LTTEs: Renewed Calls for Liberals to 'Fall in Line'

[G_j]

LTTEs from the local paper, empowered by the election some RWers renew the demand for liberals to march in lockstep with the Fuhrer.
But don't lose heart, far more letters in the last week have echoed the last letter I posted. :-)

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http://www.citizen-times.com/letters.shtml

Democrats need to end mutiny and come back to the fold

Nov. 20, 2004 12:01 a.m.

Many of our Democratic friends apparently don't understand the term "democracy." When the majority wins, the minority accepts it and comes together for the common good.

We have had a vibrant, fair election; the people have spoken. They need to listen to the call of their conceding candidate, who was gentlemanly and gracious - and on target. President Bush won by more than 3 million votes - a clear majority. Plus the Republicans added to their position in both the House and Senate. Come on, mutiny is the direct opposite of democracy.

And mutiny is the right word. It means "revolt against constituted authority." Stop rebelling and join the rest of America. Surely no one prefers anarchy to democracy.

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Nov. 18, 2004 4:53 p.m.

I've read with interest the articles about Democrats so distraught over the election that they're flocking to the Canadian immigration Web site and may leave the country. I wonder just what kind of person would even consider abandoning his/her country over election results. Could these be the same people who stand on Pack Square with anti- President Bush banners as though no one has told them the election is over? These folks need to give it a rest and start supporting their country and their president. We're in a war for our very survival and they're whining like spoiled children because the election didn't go their way. Remember the sentence we used for typing practice in high school: "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country." I think it's time to put this election behind us and to start putting patriotism above partisanship. After all, we are still one country united under God.

(hey, I'm one of those ppl he may have seen at Pack Square!)

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but **the majority (5 to 1?) letters have echoed this one:

Sees no legitimate chance at unification in four more years

Nov. 20, 2004 12:01 a.m.

Unifier? Since President Bush cannot answer questions honestly and forthrightly, his first administration was a sham concerning unifying the nation. How could it be possible to achieve with him and his autocratic associates? How can he be so presumptuous that he can do it in his lame duck second administration - even with "God's help"?

[gristy]

1. who cares?

I don't.

[G_j]

6. I don't either ..really

but these are folks in my own community and our local RW radio loves to work people up calling us traitors, guilty of sedition.
These emotions do play out in our community and effect us.

The spectrum of letters certainly shows an even deeper divide.

[Francesca]

12. I have been seeing that myself

and agree.... I was told in a letter to the editor (in response to one of mine) that I should in fact consider Canada since I am unaware that this is a Democracy....

[DBoon]

16. I would take these seriously too

It may be empty words for now, but with some official encouragement, this could become very dangerous.

People lost their jobs during the McCarthy era. It would take very little for this to happen again.

[Hotler]

2. Bush is not my president....

King James is not my bible.

[ET Awful]

3. No, we are NOT united under "God", that's one of the problems.

When are these ignorant crude terms for a female's nether regions going to ever learn?

[MSgt213]

4. Since when has the minority accepted and came together with the majority

that is a ridiculous statement. Once a party wins it is an absolute responsibility of the losing party to keep the winners in check and challenges the winners actions and positions and prepare the elections next time around. Otherwise there is absolutely no need for an opposition party.

[Hubert Flottz]

11. I keep remembering how the GOP supported Mr Clinton!

We had troops getting shot at and killed in Eastern Europe when the GOP was impeaching President Clinton!

[Cerridwen]

5. I wonder how these people responded when Clinton won?

And he did win, twice. In elections which were not fraught with "irregularities" and questionable actions.

Did they then "accepts it and comes together for the common good?"

Did they "start putting patriotism above partisanship." because "After all, we are still one country united under God."?

Just some of my thoughts.

[HuskiesHowls]

8. Say "Amen!!!"

[Clark2008]

7. Uh-oh....

Looks like some people need to go back to school and learn the definition of "democracy," which doesn't automatically include "coming back into the fold."
Honestly, these people shouldn't be American citizens if they don't know that questioning authority, speaking out against powers that are moving toward tyranny and protest are the cornerstone of a vibrant democracy.
Maybe it's not disappointed liberals and left-leaning moderates who should be moving - maybe we should be asking those who don't understand democracy to move somewhere where they can live under totalitarian rule if they want.

[Ms_Mary]

15. No kidding. The last I remember, that was how we got America. nt

n

[TahitiNut]

20. This is the failure of the Left.

Our society is failing, on all levels, to inform and educate people about these fundamentals. People have lost whatever comprehension we once might have had regarding the inherent protections of a democratic form of governance and have gotten to the point (even on DU!) of confusing 'populism' with 'democracy.'

The authoritarian mindset that's prevailing in our country today consistently presumes that the "winner" of an election gets to prevail on all issues ... even those "secondary" issues where they take a minority position. In this way the ReichWing gets to paint the Left as the same kind of majoritarian/populist tyranny that the Reich commits itself to. Sadly, the "Left" seems to be infected with the same kind of thinking. So, for example, if the majority really favors something close to the status quo on gun ownership, their visceral propensity to fear and being denuded of their "firepower" seduces them into ditto-heading the NRA. Every "wedge issue" is being used in this way.

[rucky]

9. Bullies never quit

until you punch 'em in the face

and not in a figurative sort of way. they don't think like us.

[suegeo]

10. I've seen lots of "UNITE" columns in my local rag

I've seen numerous columns calling for the country to unit in my local suburban rag. Like the poster above said, Did the republican UNITE and cooperate when Bill Clinton got elected?

Do they expect me to ignore all the fraud I've seen in the last 3 elections to put radical rightwingers into place?

I find these calls for unity esp. insulting, esp when I read about republicans trying to run down the opposition with their cars, and the Secret Service investigating people who disagree with our dear leader.

Fraud and the stifling of the opposition are FASCISM, not democracy. But why do I expect an ignorant (70% believe that Iraq was behind 9.11 and that Saddam had WMDs) republican to understand the difference?

[ooglymoogly]

13. we are in a war for our very survival all right but it aint eyraak

its election fraud and for the very democracy this country is rapidly loosing. so its time to stand and fight. give me liberty or give me death!!!!!!!soooo "roll over and play dead" and hup too and yes sir mine fuhrer? fart chance

[TahitiNut]

14. There's a BIG difference between "democratic" and "populist"

Populism is the "mob rule" ideology of fascism - incite the mob under a demagogue and 'celebrate' Krystallnacht. True Democracy protects the rights of minorities - it's "minority rights with majority rule" on issue by issue.

What these cretins seem to fail to comprehend is that true democracy is about the people governing directly, by vote, on every political decision. It's NOT about periodically choosing a dictator and surrendering sovereignty; it's about the People as Sovereign at all times. The inherent weakness of "representative" democracy is the risk of populist tyranny - a surrender of political sovereignty to a Fuhrer. It's this weakness that's being exploited by the Fascist Right Wing today: the Republican Reich. This is why "single issue" divisiveness is working as a political ploy: a strategy of corruption. It's very clear that the majority of the public is aligned with the left on the majority of issues - yet the use of visceral, authoritarian "wedge issues" seduces the public into choosing a demagogue almost totally committed to the benefit of a very narrow minority: the privileged.

[DBoon]

17. Democracy = open dissension and compromise

Fascism = rule by the plebiscite.

[TahitiNut]

21. Yes, but it needs to be described more fully.

Sometimes I think Japanese business practices demonstrate a form of "representative democracy" even better than we do in our political processes.

When the management of a Japanese company embarks upon deciding some internal process change, they discuss it ... almost endlessly. There are meetings, working groups, and discussion carried on to the point that, when a "decision" is finally made, it's anti-climactic. It's the kind of thing that drives a authoritarian-indoctrinated American manager nearly nuts. The typical "9-1" American manager who participates in this kind of culture gets impatient very early on. Once (s)he sees the decision that (obviously) will be made, (s)he wants to "shit or get off the pot." The Japanese manager, however, is awaiting nearly complete employee comprehension - waiting until everyone's already "on board." What they're doing is building a broad consensus and thorough comprehension - so, when the "decision" is ultimately enacted, it gets implemented with the least disruption and greatest possible coordination.

This isn't being done in the U.S. It's about power and authority. Not only are our business practices corrupted by this dictatorial mindset, but we're doing the same in governance. We're "electing" dictators. It really makes little difference whether we "elect" a series of dictators or keep the same one for many years - it's still authoritarian. Changing "front men" periodically makes little substantive difference.

[whirlygigspin]

18. Here's a unifying idea

Let's spend the next 4 years and 100 million dollars trying to impeach the bastard.

Oh, yes unity, peace peace peace.

*the abomination that causes desolation, burn in hell.


http://www.bushisantichrist.com/

[pffarrell]

30. That's less than we spent trying to elect Kerry

Bargain!!

[G_j]

22. scary

it seems this understanding is being lost and a new definition of "Democracy" emerging. Since the RW power brokers depend on the ignorance of their supporters, you will never hear them attempting to change misconceptions, only exploit them.

[Buns_of_Fire]

19. Not. MY. President.

Wasn't four years ago.
Wasn't on November 1st.
Wasn't on November 3rd.
Isn't today.
Won't EVER be.

These people need to just get over it!

[Forkboy]

23. Heh,we can barely unite behind each other

:)

[Festivito]

24. Gee, I thought they admired people who stuck to principle. nt.

[Deja Q]

25. Well, when right-wingers lose their jobs and get poverty-paying jobs,

then they can tell us to follow suit.

[young_at_heart]

26. Today's letter ruined my breakfast!

I live in Asheville and find these latest letters ordering us to "shape up" and stop whining to be disgusting. It sounds so autocratic and demeaning when you recognize the true meaning......."no dissent is to be allowed". I especially was repulsed by Mark Ruscoe's column today....he is a disgrace to the Republican party and I don't know how the AC-T keeps printing his bullying prattle.

[G_j]

28. Mark Ruscoe

is horrible!
Add Sinclair's Mark Hyman spoutiing his hate 'point' on WLOS and we have more than our share of RW crap in our local media.
:puke:

[Clyde39]

27. Democrats don't understand the term "democracy

Many of our Democratic friends apparently don't understand the term "democracy." When the majority wins, the minority accepts it and comes together for the common good.

OK, I'll accept that. Now tell me why the Republicans didn't follow that rule in 2000 when Gore had the majority?

I would think such an asinine statement would have to work both ways.

[DrGonzoLives]

29. They didn't accept it in 1992 or 1996

or 1976 or 1964 or 1960 or 1948 or 1944 or 1940 or 1936 or 1932 or 1916 or 1912...etc.

[GetTheRightVote]

31. Ok, Ok, Maybe we should behave ourselves

LOL, like they did, no way in hell am I allowing them to take over my country with their evil ideals. Please tell them for me they are all going straight to hell for following this loser. He was a part of the 9/11 deaths of over 3000 Americans so he can just take a hike over the next mountain into another country. I can not wait until they get him for it and all the crooks around him as well. Our day will come I just hope it is soon.

[Yavin4]

32. I Wonder How "United" These Idiots Will Be When There's A Draft

Will they "unite" and "fall in line" behind Bush then? Or, will they flock to the streets in protest? My guess is that they'll protest like hell if they have to actually go to war and fight.

[Bluebear]

33. "After all, we are still one country united under God."

Aye, there's the rub.