Take heart: Awakening the moderates is important work, too.

[lostnfound]

I've seen many stories here about the freeper neighbor or the rightwingers waking up, and they are so encouraging to hear.

Often when I read those, I feel guilty for not making a daily effort to 'mix with' the rightwingers more. I know that every rightwinger 'converted' might end up sprinkling 'seeds of doubt' among 5 or 10 of their friends. I try to talk about the state of the country to the few rightwingers I , but I generally don't feel successful in raising their awareness. Maybe I'm too extreme, and words like 'empire' make their eyes glaze up.

What good do I do, I think, when I only talk to like-minded people? Compared to the Herculean feat of breaking through the roadblocks erected in the minds of a koolaid drinker, not much.

I won't share their stories, because they are private. But talk to your friends today who are apolitical, apathetic, or just 'quiet' about politics and make them see the extremities of where our world is heading. Help to convince them that these are NOT normal times, that to stand on the sidelines and do nothing is to collaborate with evil. Get them to read some radical or liberal books that expose them to underlying realities of empire, fascism, big corporate media -- Chomsky, or Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, or Molly Ivins, or Gore Vidal, or William Blum, or John Pilger, or Amy Goodman, 'It Can't Happen Here', or your own personal favorites. Loan them DVDs that are eye-opening. Share with them the outrage of the day or the week from the Bush administration. Feed their areas of interest. Most importantly, let them show off their new-found knowledge without jumping in to soon or elaborating on it yourself.

When they become more radicalized or more driven to action, you might have the pleasure of seeing:
*a parent expressing concern over commercialism in the schools
*a formerly-apolitical friend telling you how they are frustrated over a political argument with their conservative friends -- this is actually a good sign, isn't it?
*a journalist recommending different topics at the newspaper, or putting different context around it
*elevator conversations where 2 formerly-apolitical friends are mocking the transparent lies in the news, in earshot of others
*a formerly-apolitical friend saying "that book you loaned me? Is it okay if I pass it on to another friend that supported Bush? He's promised me that he will read it."
*"Hey, I got my letter to the editor published yesterday!"

As an aside, I almost wrote this with the word 'moderate' instead of 'apolitical', but I don't want to offend those who still label themselves with that word, and I also think that a lot of us here might prefer to be 'moderates' if these weren't such extreme times. The important thing is to develop an ability to interpret current events from outside of the narrow window alotted to the uninformed consuming-classes of the empire. Oops! There I go again with that extreme word 'empire'.

Happy awakenings.

[omega minimo]

1. THEY ARE WAITING TO SEE SOME REAL DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP

that addresses the most basic issues we share
including the aftermath of horror following the aftermath of Katrina
sans "handlers" and marketing-speak, sans "framing" and spin
Real leaders saying real things to real people

NOW

[Armstead]

2. You're right

But apolitical moderates can also be frustrating because they seem so near yet so far.

At least freepers have passion and beliefs.

I've had a lot of conversations with my bro and sister-in-law like that. They agree with me on what's wrong, but they don't have a sense that anything can be changed.

[MissMarple]

3. Maybe we should start asking the hard questions in the public square.

I am still shocked that the GOP gets away with their voodoo economic myths. The supply side, tax cuts, more tax cuts, have a problem, here's a tax cut ideology is bankrupt. Everyone knows that tax cuts only work in the short term and work best when given to people who will spend the money right away.

The real reason for the tax cuts and the rampant growth of government is 1) to enrich GOP donors and 2) to bring our government to its knees so they can remake it like they want 3) too screw everyone else because it makes these jerks feel ever so much better about themselves.

:nuke:

[omega minimo]

4. What's The Matter With The U.S?"

Why are people voting against there own self-interests (as examined in Tom Frank's books)

As for what they "get away with":

WHY AREN'T ALL AMERICANS FURIOUS THAT HALLIBURTON IS PROFITEERING IN IRAQ, PROFITEERING (WHILE THE TRAGEDY IS ONGOING) IN NEW ORLEANS AND DIRECTING THE ACTION FROM THE ROVAL OFFICE?

Are they :boring:?

[MissMarple]

5. Well, abortion is illegal now, and we have prayer in the schools.

Now wasn't that worth it? :crazy:

[omega minimo]

6. Oh, so what's killing the nation and the people is

religious hypocrisy?

:evilfrown:

[MissMarple]

7. Religious exploitation is giving power to the bad people.

So are economic lies, cultural untruths, and visions of hoards of swarming enemies. Whatever it takes to get the vote, including cheating, these guys will do. They are on a mission to remake government in their own image.

But, you knew that already, didn't you? :)