THE major issue of our time...

[Triana]

[newfie11]

1. We're pretty damn close to being there already

If this election goes repug kiss the America we used to have goodby.

[Triana]

2. That is THE issue in this election. We're hanging by a thread: the senate

If that one is cut, it's buh-bye to any remote shadow we have left of the America we used to have or could be.

[calimary]

10. There's a four-letter-word solution if we all would just TAKE IT!!!!

VOTE!


VOTE, DAMMIT!!!!


And do your damnedest to make sure everyone you know gets up and goes out to VOTE, too! WE WILL WIN - IF WE VOTE. Because the sheer numbers are on OUR side. If only OUR side would turn out! And VOTE!!!!

[Triana]

11. +1 n/t

[ZombieHorde]

33. It's worth a try, in my opinion,

but it may already be too late.

[Whiskeytide]

44. But the problem is that...

... they control so much of the messaging that the vote is tainted. We do have the numbers, but we are vulnerable to circus tricks and slight of hand politics.

[calimary]

45. And we're extremely vulnerable, on our side, to wilting under pressure.

To getting discouraged and throwing up our hands and conceding defeat before the battle's over (or in this case, before Actual Fight Day - Election Day - arrives).

[randome]

3. I would vote for Bernie Sanders in a heartbeat.

But that phrase is empty of substance. What does it mean in concrete terms? Overturning Citizens United, maybe? Eliminating tax loopholes? What?
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font][hr]

[Triana]

4. Bernie Sanders has advocated for all of that.

So I'm guessing those are at least a couple things he is referring to.

[Dustlawyer]

5. He has stated that his #1 issue is getting rid of campaign contributions and having Publicly

Funded Elections! This goes to the heart of Plutocraratic control of our government.

[yeoman6987]

13. I wonder if Senator Sanders runs, will he only exclusively

Use public funds? That would be interesting. President Obama prmised to only use public funds until he was the candidate and then ended up part of the most expensive Presidentiial campaign in history. What do you think Senator Sanders will do? I find it fascinating to ponder.

[Dustlawyer]

17. He will take small donations for sure, when in Rome and all. I don't think he will be hurt by

taking donations, especially small ones, when others still take all they can get. His message can be that this still has to change.

[1dogleft]

21. public funds

he does not have the star power President Obama once had. He is also more sincere with his pledges

[tecelote]

35. He should use the system as it is.

Use every opportunity for funding.

Then, level the playing field.

[ReRe]

6. K&R

That's right. It's either Democracy or Hell. Which will it be America?

[Jackpine Radical]

7. Run, Bernie, Run!

*Chanting*
Run, Bernie, Run!
Run, Bernie, Run!
Run, Bernie, Run!
Run, Bernie, Run!
…

[Thespian2]

8. Bernie

understands that the GREEDY BASTARDS have been working to control all levels of government since before America's ruin was begun by the third-rate asshole Reagan. Now the Bastards control most of the state governments, all the main-stream media, most of the federal government (including the presidency), and now they need only the Senate to complete the sweep. When enough Americans are starving, perhaps they will take some kind of action against the Oligarchs.

[calimary]

12. Read the Powell Memo.

It's how they did it. They were willing to put several decades into changing the nation and the culture more toward what THEY wanted it to be. And here's how. While OUR team slept. Or looked at clouds. Or something...

http://reclaimdemocracy.org/powell_memo_lewis/

[Thespian2]

20. Thank you

I re-read the memo from Powell. Yes, they followed their blueprint while the Dems looked for four-leaf clovers.

[calimary]

22. And part of its evil genius was - it allowed them to ruin OUR brand.

It was during this time that the word "liberal" came to be completely demonized. Turned into something bad, nasty, and noxious. The kind of word that george bush senior visibly curled his lip while uttering, during one of his convention speeches. Physically curled his lip while he almost literally spat out the word liberal, as though it was some worm he bit into - in the apple he'd half-finished munching. That was all part of it. And your subliminal, unconscious takeaway from that was "eeeuwww! Liberal = bad!" It was very deliberate and conscious as hell. Psy-ops. Brainwashing. And it worked. And they were on top of it - and WE were completely unaware - while slowly and subtly being buried underneath it.

The only answer, seems to me, is to hijack that entire report and apply it - LIBERALLY - to manipulate conditions on OUR side and in OUR favor. Just jack the WHOLE thing and turn it inside-out, upside-down and 180-degrees around and make it OURS. Take their biggest and most effective weapon (the Powell Instruction Manual) and turn it AGAINST them. And shove it back down their miserable scheming throats.

[BobTheSubgenius]

25. You are entirely right about that!

How has the word "liberal" come to be an pejorative to so many people, and "conservative" a badge of supposed honour?

People need to be reminded that America was founded by men who, in the context of their time, were EXTREMELY liberal.

[tecelote]

36. History has a liberal bias.

That is, until the end.

[calimary]

46. And we as humans are physically, anatomically pre-disposed to be liberals.

How come? Because any anatomy book or simple chest Xray will demonstrate that the human heart hangs to the LEFT.

[JayhawkSD]

9. That ship has already sunk. nt

[FlatStanley]

14. I believe we've already made our choice.

[rhett o rick]

15. Those that are afraid to admit that we are already an oligarchy are naively

romantic. Either that or they think if they admit it to themselves, they will feel compelled to do something other than post on a message board and vote.

Progressive candidates need our support now. If progressives make a good showing in 2014, maybe we can defeat the Conservative Wing of the Party in 2016.

[Triana]

41. "do something other than post on a message board and vote"

I suspect many DUers "do something other than post on a message board and vote". Myself included. You may not be aware of what else they do but don't assume that just because you aren't aware, they're not doing anything else.

That said, it IS difficult to convince some people even here to even VOTE. They'd rather whine "well it doesn't make any difference" or "why should I bother, no one represents me!" (or some version thereof). THOSE people, don't even do that much.

[rhett o rick]

42. It seems I failed at making my point. I agree that many here are very active,

but there are also many here that support the status quo. Afraid to admit we have a problem. Willing to elect Democrats that support Wall Street, ignore environmental problems, and support the Continuous Middle East War. We have to elect progressives and forget the DINO's.

[Triana]

43. Absolutely. n/t

[Tommy_Carcetti]

16. Just kidding. It's driverless cars. nt

[Dont call me Shirley]

18. Keep saying it Bernie! LY!

[paulkienitz]

19. I have to agree: almost all the other important issues come back to oligarchy.

Why all the war? Why no action on global warming? Why wall street bailouts? Why are we eating tainted meat and GMO pesticides? Why crumbling infrastructure? Why declining education? Why declining wages? Why is our "news" either fluff or demagoguery? Why voter suppression? Why a nakedly partisan supreme court? Every one of these things grows out of the oligarchy problem.

I'm trying to think of acute social problems that aren't due to oligarchy, and about all I come up with are racism and sexism. And even there, oligarchy helps make them worse.

[TBF]

23. I think we're already there. nt

[adirondacker]

24. Excellent title Triana!

[Uncle Joe]

26. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Triana.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

27. K&R

A voice of courage, compassion and truth. And one of the precious few. Run, Bernie, run!

[TorchTheWitch]

28. we devolved decades ago

God, how stupid do politicians think we are? Like we didn't already know that a handful of billionaires ALREADY DO have absolute control over the political and economic life of the nation and have for decades???

We're there. We've BEEN there for DECADES already.

[tecelote]

37. Look what half a century does...

[tecelote]

38. Over the last 50 years...

[jtuck004]

29. We went there when they tossed Carter. And the country has never looked back. n/t

[Triana]

40. The corrupt govt + capitalists have never looked back

But many people have - and do.

[jtuck004]

47. Not as many as you would think. Carter said we needed to slow things down and live within our means.

Instead people now live on debt, which is what gives the 1% the power to continue their criminal acts

It's like a gift from a bunch of crackheads who can't control themselves, who won't turn off cable and leave the plantation.

[WhiteAndNerdy]

30. Is it even a question of "whether" anymore?

Seems to me the billionaires are already in control. There might still be some question of whether we will restore democracy in the US.

[avaistheone1]

31. k&r

[quakerboy]

32. With all due respect to Bernie

that was the the major issue of the 80's

The major issue of our time is whether America can find a path back to its Democratic Foundation, or if it will retain its oligarchic form of society where a handful of billionaires have almost absolute control over the political and economic life of the nation.

[Spider Jerusalem]

34. nope

the major issue of our time: how society is going to adapt to climate change and fossil fuel depletion.

[KG]

39. it's been a bi-partisan effort...

[Rex]

48. This needed to be said during the Reagan Era.

Not that it is too late, we can still turn this all around. That would require the law be directed at the people that cause most of the damage, the 1%.

[Electric Monk]

49. kick