What is the best we can hope for from 2005-2009?

[BurtWorm]

[BurtWorm]

1. Those who voted other, please elaborate.

[DuctapeFatwa]

2. We can hope to survive the initial blast

anything beyond that is gravy.

[BurtWorm]

3. Seriously?

The intial blast? From whose weapons?

[DuctapeFatwa]

4. What difference does it make?

?

[BurtWorm]

5. Where does this extreme pessimism come from?

I mean times are bad, but are they as bad as all that? Is it terrorists you're afraid of, because they can usually only hit one target at a time. You think it will get as bad here as it has in Israel?

[Forkboy]

9. I share that pessimism

thatnks to Bush's pre-emptive strategery many countries will,and are trying to,aquire nuclear weapons.I got into politics during the Raygun years because of the No Nukes movement.I find this period of time to be even scarier in terms of the threat of a nuclear exchange.

I'm not so worried about terrorists doing it,though that does remain a possibilty.I'm more worried that with the nutballs we have in charge an accident is likely to occur.Don't forget,even with all the strides made in this area Russia still has thousands of nuclear weapons,China has dozens (if not more).If you were one of these countries and you knew Bush was insane you'd be ready to strike back...my guess is that both countries are very wary of us,and rightly so.

[BurtWorm]

10. Okay, but the situation is really not all that much different from what

it was under Clinton, in terms of numbers of nukes and numbers of nations with nukes. Did you feel as pessimistic three years ago as you do now?

[Forkboy]

11. Under Clinton

the world was sane (relatively speaking).I wasn't as pessimistic then as I am now under a bunch of psychos,and with nation after nation trying to get nuclear weapons (Saudi Arabia is the latest).

I am pessimistic by nature I admit,but I feel I have much more reason to be now than when we were under Clinton.

[BurtWorm]

14. But the question is what is the BEST we can hope for

I accept it if you really believe that the best we can hope for is nothing. What that would mean to me is that you believe no one or nothing can change the situation as quickly or easily as Bush changed it in 2001. If that's what you really believe, then I have to say I can only sympathize. But I'm not quite so pessimistic myself. I actually think the best we can hope for is a period of correction. We can hope for a peaceful revolution, but I don't see it happening, unfortunately.

[Forkboy]

16. sorry...should have answered that part huh?

I agree with you that the best we can hope for is a period of correction.

[BurtWorm]

17. I was just thinking

I should have put the word "realistically" in there, because of course people will hope for the best. Or perhaps I should have phrased it "best we can expect." And yet, people seem to be reading the question as I hoped they would, so to speak. Go figure!

[uptohere]

24. you were just not looking if you see any difference now

India and Pakistan were inches away from making the other glow at night for about the entire Clinton era. Just for starters...

[BurtWorm]

6. kick

[BurtWorm]

7. kick

[BurtWorm]

8. Now why is heightened contradictions in second place?

Does this reflect pessimism? Or just the fact that seven people who feel this way coincidentally chose to vote while more optimistic people are choosing not to vote in their actual proportions on DU?

[BurtWorm]

18. Still in second place.

And I'm still wondering if there's a contingent of people at DU who secretly want Bush elected so the contradictions will be heightened.

[diamondsoul]

12. Interesting question. You asked for the best we can hope for-

so I chose what I'm hoping for. Number 2.

I notice all the pessimistic responses here, and it got me thinking about why I stepped up to help coordinate my local Kucinich volunteers. I listened to people saying "he has no chance" etc. etc. and they may be right, MAY be. The thing is, once hope dies there isn't much point in trying anymore. So as long as there's a chance, no matter how slim it might be, I'll hang onto that hope and keep on plugging.

The way I see it the rumblings of a peaceful revolution are already growing, we just have to keep it that way. It's a battle, and giving up or going down without a fight are not options.

[Forkboy]

13. I'm a pessimistic person

but to quote the Beastie Boys "There is no other worthy quest...so on I go."

:)

[BurtWorm]

15. I wonder if most of the people voting as you did are Kucinich

supporters. It would seem to me they probably are because Kucinich does seem to offer the most revolutionary of the Democrats' programs.

[OldSoldier]

19. I voted other and here's why

We really don't know.

The best we could hope for is that a decent Democrat wins (I would categorize any of the ten we've got running now as decent), reinstates the Fairness Doctrine, then deports the whole Bush cabal including its press mouthpieces and its corporate cronies to an island whose only natural resource is bat guano. All he'd have to do is to declare them terrorist supporters--remember how closely the Bushes are tied to the Bin Ladens.

At that point, we're dealing with minimum twenty years to fix everything Bush fucked up. Bill Clinton fixed the Reagan-Bush national nightmare in eight, but Bill Clinton can't be president again and no one else has the bandwidth Clinton displays.

The worst we can imagine is that Bush gets elected, or re-installed, in 2004. If Bush doesn't have to make it look like he is at least minimally worried about his chances for reelection, expect some very nasty things to happen. When they start selling burqas at Wal-Mart, you will know Bush is running at high pitch.

[BurtWorm]

20. Very reasonably put.

:toast:

[noonwitch]

21. Ask me again in November of 2004

after the election.

[BurtWorm]

23. Just curious if you're leaning toward a candidate.

You don't have to say who it is. My hypothesis is that people choose their candidates based on what they realistically expect from and hope for the future.

[sangh0]

22. I'm hoping

that Ben and Jerry's will put out some peach ice crea,.

It just doesn't get any better than that!!