A Year of Sweet Victories - Katrina Vanden Heuvel/Huff Post

[applegrove]

A Year of Sweet Victories
Katrina Vanden Heuvel
Huff Post - 12.31.05

"In the dark days after the election of 2004, the mainstream media was touting the making of a permanent rightward shift, and the progressive community was deeply deflated. It was difficult, in those times, to maintain a sense of hope--as corruption, war, lies and injustices large and small loomed all around, and outrage about the Right's assault on our democracy threatened to overwhelm us.

A year later, the dark and menacing clouds that hovered over The Nation's November 2, 2004 cover ("Four More Years") seem to be slowly lifting. Millions of us are organizing, agitating, mobilizing--and there are many hard-fought victories to celebrate.The attempt to destroy Social Security has been successfully blocked, the movement for withdrawal has captured the majority of the public's support, the mainstream media is slowly rousing from its slumbers, the White House's surveillance state is being revealed, there is talk of impeachment in the air, Vice President for Torture Cheney suffered a stinging rebuke when John McCain's torture ban passed, the GOP is mired in corruption and cronyism ( "Jack Abramoff seems to have the whole party on his payroll,"Katha Pollitt writes in her end of year review for The Nation), and scores of local, statewide, and national victories have been won.

Here are some of my favorite "sweet victories" of '05--to savor as we head into 2006.

....SNIP"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/katrina-vanden-heuvel/a-year-of-sweet-victories_b_12993.html

[rudeboy666]

1. Rich Bitch

[applegrove]

2. Ouch! I thought we needed to feel good about the last year.

[EST]

3. I think the announcement of media arousal is a bit premature.

They just grunted, rolled over and went back to fellating the r/wingy thingies.

[applegrove]

4. I think you are wrong. Look at the stuff still coming out of the NYTimes.

I mean - I hope you are wrong. I dont' know - and am given to looking too often on the sunny side of things.

[EST]

7. I hope so too.

I watched the TV gong shows and cheered as they spent a couple of weeks gleefully taking pot shots at the junta, then a week of looking-over-the-shoulder apologising, explaining, and justifying Boosh. Now a week of best/worst/dumbest, with the whole satellite sphere polluted by conservative wanker and ultra religious humbug, very little of substance shone through.
Hopefully, with the holier than thou stuff on the wane, we can get back to some real coverage of exposing the corruption and insane un-americanism that is shaking the neo fascist bulwarks. I, too, have spent my life mostly on the sunny side of the hill, even to the point of spending five years getting on stages and telling jokes, but, I must admit, the last few years have taken their toll on my giggle virginity.

[applegrove]

8. They are scary. Busy as usual the Weekly Standard in Europe -

bringing the revolution to them - from outside as all normal revolutions happen. Convincing the Euros that they really are neocons. Or trying to. And as usual taking ownership of all things like "democracy" "capitalism" that work - and handing all the stuff that doesn't work over to the fault of Liberals... apparently the Germans don't work - though I think it has more to do with integration of Eastern Europe, Germany joining the EU and loosing monetary policy(free trade) & massive migration for former communist Europe and the mediterranian - but that is just me.

Apparently Germany is the "test child" of the reason why traditional liberalism does not work. Which is a lie. But that never stopped them!!!


:puke:

[drm604]

5. Great article.

It really makes you feel like the tide is slowly (maybe rapidly!) turning.

[applegrove]

6. Kinda reminds me of the Cole Porter song about Obsession.... bit by bit

by bit until the whole country has it. The desire to take it back. The Nation.

Lyrics:
"Like the beat beat beat of the tom-tom
When the jungle shadows fall
Like the tick tick tock of the stately clock
As it stands against the wall
Like the drip drip drip of the raindrops
When the summer shower is through
So a voice within me keeps repeating you, you, you
Night and day, you are the one
Only you beneath the moon or under the sun
Whether near to me, or far
It's no matter darling where you are
I think of you
Day and night, night and day, why is it so
That this longing for you follows wherever I go
In the roaring traffic's boom
In the silence of my lonely room
I think of you
Day and night, night and day
Under the hide of me
There's an oh such a hungry yearning burning inside of me
And this torment won't be through
Until you let me spend my life making love to you
Day and night, night and day"