If the organization, passion and commitment of the left does not come together, we all lose

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

We will get to watch the country become dominated by a fringe minority of ignorant pawns who are manipulated by their leaders and the media to disrupt the functions of government and facilitate a renewed transfer of the role of the government to multinational corporations. They have no idea that they are going to become the vehicle of dismantling the country that they want so much to "get back". It is sad and horrifying to watch.

What to do? We have already far matched and surpassed them in reality- i.e. - OCEANS of humanity marching against the Iraq war and at the DNC, only to see NO COVERAGE in the MSM. And then we have to witness the same MSM deliberately distort the attendance and influence of a small and angry faction that actually threatens civil war and all but openly advocates for assassination. My advice is to just stop watching/reading MSM completely in order to decrease their influence, marginalize them and hopefully bankrupt them when they realize that literally no one cares what they say or report because they have no credibility. You will find better reporting on American news from papers in the UK than you will find here.

I do not see much if any pushback from Democratic leaders, if anything I see pandering and appeasement. I have come to believe that a Third Party/Movement based on social justice, workers rights, civil rights, campaign finance reform, election system reform and real healthcare reform needs to rise from the bottom up - it could be from within the Democratic Party or outside of it.

I believe that the economic upheaval in the very near future, due to job loss and homelessness will cause this to happen organically from the frustration and anger of the downtrodden masses - the "Old Poor", those who have always been on the bottom of the economic ladder combined with the "New Poor", who were once the American middleclass. We need some heroic leaders along the lines of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and other great non-violent crusaders (in the non-religious sense)to appear. I think that will happen. Somehow events will cause the leaders to emerge just as it has through the ages. They are out there now, we just don't know who they are yet. But I know who they aren't.

[ixion]

1. Yeah, we could sure use a Ghandi about now...

on the other hand, people have to be open to that kind of movement, collectively speaking. There is no solidarity -- latent or otherwise -- in the US right now, and that would make it difficult to capitalize on a populist movement.

[PHIMG]

2. Yes

Groups such as MoveOn, NOW, HRC, etc are playing footsie with Rahm E. instead of hitting over the head with an anvil like they should be.

[mkultra]

3. i think those tearing us apart are being intentionally divisive.

[starroute]

4. I mostly agree with you -- but no third parties, please

The party system is a death trap. It's rigged against third parties -- and at best ties you into the electoral timetable, jumping through fundraising hoops, finding "credible" candidates who might appeal to a wider audience, and any number of other losing games.

What we *do* need is a mass movement. We need to articulate a progressive agenda that clearly articulates what we see as essential reform, so that the news media can't get away with describing the public option as a "far left" alternative. We need the ability to turn out significant numbers of people to demonstrate public support or opposition whenever the government is thinking about doing something either half decent or notably stupid. And we need to have a recognition by everybody being shafted under current conditions that we're all in this together.

Some catchy signs and slogans, like the 60's peace signs, wouldn't hurt either, but I think that stuff has to develop organically. Just getting everybody on more or less the same page -- and redefining Obama not as a savior but as someone we may be able to lean on effectively if we have our act together -- would be a good first step.

[Clio the Leo]

5. "We must hang together or we'll hang separately." NT