What Is DU's Platform? What Do We Stand For?

[dogday]

I will start it out by saying we want equal rights for every citizen of the United States of America.

We want the end to the War in Iraq...



Please feel free to add to our platform..........

[underpants]

1. More Cowbell

[dogday]

6. Thanks for the honest response

[slackmaster]

2. Clean up Armenia

:nuke:

[meganmonkey]

3. I don't really thing there is one

nor should there be one. I like that we often disagree here and can discuss things.

But good luck with this thread!

:popcorn:

[dogday]

4. I was just trying to establish the things that

are important to us. Does my post look like some kind of joke? Why are you reacting this way? Pardon my ignorance, I don't understand...

[meganmonkey]

7. I know where you are coming from, but I have seen similar threads

before and they seem to turn into flame wars because, while we agree on some things, we disagree on many others. So I was just preparing for the worst, I guess. Although sometimes the unity here can surprise me!

I didn't mean to sound smarmy or anything, sorry if I did.

:hi:

[dogday]

9. I started it out with two good topics

equality and an end to the war. Frankly they about cover everything I think we do stand for. When you start breaking things up about Gay Marriage and Pro-Choice, both of those go under the category of Equal Rights.

I heard the other night that the Democrats don't have a platform and I thought we might at least establish the major things we do believe in.

[crispini]

11. Why do people buy into that whole "Democrats don't have a platform" bs?

Here is the 2004 party platform:

http://www.democrats.org/pdfs/2004platform.pdf

[dogday]

14. Because a lot of people don't know it or don't

see it. Right now we have been described as the party of gay marriage and abortion. The right has repeated it so many times that is what people believe. I believe we need to be the party of peace. The ones to end the war. Kind of hard when a lot of our Democratic leaders support the war...

[lizlib]

5. we stand for

everyone having the right to think, feel,be and believe what they want...

[slackmaster]

8. Including belief that anyone who disagrees with me is a poopy-head

:argh:

[dogday]

10. Thanks for your intelligent input

This was a serious thread. I am not out to flame, check my post, I never flame anyone. Thanks for helping....

[DanCa]

12. Truth Justice and the American Way ?

Oh and stem cell research.

[bryant69]

13. There is no Democratic Underground platform

There can't be, other than that we are generally leftists. But as far as having specific planks, no, those can't exist.

We are a discussion board, not an agreement board. For any issue, I don't care how cut and dried it is, there is someone here who disagrees with it (or disagrees with how it is said, or thinks you should be more careful with the typos and spelling, or who woke up in a bad mood and wants to get in a fight).

That's my take.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[dogday]

15. Thanks that helps

I was just interested. Apparently I am not supposed to ask this question and I don't understand why it would get anyone upset. I still feel the 2 issues I described are the most important issues we have right now. Especially our Constitutional Rights which are slowly eroding as we speak...

[bryant69]

20. I haven't read anybody elses responses

I'm not upset, and I do see some value in discussing the question.

Actually I see the fact that we are all focused on different things as a strength. Humans have a limited ability to give a damn. There are dozens of issues that i recognize are important intellectually, but emotionally I can't work up much enthusiasm for. So it's nice to know that there are others who worry about those issues, while I dwell on the things that I care about.

Bryant

[crispini]

17. NO, YOU'RE WRONG!

And I'm RIGHT CORRECT! Plus, your candidate sucks! Your candidate sucks so hard he's a black hole of suckitude! Your candidate is ugly and his mother dresses him funny!

:evilgrin: :rofl:

[Quixote1818]

16. We are all different here

The strength liberals should strive for is diversity and many different viewpoints and beliefs that lean toward the tolerant, liberal side. The belief that everyone is unique and has something different to offer. That power often corrupts and needs to be kept in check and balanced so those who struggle will have a better chance of making a good living. We look out for the little guy and believe in diplomacy over military might to solve problems.

[porphyrian]

18. Why do you assume we all want equal rights and an end to the war?

I do, but that doesn't mean everyone here does. This is a discussion forum, not an ideology synchronization machine. Part of what makes us great is that we don't all agree, and we embrace that diversity. Usually roughly.

[dogday]

19. We don't want equal rights?

we don't want an end to the war?

[porphyrian]

21. WE aren't all unified in our beliefs.

I would say that some here don't want equal rights, and there are definitely some who aren't in a hurry to end the war. Like I said, I want both of those things, but I don't make the mistake of assuming we all do. Why is it difficult for you to accept that we don't all hold the same beliefs and values?

[dogday]

22. It is not difficult. I know people have different beliefs but

I do believe equal rights would be for everyone. Why would anyone oppose constitution rights for citizens? I can't understand that one.

As far as the war goes, I understand there are people who want this war or do not want to end it for whatever reasons. I have a vested interest in seeing it end as my son leaves for Iraq in November.

The interest in Cindy Sheehan and the support tells me that a majority of this board does not want the war.

Yes I get it, not everyone believes everything the other person does, but I have seen a majority of post for civil rights and the ending of the war and it seemed to me that most of DU was on-board with this...

[porphyrian]

23. If you understand, why do you want to impose a platform?

If you're just looking for a laundry list of beliefs that most of us seem to have, then fine. But you shouldn't presume to speak for everyone here.

[dogday]

25. I ask a question and I gave my opinion-here is my post

What Is DU's Platform? What Do We Stand For?

I will start it out by saying we want equal rights for every citizen of the United States of America.

We want the end to the War in Iraq...


Please feel free to add to our platform..........


I was just asking what it is that everyone believes in, instead I get insults, flames and attacks. Crazy shit.........

[meganmonkey]

27. It's kinda funny, at first I kind of felt bad about no one answering

your question in a straightforward way.

Several people have agreed that the question isn't a simple one, and that is why it isn't being answered.

But instead of thinking about and accepting that, you are accusing people of insults and flames (which, btw, I don't really see much of). I think what is really happening is that you had some sort of agenda on this thread but it isn't playing out the way you wanted. So now you are trying to get a reaction...

:shrug:

[dogday]

28. I have no agenda just wanted everyone to

come together and say what was important to them. Obviously that is impossible. If you don't think I got some flames, look again, look at the first two answers. I don't care, flame on if that is what you want to do. Free country right. My heart was in a good place when I started this thread and now my heart is in a sad place cause I really was not expecting this.

Learned my lesson today... Enough said, last post for me....

[porphyrian]

32. Lighten up, already.

"More cowbell" isn't an insult.

Also, you contradict yourself in saying you have no agenda by following it with your definition of acceptable responses. WE post what we want here, within certain limits, and you can ignore us if you don't like it.

[dogday]

35. Maybe you should lighten up

Don't you get tired of all this over analyzing of the situation. There are answers below that I was trying to seek. Finally someone answers the question instead of questioning the poster.

I don't have anyone on ignore and I don't plan on using that feature. You sound as though you are familiar with it.

I have no acceptable responses, just a question. What do you stand for? Is that so hard? Why does this have to be dissected and analyzed under a microscope. I asked the question to get your response. What do you stand for?

[porphyrian]

36. English isn't your first language, is it?

I get the feeling that you aren't understanding things as a native speaker would.

Analyzing things is what I do, as an intellectually-active and curious person.

I am familiar with the ignore feature, as many people don't like what I say and/or how I say it and use it on me. I haven't used it on anyone else yet.

You are being dishonest when you say that you have "no acceptable responses," as the only ones you agree with are the ones that go along with your intent. Anyone who answered differently you assumed to be an insult or were otherwise displeased with. If you had no agenda, any response would've been acceptable.

Why do you have a problem with people analyzing your ideas?

[dogday]

37. Now you attack me personally

You need to chill out, its only a board... geeez.....

[porphyrian]

39. It's not an attack.

I really don't think you understand what you're reading the way it's intended.

[porphyrian]

29. You were answered multiple times.

If you don't like the answers you get, ask different questions.

DU does not have a platform. We don't all stand for one set of things. It is a product of independent thought. That is our strength and our weakness, but it beats the hell out of the drones on the other side.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

43. This is a message board and not a political club. No platform necessary.nt

[bryant69]

38. One problem with creating a DU Platform

Or, to use a more loaded term to make a point, a DU Orthodoxy, is that what do you do with the people who fall outside that norm?

What does one say about someone who says "Look war is bad, and the Iraq war is bad, but we need to finish the job and get Iraq back on its feet before we leave." I'm not asking whether or not you agree with that point, but whether or not some one can express that opinion and still be a "good" member of Democratic Underground?

[dogday]

40. You know platform was not a good word, I wanted

to know what people strongly believed in. What they would like to see in their party. That simple, whether it be popular or not. What brings us all to this board to post. Man I feel terrible this thread has turned out like this.

[bryant69]

42. You feel terrible that your thread has lead to some spirited discussion?

I don't really understand that.

[Ron Green]

24. The reason we don't win elections is because we don't distill human life

down to simplistic talking points (anyway, the RW does that for us, with the "abortion and gay rights" repetition.) And the fascists who DO distill it all down to a brand name or slogan -- they win elections, because most people, let's face it, aren't very smart.

[dogday]

26. Exactly

the people want a party that has what they believe in. The points that are important to them. It does have to be trimmed down in simplistic terms. And we need to break the stigma the right has put on our party....

[Ron Green]

31. OK, but how do you sloganize this:

"We think that government, by active involvement of its citizens, can effect a better society for more people, thereby engendering opportunities for people to seek to love rather than fear each other, all the while regulating the markets just enough to drive a healthy, truly competitive economy that operates on a human scale and tends to preserve the natural environment."

Is that easier to sell than this?:

"Somebody's out to kill you, but I will protect you."

I don't think so.

[progressivebydesign]

30. No platform really, as 70k+ people have different beliefs.

I guess our platform is to listen to each other here, and learn something, and grow.

[MN ChimpH8R]

33. Those two make a good start

Howzabout

protecting and respecting the environment at all levels of government
re-regulating media ownership to decentralize ownership
fiscal responsibility, including closing loopholes in the tax code
progressive taxation
health care for every American
development of renewable energy sources

for a start

[Ron Green]

34. Bayum!! I'll sign that. n/t

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

41. Contentious progressivism.