Why can't I avert my eyes from this F---ing TRAIN WRECK...?

Is it just me...?

For two years I've focused my activism entirely on unhorsing the neoCons. I even wrote on this board about how stupid and insipid the "cat-fighting cliques" of Obamites and Hillarians appeared to anybody who cared about anything larger. But the drama of the cat-fight built and built, and then Hillary said that shit about "I know McCain will bring a lifetime of experience to the White House...", and I became so furious that I lost sight of ...everything.

Who told what lie. Who's staffer played a dirty trick. Who's ex-pastor went off his meds. Intellectually I know there are a hell of a lot of issues that really do matter, that are existential to freedom, and to peace. World survival is at stake. But I can't even remember what those issues are anymore.

My neck is rubber, and I'm transfixed.

Can somebody please remind me of some real issues?

(plus it helps that that's my favorite word at the mo, and I get to use it!!

But seriously, I don't think it is so much the train-wreck that is so enticing as the unique events surrounding this year's election. Its popular to paint Obama supporters as fanatical ('cult'-like, drinking the Kool-aid and other such absurdities) - as people who perceive the candidate as perfect. Actually I would position myself as far to the left of Obama, and my biggest disagreements with him would be that he is too centrist for my liking (though left of the rest IMO). I feel enormously invested in the real issues - environmental degradation, climate-change, rampant predatory capitalism, all of the -isms etc. etc., yet I spend a disproportionate amount of time focussed on doing whatever I can to get this man in to office! Who'd of thunk it? Pllleeeeaaase let it end!!!

Here's a youtube clip of Cheney talking about why they didn't go into Baghdad during the first Gulf War. I swear, all the problems he predicted sounds like he's seeing the future one decade later. Makes you realize just how dumb Bush was. You know that Cheney told him this stuff as well, but unfortunately for us Cheney believes that the Vice President serves just the President and his wishes, and not the American people.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=6BEsZMvrq-I

Of course he knew what would happen, he counted on it. And don't think for a second that he wasn't the lead man on all this and that what has happened isn't exactly what he and the Neos wanted to happen. The idea that Chimp somehow made the decision against Cheney's wishes and he just played along as loyal soldier is patently absurd. Bush is a moron's moron. He could never put together a perfect plan to loot the treasury and the people while lining the pockets of his buddies so effectively. While he was out power in the 90's, Cheney lined himself up with the people that would profit most from war all the while beating the drums for it with the PNAC. And after he clawed his way back into power he did everything possible to set the wheels in motion. He' been a bad guy for a long time.


It just looks like you are letting him off the hook.

I was just piling on some more fuel to that fire. :rofl:
The author of this thread sounded like he needed some more anti-Republican motivation.

Heh. I've never heard anyone on either side of the aisle say Cheney was Bush's puppet.
This is not a mainstream Republican belief is it?

that I believe that Cheney DID tell these things to Bush. Too many people try to completely separate Bush from his poor decisions by claiming that the evil Cheney duped him into making them. I disagree. Did you even watch that video? Those same exact words were told to Bush, I guarantee you. If not by Cheney, then by someone else in the first Bush's presidency. I think that Bush gets too much of a free pass for being an idiot, but I think that he's evil as well.

Sorry if my real sentiments didn't come off appropriately. Are you going to try to force me to reject and denounce myself? :rofl:

I'm sure he was a quite willing participant but this war is Cheney's baby. He did nothing to dissaude Bush from going ahead full bore. He certainly did not advise against it.


Now write 50 times "I reject and denounce myself". Heh.

Cheney wanted to wait until he was in a position to harvest the profits to be made from the war. He has advocated for this war knowing the terrible human costs, but his ONLY concern is the money. He is an evil entity.

It just took him 10 years of planning to profit from it.

Cheney is the neocon ringleader.

He chaired the secret Energy meetings, he was in charge of Terrorism policy before 9/11, he was in charge from his bunker on 9/11, he was in the Iraq War group and the Torture discussions, and a major force in pushing the idea and reality of the Unitary Executive.

Obviously, neither candidate has been able to pull significantly ahead of the other. The bottom line, at this time, seems to be: Who can defeat McCain. Obviously, a candidate cannot govern until nominated and elected to the job.

All our mutual concerns about so many problems needs must take a back seat to our one major problem.

Will we collectively go along with the choice of the SD, or will we either take to the streets or walk out of the convention as it seems very possible at this time. Deadlock just came up over the horizon.

The selection of a candidate based upon their delegate count, their popular vote count, or the electoral count with the decision made by the SD may be something we will either learn to live with--or go down in flames in a national election once again.

that McCain is eminently beatable. His faux-pas today in admitting the role of OIL is the Iraq war is going to be majorly problematic for him. Can you picture the ads? Images of wounded soldiers, coffins, wounded Iraqis, cut to unprecedented oil profits running to the billions, and lastly a shot of the pump and rising gas prices. Not to mention that polling has found more people are concerned about McCain's inescapable connection with Bush, than Obama-Wright. Add to that the unspeakable 'R' word, and it should be a walk come November.

Then I remember 2004. Conditions not as bad, but still ... I hope that gut instinct is right!

Most of the time I'm sure the Democrats will sober up and win this thing in the end. But after Wright's recent spate of lunacy, I lost all faith in BOTH candidates. They've been destroyed: Obama by Hillary, and Hillary by Hillary. And though I hate her (and I have to confess that I really do hate her), I never-the-less greatly admire her determination and stamina. Hillary makes Kerry look like a panty-waist. But this gift of hers has proved to be a supreme liability to the larger cause, whether she pulls out the nomination or not. It may, in the end, be our undoing.

that they both are carrying a fair amount of damage. And electibility issues. I personally think that hers are far more worrying, primarily as a result of the slash and burn style campaigning she's engaged in. Given that neither candidate can claim electable-purity then, I can't imagine why the SDs/DP would overturn the decision-metric (delegate #s) with so little to gain. Obama has outcampaigned, out fund-raised, and picked up the majority of delegates. Hence they should put everything they have behind him and fight it out against McCain to the bitter end. If we go down, and as I've said my gut instinct is that we won't, at least it will be with values intact.

:D

and congressional reapportionment
dependance on outside oil vrs opening our land to drilling
the devaluation of the dollar
fair lending practies
the supreme court
redirecting our diplomatic resources to actually be diplomatic
ending the wrong war in iraq
building a greater middle east peace that involves the nations involved in its policies
i could go on but with each listing i become strangely depressed

1.) Which issue most engages you personally?

2.) Which issue do you think is most susceptible to effect action?

3.) And which would you guess would be most motivating and galvanizing to Progressives?

--------------


I note that you don't mention any of the liberty issues:

• habeas corpus
  
• torture
  
• Guantanamo
  
• government spying
  
• Christian fundamentalism.

except for #5 they are all part and parcel of our iraq war problem

and frankly i dont know why #5 is there at all
true christian fundamentalists would be progressives by definition
if you are referring to church involvement in politics
take away their tax exempt status and see if they have time for a lot of politics
i myself have never in my life felt threatened by someone of true faith so i cannot elevate them to a status of national importance

http://www.thefourreasons.org/victimsofwar.htm

I know what you mean. I'm transfixed too but in an angry manner that's determined to fight it because the whole idea is to make us lose sight of the real issues. I refuse. They can drag out Satan himself wearing an "Obama 2008" sign and it won't work. For 8 years they minimized our anger at the 18 year UNINTERRUPTED war against Iraq.

18 years! Hell no I say. I will NOT lose sight and use my rage at how they're trying to confuse people to fight them harder.