Did you think the U.S. would last this long?

[JailBush]

I knew that Seattle was following the United States down the toilet several years ago. In fact, I came to that conclusion not long before the dot.com bubble burst, opening many people's eyes.

Then came Campaign 2000, which was scary. But, of course, the sh*t really hit the fan after September 11. I was blued to online news sources and chatboards daily; they were like an electronic nightmare. It seemed like every day brought a mega-scandal or crime that would have been almost unheard of ten years ago.

For a while there, I was worried that free speech was dead. Even people who should be allies told me to stop blasting Bush in the weeks following 9/11, claiming it wasn't the time, it was disrespectful, or I'd give liberals a bad name (though I'm not a liberal).

I was greatly relieved when people FINALLY began criticizing Bush and was positively ecstatic to see the criticism mushroom into a hose job.

But corporations and their Demopublican gatekeepers and Green Party stooges are still taking this country apart, piece by piece, even as they inflame the entire planet. I have to confess, I'm a little surprised we've lasted as long as we have. I didn't expect the United States to be reduced to a pile of ash, but I thought our economy would be even worse than it is - and I did expect a few terrorist attacks, trade wars, etc.

I'm not a doomsdayer. I'm simply a realist, and realism includes predicting a variety of futures and attempting to ward off the worst scenarios. I'm simply amazed things are still holding together - more or less - and I wonder when the walls will begin to crumble.

[DeathvadeR]

1. Green party stooges huh?

Ten Key Values of the Green Party.....

As ratified at the Green Party Convention in Denver, CO, June 2000.

1. GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY
Every human being deserves a say in the decisions that affect their lives and not be subject to the will of another. Therefore, we will work to increase public participation at every level of government and to ensure that our public representatives are fully accountable to the people who elect them. We will also work to create new types of political organizations which expand the process of participatory democracy by directly including citizens in the decision-making process.

2. SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
All persons should have the rights and opportunity to benefit equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment. We must consciously confront in ourselves, our organizations, and society at large, barriers such as racism and class oppression, sexism and homophobia, ageism and disability, which act to deny fair treatment and equal justice under the law.

3. ECOLOGICAL WISDOM
Human societies must operate with the understanding that we are part of nature, not separate from nature. We must maintain an ecological balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of our communities and our planet. We support a sustainable society which utilizes resources in such a way that future generations will benefit and not suffer from the practices of our generation. To this end we must practice agriculture which replenishes the soil; move to an energy efficient economy; and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems.

4. NON-VIOLENCE
It is essential that we develop effective alternatives to society’s current patterns of violence. We will work to demilitarize, and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, without being naive about the intentions of other governments. We recognize the need for self-defense and the defense of others who are in helpless situations. We promote non-violent methods to oppose practices and policies with which we disagree, and will guide our actions toward lasting personal, community and global peace.

5. DECENTRALIZATION
Centralization of wealth and power contributes to social and economic injustice, environmental destruction, and militarization. Therefore, we support a restructuring of social, political and economic institutions away from a system which is controlled by and mostly benefits the powerful few, to a democratic, less bureaucratic system. Decision-making should, as much as possible, remain at the individual and local level, while assuring that civil rights are protected for all citizens.

6. COMMUNITY-BASED ECONOMICS AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE
We recognize it is essential to create a vibrant and sustainable economic system, one that can create jobs and provide a decent standard of living for all people while maintaining a healthy ecological balance. A successful economic system will offer meaningful work with dignity, while paying a “living wage” which reflects the real value of a person’s work.

Local communities must look to economic development that assures protection of the environment and workers’ rights; broad citizen participation in planning; and enhancement of our “quality of life.” We support independently owned and operated companies which are socially responsible, as well as co-operatives and public enterprises that distribute resources and control to more people through democratic participation.

7. FEMINISM AND GENDER EQUITY
We have inherited a social system based on male domination of politics and economics. We call for the replacement of the cultural ethics of domination and control with more cooperative ways of interacting that respect differences of opinion and gender. Human values such as equity between the sexes, interpersonal responsibility, and honesty must be developed with moral conscience. We should remember that the process that determines our decisions and actions is just as important as achieving the outcome we want.

8. RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY
We believe it is important to value cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity, and to promote the development of respectful relationships across these lines.

We believe that the many diverse elements of society should be reflected in our organizations and decision-making bodies, and we support the leadership of people who have been traditionally closed out of leadership roles. We acknowledge and encourage respect for other life forms than our own and the preservation of biodiversity.

9. PERSONAL AND GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY
We encourage individuals to act to improve their personal well-being and, at the same time, to enhance ecological balance and social harmony. We seek to join with people and organizations around the world to foster peace, economic justice, and the health of the planet.

10. FUTURE FOCUS AND SUSTAINABILITY
Our actions and policies should be motivated by long-term goals. We seek to protect valuable natural resources, safely disposing of or “unmaking” all waste we create, while developing a sustainable economics that does not depend on continual expansion for survival. We must counterbalance the drive for short-term profits by assuring that economic development, new technologies, and fiscal policies are responsible to future generations who will inherit the results of our actions.

[SahaleArm]

3. Yes but politcal tenets and reality are separate *nm*

[JailBush]

6. Screw the Green Party Values.

Frankly, I'm tired of rhetoric. I'll start believing in the Green Party when some of its chapters manage to get credible WEBSITES onilne. You know - sources of INFORMATION and IDEAS that can be used to educate the public.

I know of several Green Party chapters that claim to have hundreds, even thousands, of members. Sadly, they don't seemm to include any adults.

I voted for Ralph Nader, and I still don't apologize - even after I discovered that he's apparently working for the other side. The sad fact is that most Democrats are also working for the other side, and they offered nothing but screwball logic to indict Nader.

But it isn't just Nader. The Green Party of Seattle is an abomination; it strikes me as a subsidiary of the King County Vichy Democrats, Inc.

The Green Party could get one up on the Democratic Party if they just got a clue about public education. But I gave up on that long ago. I considered throwing my hat in with the Greens some years ago. Now I'd just as soon spit on'em.

[Philosophy]

2. When Bush* declares himself president for life

After losing but then voiding the presidential election, dissolving Congress, declaring martial law, and ordering the incarceration of all Democrat terrists.

[mindless]

4. I have lived though worse and it is silly to think we would fold.

4 years of one, 4 years of another, 8 years, 3 years 16 years it doesnt matter. America is not gonna fold. You almost make me laugh. In just over 200 years we went from nothing to the only world power. How its used might be a good question. Will we lose power, nope. It is the truth of this country that we dont hold anyone back if they have the ideas to move ahead. Then they can do it!!

We are a GREAT NATION and we will always be cause we have spirit and dont throw up barriers to seek your finding a better life. The world gets mad at us when we do things that hurt thier income.

The US is not in any danger of tombstone.

[JailBush]

7. You're in denial.

I've been politically active for less than a decade, so I lack an institutional memory, but in all my research, I find it hard to understand how preceding generations could have been worse than ours.

Richard Nixon got impeached, but so what? Bush has probably committed ten times as many impeachable crimes. I was shocked to learn how high unemployment was during Reagan's reign of terror. Still, there were SOME sane Americans to hold him in check.

Were the McCarthy witch hunts really worse than the far reaching arm of John Ashcroft? World War II was a harrowing experience - but were most Americans worried about dirty bombs exploding in their back yard?

You say, "It is the truth of this country that we don't hold anyone back if they have the ideas to move ahead."

Unfortunately, that doesn't hold true for activists and reformers.

[LastKnight]

9. truth of the matter is...

everything ends, no matter what it is, it will eventuially end. government and its many forms are nothing more but ideas created and upheld by people, when people start changing thier minds in mass ammounts or whatnot, ideas and such fade out.

now, government in general wont end anytime soon. but the america we had just a few years ago under clinton died the day the patriot act was signed, which only requires a order from a judge to suspend your civil liberties and render the bill of rights useless. that to me was the start of downfall of america and its form of democracy and freedom, it can be saved but i fear if bush is re-elected it will be too far gone after another 4 years.

canada looks good bout now

-LK

[Lisa0825]

5. Average age of empires......

Until about 6 years ago, I was married to a man whose brother was afflicted with schizo-affective disorder. I was younger and less informed then, so this freaked me out more thasn it probably should. when his brother (I'll call him 'K') left his wife and family, because he saw evil spirits around them, my ex talked me into letting him move in with us temporarily. I can't tell you how many insane conversations I had with K, so eventually, I began to discount anyting he had to say. But there is one conversation that haunts me now, and I pray that he was wrong.

He told me one day that the US would not last another 25 years. I brushed him off, but he persisted and said that the average age of an empire was (forgot the real #, so Iam guessing) something like 200 years. he said we are living on borrowed time, and we are naive to think we (as a country) will persist indefinitely.

I thought he was just a delusional psych patient back then.... now..... I pray he was wrong.... now.... I FEAR that if Bush and the neocon bastards retain control, we may actually lose our revered place in history.

[LastKnight]

8. im surprised myself...

that we havent gone the way of the soviet union yet, that is our economy beating us into the ground, sure we wouldnt split into individual countries, to the degree they did if at all. but there probably still would be division, at least among political factions. and hell, we have fierce division now.

-LK