Writing Congressmen, Protesting, Voting, all a waste of time.

Calling senators and leaving messages with secretaries? Campaigning for a candidate? Yelling, screaming, typing in chat rooms, what the hell good does any of it do?

We need new strategies, the standard, traditional ones are not working.

I know, I'll be flamed just for being pessimistic.

that the only way to institute change is to vote them out.

Not trying to be a smart ass, truly, but I am not encouraged by voting.

Walk 1000 miles north, and don't pay them any taxes.

The only votes that count anymore are dollars... its a plutocracy,
vote them out, means don't give them any votes...

what is with all the negativity???? We will have to get everyone out there to vote.

I admire and envy your optimism.

We can get everyone out to vote- double or triple the number of people who go to the polls and the truth is, if they want to, they will rig it again. They've gotten really good at this now- read RFK Jr's. piece in Rolling Stone if you have any doubts. Until we start screaming- demanding- taking out full page ads- doing everything we can to demonstrate to the American public that our elections have been rigged since 2000, chances are, that little will change in 06 and in 08.

Supporting election fraud whistleblower, Clint Curtis, who is challenging Bush insider Tom Feeney (and pal of DeLay and Abramoff and Cunningham) for Congress, which will propel this issue into the mainstream media. You help will enable his campaign to purchase advertising, t.v. spots, billboards, etc. so that Feeney, (who as an elected official asked Curtis to design a software program that could manipulate electronic voting machines), will help us demand that Feeney explain his actions in public.

Our democracy has been hijacked. Isn't it time to take it back, once and for all, before it's too late?

www.clintcurtis.com.

THAT is a fact.

I often wonder what it would be like if ALL the environmental groups had the same message and same focus for a month; I bet we could move a mountain. (a particularly bad metaphor but you get the idea)

Instead the focus is so spread so thin that it's often ineffective.

The Republican have us fighting on so many different fronts.

I understand your pessimism. I have days like that too. But doing something positive for local candidates seems to help me get a grip on reality. When it comes down to it, it really is true that all politics are local. So working on local campaigns is not a waste, IMHO.

Yes, we do need new strategies, but we can't underestimate the power of the internets to help us organize, educate, activate people locally & nationally.

to do something.

It is going to help us win this year:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1371499

:shrug:

I've suggested myself to death with everyone I know.

to whom you should be making suggestions.

I've done all of the above. They all know in Washington how we feel, they know absolutely.

I'm just not sure throwing up our hands and saying, "Fuck it" is the best thing to do.



Like your username, btw.

The current way is not working, we need new ideas, new strategies, that work.

She lost in 2004 by over 20%, this time only 4%. I am not sure why such an improvement in a red dictrict like that wants to make you give up.

I am not giving up.

Start filing complaints with the FCC every time the broadcast news folks lie or otherwise break the rules. Start harassing them with formal complaints.

Didn't Congress just pass some ridiculous law raising fines to astronomical levels for obscenity violations on air? Flip it on them, start using it to target conservatives.

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumers.html

Media Matters - another resource

http://mediamatters.org/action_center/

and make it a short book, from you, regular american, to the regular
muslim people across the middle east, and put your heartfelt appeal
for their understanding and support in overthrowing the bush tyrants.

Your little book will be more powerful than any votes, and you can
use the income to live where you will that they not get their fingers
on your art-income.

That same book, written for any country, any language or people, will
be a great seller, and have more net impact than the same time wasted
writing to those who are not listening.

Naomi Klein is just a housewife, nobody special, and her writing is
frankly not very good, just she's there doing the right thing and it
works for her. There are many ways to be an activist that work for
people with different kinds of souls, and maybe greater activism is a
lifetime of raising awareness the real tryanny, and freeing the slaves,
whereever they are, even if they are us.

I'm saying, that despite the internet and a few publications for the elites,
the voices of the american regular people are not making it outside the
borders due to the "united at the borders" crap that allows the republicans
to piliage 6 billion people whilst keeping 300 million apparently united.

So, bugger their criminality, and we need to reach out to regular poeple in
every nation to let them know what bush and his people really stand for stateside,
just so they can see who they are in league with.

India and britain both publish massive english speaking books, and maybe an
open letter from an american gay would be a very beautiful book, one that
would move hearts and help end a world of strife. dsc and others are certainly
very talented here... perhaps "letters from american gays" with a huge pink
triangle on the cover, sold in bookshops across the english speaking world.

To dispel the fear that feeds this global homophobia paranoia, people need some
real beef.

Good luck with that!

You know the kind of letter that "osama" wrote, and the
kind of letter that the president of iran wrote... a letter
from the heart of people who know persecution from the
same republicans that are persecuting them. It would
create understanding at the very least. It is not a
nationalist, or a subversive thing, but a thing to inform,
as i see it, to help with an enlightenment where the only
fucking people who write open letters are named "osama"
and "bush".

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=221&topic_id=36135&mesg_id=36135

Here.

DU is filled with aspiring writers, and all they'd each have
to do is write their best letter.. A print run in india
and britain reach more people than in the US.

wondering, as you say, what the hell good its doing

:sarcasm:

sarcasm aside,

Its about caring about injustice,
and reaching out to like-minded progressives
who want to work toward a better world

and its about love of country and the basic principles
of our proud democratic tradition.

I come here to feel connected with others who have an
optimism about how we can move forward together through
the dark hatred that tears our country apart,
to better times.

and I am often inspired by other persons here.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1364311

And, what does that accomplish?

You often suggest that we should abandon electoral politics and that revolution is right around the corner. On several occasions, I've asked you politely what you seek to accomplish, and how you think the existing order can be overthrown, but never hear anything specific in response.

Why should any of us take you seriously -- as anything other than a provocateur -- if you're unwilling or unable to provide any specifics regarding proposed program and tactics. :eyes:

The "good cop/bad cop", "not as bad as", one capitalist party with two wings, system of politics as usual, is dispiriting at best. At worst, it just sustains the sytem that exploits the world.

The good news is that the world, as a whole, is beginning to see through the facade of supposed "democracy" and "freedom" that America has traded in for an oligarchy and empire.

talk alone doesn't do much, if anything. The Democratic leadership is in control, not Democrats. We can complain all we want but as long as we support weak leadership see what we get.

Until then, I'm holding out hope.