Is the sky falling?

[pnwmom]

I think it is. I think that our democracy has reached a critical moment and our top two priorities should be (1) ensuring fair elections and (2) achieving a majority in either the House or the Senate (preferably both) so that Congress can resume its proper role in oversight of the Executive Branch. There has never been a time in my life where I felt this tremendous sense of urgency about politics and I truly believe that our democracy is at risk. Bush is like no President we have ever seen before.

However, other DU'ers have asserted that there is nothing particularly critical about this moment, that if the sky is falling, it "has been falling forever." And that people should vote for those who will represent them the best even if that means picking a candidate who will lose in the general election. And that this will be "laying the foundation" for the future.

How do you feel? Do you feel a sense of emergency? Is the sky falling?
Or is this just politics as usual? Has the sky been falling forever?

[Gloria]

1. I just emailed friends in the UK that I feel like I am living in a

cesspool....

"Things just keep careening out of control here....between reporters now being threatened with prosecution if they "leak" info; to this NSA crap; to this immigrtation crap; to waiting to see if Rove is going to get indicted; etc etc. It's just out of control, all of it.

Now we see that Bush and Blair may be hatching a plan to pull out troops, just in time for the 2006 elections. Really, this is all political gamesplaying with no regard to the realities of governing or the world's situation. I find them both appalling creatures.

Not to sound dreary, but I feel like everything has become a cesspool. Ever get that feeling?? ....It just boggles the mind to think that Blair is still maneuvering....and Berlusconi is still mouthing off in Italy. Do these people EVER go away??? "


That pretty much says it all...

[pnwmom]

5. I wonder if Blair will still be in power then?

[iilana X]

2. I think it is falling.

I came here to find refuge from all the poison and right-wing noise that is out there. And what do I see? This place has more right-wing talking points than Fox news. People are ripping each other apart over small differences while the GOP is ripping our country apart.

Yeah, the sky is falling and people will be still bickering when it finally lands on them.

[monarch]

4. Please don't give up on us.

I have noticed more nastiness lately but you will soon recognize the negative posters. Just put them on ignore. If you really believe that someone is being a disruptor by pushing a right wing talking points just hit alert and let the mods deal with him/her. The vast majority of DUers are truly wonderful people and this place has saved my sanity on more than one occasion.

[New Government]

9. I agree

And you have to have a thick skin and recognize that not everyone here is going to think just alike on ALL the issues. If we did, we'd be nuts, just preaching to the choir with our own set of talking points - and it wouldn't be near as stimulating. Stick it out and this place is clearly a learning experience. Sometimes our beliefs are reinforced, sometimes we realize we were duped and can change course. It's about what's best for the people. Period. That's what I love about DU.

[pnwmom]

11. And welcome to you, New Government!

[iilana X]

21. One reason I like it here is because people can interract.

The message board structure is great and there are many different areas of interest. There seem to be a lot of smart people here, but it is easy to get discouraged when you think you have found a haven and the mosquitos come out.

[pnwmom]

6. Welcome to DU, iilana X! Hope you stick around.

[iilana X]

23. Thank you.

:)

[Old and In the Way]

18. It always darkest before the dawn.

It is the worst that I've ever seen our national politics....much worse than Nixon. But I also think the tsunami is building. A perfect political storm that the media and the Republican paper can't cover over. The people are starting to get it and I predict a sea-change in DC. I don't even think the voting machines can save the Republican Syndicate this time. There's going to be a huge backlash against 8 years of incompetence, corruption, and treason. I think we are in the end game and there's nothing George Bush can do to change it. Sure, he can start another war or let another 9/11 event occur here...but I think he'll see a negative bounce in the polls if either event occurs. The Republican Contract on America is not getting renewed. America will be putting out a Contract on Republicans, though.

The Republicans will never be more popular than they are today...think about it.

[iilana X]

20. That is the best reason I've heard in a long time to keep fighting.

Now if the Democrats can just stick together long enough to make it through the darkness...

[AndyTiedye]

3. They WILL NOT Give Up Power No Matter How Unpopular They Get

They can't. They've already gone too far.
If they give up power, we're going to lock them up and throw away the key.

[pnwmom]

7. So do you see any solutions?

[sandnsea]

8. The sky has some big cracks

I suppose if the environment weren't in such danger, I might think this is just another bad phase that we'll get through. If we run out of oil, we'll just find another way to live, even if there are no cars and electric. People may die, the population may shrink, but eventually everything will go back into harmony.

But if we destroy the planet before that, well then we're really fucked.

If Bush drops a nuclear weapon somewhere, or somebody else sets one off, then we're fucked some more.

That's the part that upsets me, even more than all the corruption and callousness towards citizens of the planet. We couldn't have picked a worse time to elect a complete idiot, we don't have much time to waste when it comes to the environment.

[pnwmom]

12. Thank you, sandnsea, you touched on two of my biggest

concerns. A megalomaniac with his hand on the nuclear button, and with no belief in global warming or any "reality based" concerns.

[pitohui]

10. the sky done fell

i have nothing useful to add, the re-election of ray nagin proved to me that there can be no fair election in this country, if you believe bush was elected, if you believe he was re-elected, if you believe nagin could be re-elected, hey, go for it

i have lost all heart

they cheat and they are not going to stop cheating because we ask them nicely

[pnwmom]

13. It is tempting to despair, pitohui, but for the sake of the younger

generations, I think we just have to keep going. Even when things seem hopelessly crazy.

[pitohui]

15. i know you are right

i try to resist the urge to make "what's the use" posts but crap it's nagasaki down here, only nagasaki if they put president truman in charge of nagasaki and said what a cool guy he was to boot!

democracy and the voting process is over, it is fixed somehow and i don't know how to change it since i'm not a lawyer and can't just endlessly sue people or whatever else you do to change things when people cheat

ok, enough depressing moans it isn't like i need or want to convince people to be equally depressed

courage :-)

[Random_Australian]

14. What it looks like from overseas:

The government is in trouble alright, but that can be fixed.
The economy is in trouble, you're in too much debt. It's already gone too far, someone will pay badly for it.
The school system & general attitude toward discussion has slipped far. The brain drain from countries like mine has kept some stuff on the level, but in the end I just don't know but I don't think it is going to go well.

If you can't fix the government, and soon, you are totally screwed yes. Basically, that is the one thing which could end America.

The last thing is that words like 'superpower' 'economic powerhouse' or whatever will not be used about America for too long in the future.

There is a lot more but I've not the time to say it.
A lot is going to go wrong. I hope you & yours weather it, but I fear that we are entering turbulent times.

Your military/social security is way out of whack too. Actually, decide what you will with social security, but I bet * has been handing money to the big corps in the name of the military.

We shall see.

The sky is broken. Not falling yet but in such a position that if it does, it will go quick.

My five cents.

[pnwmom]

17. I'm sure we all look like megalomaniacs from the perspective

of the rest of the world, and it makes me ill.

[Random_Australian]

19. Not quite. People do not allow themselves to believe the US is doing this

for the most part.

It's like... well, the US sure spent a lot of time, troops and effort on Iraq, they MUST have had some good reason.

But in the eyes of many, America seems completely callous.

[Asgaya Dihi]

16. Yeah, but it has been for a while

Things are pretty bad and showing signs of getting worse, but it isn't really new. The consolidation that robbed us of real news has been going on for decades, so has the corporate growth. The drug war that militarized our police, stripped us of several sets of rights we used to have and armed our enemies started in 1972 with the Controlled Substances Act. That also got us used to separating ourselves into us and them, and they went to prison without a damned question most of the time and with few defenders. Walked us right into treating other nations like that and prisoners from them.

We've always had partisans but I've never seen the level of hate we have in this country for each other today, the Limbaugh type have done their damage then FOX got us used to it. If we weren't so divided in the country and so easy to distract with an easy fight we'd have a better chance. How do we do that with the media we have today though?

It's pretty bad, and has been going that way for a while. We're just starting to notice it now. If we can stop it still, I have no idea. I have to hope we can.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

22. The sky is always falling in politics.

I've been voting since 1965 and have never gone through an election where the politicians don't bray that the Bogeyman is gonna getcha' if you don't hold your nose and vote for me.

Trouble is, my nose is plumb worn out voting for half-assed, part-time, alleged liberals who sell us out at the first drop in a poll.

I'll be voting issues in November.