didn't you see the recent catastrophe "they" managed to avert thanks to wiretapping?"

My jaw dropped down to waist level; I tried to tune her in on the 72-hour provision, etc. but to little avail. I could see her eyes clouding over as I spoke, so I just gave up.

Seems to me she is a template for the "New England" liberal who'll be the deciding factor in the Connecticut senate contest. Fortunately, she doesn't vote there, but in NY, because she's not interested in exercising her franchise in Nov.

What does this portend? Yikes, I knew she was a bit apolitical, but today I was really taken aback by her ignorance & indifference. Very disappointing & disturbing...SG
:banghead:

[sui generis]

1. ask her what she thinks a liberal is?

If she votes FOR education, healthcare, taking care of our seniors, children, and people who need a helping hand, a living wage, equal rights, reproductive rights, and if she promises to vote, then that's good enough for me.

Not everyone can or should be a political samurai, as long as they are qualifying themselves correctly.

[Surya Gayatri]

2. Difficult to say, as she

refuses to vote in anything but presidential elections, and that's not really where such issues are thrashed out. I get the feeling she votes Dem 'cause that's how she was brought up, but doesn't look any further.

Frankly, I don't think she gives a fig for the poor, under-privileged & disenfranchised. For her voting Dem is a habit, not a philosophy. SG

[Selatius]

3. So she votes Dem because her parents voted Dem?

Yes, we get that a lot here in Mississippi. Except, they vote Republican. Their parents stopped voting for Democrats after Johnson signed the '64 Civil Rights Act, and the kids who have been raised by them since have voted the same as their parents.

I generally have more faith in fellow Democrats who became Democrats or leftists in general through self-discovery and critical thought than those who simply vote Democratic because "it's something my parents did" without investing much critical thought.

I'm more of a libertarian socialist with a pragmatic bent, and I came to this position through self-discovery and contemplation. It's hard to hold ideas that are unpopular, but I'd rather be unpopular than support a position I find creates a crisis of conscience.

[Surya Gayatri]

9. Yeah, it seems as if

voting Dem is just learned behavior for her, and doesn't come from any self-discovered and intimate conviction. Certainly not from a starting point of true altruism or compassion.

She comes from a wealthy and privileged background, so protecting the status quo is probably fairly high on her list of priorities. SG

[Lusted4]

4. Ask her if she would call the police if she witnessed a mugging,

or turn a blind eye to that too?

[Surya Gayatri]

8. As long as it didn't trouble

her "comfort zone", I think she'd just as soon let it be. SG

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. NPR was pushing the new spin this morning

spreading the bs that this latest terror threat was stopped because of wiretapping. Funny, the threat is turning out to be another hyped up bunch of nothing and the investigation had nothing to do with the US. This was a British operation.

[Surya Gayatri]

6. That pertinent fact

seems to have escaped her attention! She spoke as if practically crediting BushCo with the whole operation--which is looking dicier by the day. SG

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. That why we've all got to educate people like her

The more eyes we open with knowledge and facts the sooner these bastards will be run out of office.

[Surya Gayatri]

10. She's really "touchy" & defensive, though,

about her lack of political commitment and involvement. Today, she came out with: "You have no right to tell me what I should be concerned about" when all I'd said was that breaches of the 1st & 4th amendments and the trashing of the Constitution should be of concern to all Americans. Go figure! SG
:shrug:

[Canuckistanian]

11. Maybe hand puppets would help

Really, this is such an easy issue to comprehend.

The Law Was Broken.

And it didn't need to be to stop terrorists.

This ain't rocket science.

[Surya Gayatri]

12. LOL, yeah, I felt

like I needed a 4th grade civics primer and some flash cards. Unbelievable, willful ignorance. SG