Reply #61: Encouragement is not childish [View All]

Courage is not childish, either. it is smart to encourage courage.

No one is asking you to "pretend" -- I am suggesting that your attitude, which I fully share so much of the time, is counterproductive. It is defeated already, and that offers nothing for you or anyone else except for defeat.

Frankly, it is childish to think a politician will not calculate the outcomes of his/her words and actions. Including the outcomes from those on the right who oppose the things that you want. So then you, as a saavy person who understands politicans are calculating reactions, provide him with postitive feedback to encourage further actions. You donate a little money with the acknowledgment that you will donate more if he continues to follow through on his initial words.

Wolf calls her book "a primer" and it is written in this way: A is for Apple, or 1. is for invoke and external and internal threat. She isn't trying to preach to the choir. (You and everyone on this site most likely know Eco's list of fascist traits, or Paxton's book on Fascism, or Chip Berlet's work) But others don't. Her book is in paperback, to make it affordable, and is not very long, to make it easily readable.

while you put her down for being part of "the establishment," she is going far beyond what you say about her (as others noted in reply to your remarks on the threads you listed above.)

She is encouraging mass civil disobedience with one day per month general strikes.. she advocates the tactics Ghandi or MLK used. She notes the likelihood of another cointelpro action, in which the oppressors pretend to be on the side of the demonstrators and try to create a violent incident to discredit the work of strikers. She is calling for impeachment and trials for members of this administration. How many mainstream media voices do you hear saying that? She is working with one of the MoveOn guys and a scientist to create a grassroots response. MoveOn has been very successful.. otherwise they wouldn't be targeted. They have the organizational means to create something.

I don't know about you, but I really didn't like to march under the banner of ANSWER. Their message was too scatter-shot and they have a somewhat dubious public record on some issues that make them easy targets to discredit. Like it or not, you need "mainstream" people to reach other "mainstream" people.

how much has her book been covered on msm, I wonder... on the usual soft politics shows like Today. I don't watch them so I don't know. Wolf claims she is being ignored by the outlets that were all over themselves to cover her book about female image manipulation.

anyway, things generally happen incrementally, unless you are a totalitarian trying to overthrow existing structures. Most of us could have never believed we would have an administration like this one, and it's hard for most people to not want to remain in denial.

obviously you can believe whatever you want, but maybe you should also ask yourself "what is the value of your dismissive attitude?" Is it to protect yourself because of the disillusionment you feel because you, along with many others, have a certain idealism at the core of your thinking, and it is too hard to think of the real and possibly long and hard struggle to undo the damage the current administration has done?

I just want to encourage you to be willing to entertain the idea that a tipping point is here... not in the fall into fascism, but in the understanding of the people of this country. Yes, we voted to stop Bush policies. That was one step. We need millions to be willing to back up their votes with non-violent action to call for Congress to represent the will of the people, and to uphold the constitution.

what have you got to offer if not that?