The 5 stages of Grief and everything...

1. Denial and Isolation.
2. Anger.
3. Bargaining.
4. Depression.
5. Acceptance.


I'm thinking as a nation we are somewhere at stage 3. Bargaining.

What does this have to do with the price of tea in china?

Well I'll tell ya.

Peak oil, climate change, housing bust, crappy economy, war in iraq, possible war in iran, spying, wire tapping, lying, stealing, cheating, etc... feel free to add to the list.

we as a nation are in basically, deep shit.

We progressives have seen this long coming. We were stamping our feet and yelling our lungs out to anyone that would listen to us about the coming crisis. But those in power chose to marginalize us as doom and gloomers. "oh don't listen to them, they have been yelling about this for a long time.

So now as everything we pretty much predicted unfolds before us, I'm reminded of the 5 stages of grief that I stated above.

We as a nation have gone through step 1. Denial and Isolation. (Granted there are many freeps out there that hold on to this first step like grim death, but they will eventually come around.) There was all sorts of poo pooing, kook calling, etc but that kind of rhetoric pretty much falls into the echo chamber of the exxon funded stooges and other denialests that still bleat their weak arguments.

Then came step 2. Anger. Which for the most part we are still experiencing. The frustration by the right that the left/progressives were correct all along and that just pisses the off to no end. Are we smug? yeah, are we self righteous? nope. We just want people to understand that the issues facing us effect all of us. And how much it pains the right, we all have to work together to either find a solution or change our ways of thinking to transform our nation into one that will hopefully survive in one shape or another.

However, I do think now that we are entering into stage 3. Bargaining. We are all getting soooooo green. All doing what we can to offset all sorts of things from green house gases, using less oil, calling hearings, "holding people accountable" for their actions, hearing plans to "pull out" of iraq, curing our hang nails, etc... but in the front of the crowd are the techno-solution-geeks. "we will find all sorts of new and great ways to pull our bacon out of the fire!" If it's not some new invention that will create energy from old chewing gum, to great new vehicles that burn chicken crap to move us from one place to another so we can continue to buy useless crap.

Yeah, we are all (not all, a few of us know that we have to make some truly serious changes for us to survive) just waiting for something to come along so we don't have to compromise our way of life and we can still commute 100 miles each way to work to have that lifestyle in the country that we never get a chance to see. Ah yes, the glory of denial. Mm-mmmm smell it.

We are trying so hard not to face the truth. In a few years, oil will top 100+ bucks a barrel, gas at the pump will not be affordable for most of us, more than likely, we will still be involved in some sort of war, maybe not Iraq, but I'm betting my money on either the Sudan or Somalia. (oil you know) or yet some other yet to be exploited African country. The middle east was just the warm up. Africa is still the great unexplored oil region of the world.

Our new congress, which is still displaying the same low self image that it had prior to winning control of both houses has yet to grasp the reality that they have the power and to step up to the plate.

They are trying to be so politically correct, the path that they chose follow, heaven forbid, one of least resistance for fear of angering the repubs is in fact angering and losing the people they are supposed to represent. Sigh. We get congress back and all I got was this t-shirt.

Hearing after hearing after hearing after hearing, but has anyone been held accountable? Bwahahaha, sorry I crack myself up sometimes.

With the exception of a few congress people, it's business as usual: politicking and self importance cloaked in a guise of listening to the nation.

So here we are, bargaining.

I really worry about the next stage. 4. Depression. Is it physical, emotional, or metaphorical? or worse yet, all of the above.

Those of us on the left that have been following this dog and pony show, known as the U.S.A., have long since passed this stage and have forged ahead to acceptance. (Stage 5)

We have accepted that that the US is fucked up and we now want to fix it. The sad part is, we have to wait till our "leaders" catch up.

And for me, that is frustrating me to no fucking end. So maybe I'm back to stage 2. Anger. Sigh.

and interesting analysis. I'm with you... we're at bargaining but I begin to see the signs of depression. The anger of course never leaves.

Today I can't even muster the energy to phone our fearless leaders in DC to let them know what I think about the 'immigration' bill. I feel like it is such a waste of time to try and search for the soul, the conscience, the humanity in those folks. Where do they get off selling the American people down the river? Why don't more Americans get off the couch and work toward putting this country together again? As for me I plan for the future when the middle class has totally disappeared and we are all one bean pot away from eternal hunger. Thanks for posting this. peace, Kim

or apply to our problem.

having our govt. run by a bunch of criminals who have us boxed in isn't causing grief, it's causing anger.

for those who have ever boiled water - think of americans at the 'simmer'

at the blink of an eye we may 'boil'

we are going through the five stages of abandonment:
Shattering, Withdrawal, Internalizing, Rage, and Lifting.

Government of the people, by the people and for the people has abandoned the people to serve the interests of corporations. People are expendable and have been largely abandoned by their government and its leaders.

now that is uplifting though. :(

Denial and Isolation, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance.

Shattering, Withdrawal, Internalizing, Rage, and Lifting.

There are common elements:
- Denial, isolation, withdrawal
- Anger, rage
- Acceptance, lifting

Put the two together and you get:
- Shattering
- Denial, isolation, withdrawal
- Internalizing
- Anger, rage
- Bargaining
- Depression
- Acceptance, lifting

Sadly, I think I know someone at every single stage.

People grieve differently.