Now everyone just STOP RIGHT THERE!. . Katie bar the door!

[annabanana]

I really don't want to see anymore long timers saying so long..

I know this place is especially fractious right now, but I think this is another one of those "election spasms".. It's longer and more pronounced because of the artificially extended "election season".

AND I think there has been a deliberate and concerted effort on the part of "those whose ox we gore" to disrupt and shake us apart. And I think they are having some success.

This huge and wide-ranging message board has succeeded in getting the word out. We have managed to BYPASS THE CORPORATE MEDIA FILTER.. and that makes us dangerous. Do you really think that those we fight haven't noticed? Remember, it was a free media that stopped the train during Watergate. . It is the internet that is jamming up the works for the empire-lusters now..


We can't afford to lose our most lucid voices, our most coherent writers now. Please! Essayists and thinkers of DU. . take these things into account when you've gotten to the point where you "just can't take it anymore". Never forget that most read and digest in silence, having nothing to add to your prose. Your ideas get passed on from them to others outside this seemingly insular place, and they make a real difference in the dialog in this Country.

[suffragette]

1. K&R to the max

[villager]

2. Which long-timers have bailed, of late?

What'd I miss?

:shrug:

[Jackpine Radical]

6. Pitt.

Again.

[Myrina]

15. I'm sure there are others who have gone *quietly* ...

... without needing a last ditch self-immolation to get them thru the weekend ...

[lynnertic]

102. It's august, good time to take a break anyway.

[Seabiscuit]

126. Reminds me of a scene from a movie:

Forrest Gump: I had run for 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, and 16 hours.
(he stops and turns around)
Young Groupie Running: Quiet, quiet! He's gonna say something!
Forrest Gump: I'm pretty tired... I think I'll go home now.
Another Groupie Runner: NOW what are we gonna do?

[SharonRB]

63. What happened this time?

I've been at YKos and haven't been online much for the past four days.

I hope he hasn't gone for good.

[calimary]

69. He did? How come?

That's a shame. As annabanana pointed out, we need our eloquent ones. A REALLY good summary there - how stuff that gets "thunk over" here among those of us in this otherwise insular group winds up filtering outward. It does indeed. I have many more ideas and rebuttals to use and with which to keep myself armed because I've read people's musings here. Truly has sharpened me up. WE are generating talking points for each other, I think. Which is a great service to each other, and to the survival-preservation of the democracy we love.

[donheld]

90. Will said he wasn't leaving

did I miss something?

[Cronus Protagonist]

123. How many times can someone leave?

Don't they have to come back to do it again? When will the next time be?

*yawn*

I thought America was a fighting nation, not a nation of quitters.

[King Coal]

135. Are you kidding or did he really quit again?

Please tell me true.

[TahitiNut]

19. We lost a long-time DUer about 6 weeks ago and (but for a few of us) it wasn't noticed.

That DUer served EXCELLENTLY as a moderator and is liked respected by those who know him/her personally for his/her conscience, activism, honesty, and commitment ... and has contributed VERY WELL to DU over the years. But, despite the self-congratulatory pretensions of many that "we are family," FEW have pulled their heads out of their own asses far enough to notice that we have been diminished by his/her departure.

Having more humility than to leave like a diva, he/she merely bid adieu to some closer friends and quietly stopped posting. So much for "community."
:eyes: :puke:

[seemslikeadream]

61. yep

[hfojvt]

70. well out with it

who is this person?

It's hard to notice somebody who isn't there as you read the threads and posts that are there. Maybe you wouldn't have noticed if you had not been PMed.

[TahitiNut]

79. Nope.

I'll respect his/her wishes to remain 'quiet.' There's not the slightest chance I would've not noticed, though. I even noticed the reduction in posts before being PM'd. There are several DUers whom I appreciate quite highly.

[merh]

112. and have you wondered about the absence of long timers

have you questioned where they went if they were not within your circle?

I know plenty that have gone by choice or force, their departure didn't make a, for lack of better term, ripple.

It is best to make our marks on the community for the sake of the community, not for the sake of being noticed or missed.

.

[autorank]

122. And who might that be ThatiNut? n/t

[Wapsie B]

145. Although I don't know who you're referring to

I agree with you about the diva comment. And DU is much larger than the eloquent prose of one poster.

[Hissyspit]

49. maggiegault, Atman n/t

[Marnieworld]

105. Atman?

That's a shame. I think everyone should take a break once in a while but I'm an eternal optimist and hope that they come back. :cry:

[dkofos]

3. When they do good, we praise. When they screw up, we scream.

What is wrong with that??
That is the difference between us and them (repubes and dems).

They need to know when they screw up.
And the bigger the screw up the louder we should scream.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

43. I'm glad you're not my father or mother...

Making mistakes is part of being human. Helping someone recognize their errors and learn from them is the sign of maturity. A child who doesn't get their way screams. (So do conservatives, but that's a different matter altogether.)

[rpannier]

94. We're not children...

Getting screamed at (metaphorically speaking) is something people here should be able to take.

As I noted in a previous post, "If you don't like someone don't read their post. Ignore them."
They're not your crazy neighbor across the street screaming at you at 2:00 in the morning.

Like it or not, Politics is not a civilized activity.
It brings out people's passions.

If you think the behavior here is vile, I suggest you research politics beginning from about 1908 and move backward. It was far more vile than we could ever get.

[John Q. Citizen]

117. When they drag you away to a gulag, be sure not to scream. Keep your decorum

Show the totalitarian jack boots how mature you are.

Oh yeah, I forgot. It can't happen here, according to some people....

[cynatnite]

4. I can understand why many of the long timers have left...

It's got to the point that any comment disagreeing with the majority gets a DUer slammed and name calling erupts. It didn't used to be that way and I haven't been here since the beginning. Many of the long timers helped keep this place sane and reminded people to use logic rather than an emotional knee jerk.

I became more politically active because of the long timers who taught me how to do it productively and reasonably. These days it seems like this place is more whining and outrage than what it was when I first came here.

Will's leaving really saddens me because it highlights these changes more than anything else, IMO.

[Lugnut]

73. I've been here a long time.

Other than a K&R post to keep something important at the top of the page I've been mostly lurking. It saddens me to see some oldtimers feel the need to bail out even though I understand why they need to do it. It just sucks eggs.

[Pyrzqxgl]

132. Well I haven't been here too long but I'm a lifelong Democrat!

Except for a couple of times in the 60s when I went Peace & Freedom. It seems to me that some of you long timers have become a "Cult of Personality"
and you get your feelings hurt when not everyone agrees with you. If I'd have had DU in the 60's I probably would have remained in the party right on
thru because I'd have had support within the party for my way of thinking (it was mostly about Viet Nam in those days). Don't cut off your nose to spite
your face. If you've got something to say, say it, and don't get all bent out of shape when everyone doesn't fall in line. We need your marbles here in DU
don't take them and go home because you got your feelings hurt. Tell those you disagree with to stick it where the sun don't shine and go on telling'
us what you think we need to hear.

[Virginia Dare]

109. The "majority" is a relative perception..

I think right now DU is embroiled in a gang war. The perceived "majority" is actually a small group of very vocal bullies on varying sides, who descend on threads like the "Heathers". It seems pretty contrived sometimes. Apparently their tactic is working.

[Miss Chybil]

118. I agree. Will is the one who told me about DU. Seeing him go and the

others before him seems like an ominous sign for DU. Not that I believe it's going anywhere, but perhaps that's the point. Times certainly are changing.

[GMFORD]

134. I just started posting here

although I was lurking for quite awhile. Maybe there are a lot of new people here who are just waking up to the political realities in this country. Over time they will go from shock, outrage, anger, whinyness(?), etc. to 'If I don't like the system, how can I change it?'

We may see some new 'Will' emerge who will dazzle us with brilliance.

[robinlynne]

5. agreed! long live DU. And DU includes william pitt!

[creeksneakers2]

7. One real shame

Is that the net left is tearing itself apart just as it is becoming very successful. No candidates turned up at the DLC convention. They all turned up at YearlyKos. That means a lot.

Kick to your thread. I don't want anybody on any side to leave.

[TreasonousBastard]

8. "We" are not losing them, DU is losing them...

and they are all contributing elsewhere, probably far more effectively than here. And I suspect more will go as the screaming for heads continues.

Remember someone who was actually in the Kerry campaign here explaining how things were working and suggesting what we could do to heklp out? Remember how he was hounded out of here by the peanut gallery insisting he didn't know how to run a campaign? Those assholes seem to have the mike around here now.

Oh, speaking of campaigns, some might remember that Pitt took a job on the Kucinich campaign that didn't last too long. Wanna know why he didn't last too long? Well, you gotta ask him because he never said anything publicly, but he told me. Nothing at all scandalous or otherwise horrible, but in the telling you realize he knows something about politcs and campaigns. Most likely a lot more than some of the screamers. Some of them I wonder if they ever held any kind of job, much less in politics.

Where did all the campaign workers, precinct captains, ward heelers, and even candidates go? Any still left around here? Any local party officials still around here?

I didn't think so.

[John Q. Citizen]

76. I notice Will did his share of screaming when he felt like it. It never bothered me.

He is also a very good writer, most of the time, and I enjoy his work even when I disagree with it.

But, if I disagree enough, I will say so. When I agree I say so.

Apparently you aren't any of the above list, (campaign workers, etc) because you are still here. What's up with that?

I know many folks still here who are on that list, including myself.

So don't let Will's personal decision throw you for a loop. You don't have to blame others because Will made a decision.

I've seen Will completely and inappropriatly unload on people. I've also seen him apologise for that.

People post here because they want to. If they don't want to they don't.

[Doremus]

107. I'm here.

Precinct committee person.

I don't post a lot but I read everyday and, yes, I've 'heard' the volume go up around here.

Why shouldn't progressives be screaming their heads off?

We are awake and aware. We see our Republic teetering on the edge of disaster and our elected representatives, the ones WE gave our time, hearts and aching feet to, are aiding and abetting the most corrupt administration in history. What's NOT to scream about?

Anyone still endeavoring under the fallacy that change is going to occur *without* a hue and cry across the land is sadly mistaken. MHO.

[TreasonousBastard]

161. Glad you're still around, And I know you're not...

the only one.

The problem with screaming is that it has never really worked. The squeaky wheel theory only works when there is someone around with an oil can.

I know we like to think we're all right and proper and in a just world our views should prevail, but look at the other side that thinks just as highly of its own view of things. As much as rightwing radio has screamed, as much as the Christian Right has screamed, we still have abortions and we still have Food Stamps and the EPA still exists. Under pressure, certainly, but only because they got their tool in the White House, not because of marches, letters, or screaming.

I have been to countless "organizing" meetings and participated in who knows how many "progressive" groups and just about every single one of them has slowly withered away. Sometimes not so slowly. One group I had great hopes for started out with over 150 people representing various church and peace groups and had a very doable agenda. Three months after it started it just fell apart.

Screaming is throwing a tantrum in frustration for not being able to do something. You get things done either by someone with great force of will, which few of us have, or by finding the chinks in the opposition's armor and working the system. I know of no other ways.

[troubleinwinter]

9. "everyone just STOP"

No, I need not "stop". I am not the one to walk away from DU. I am not the one to "stop", he is.

If the "long timer... essayist" decides to bale out after six years of experience on DU, feeling that he's too tired to participate in this forum, that's up to him.

Apparently he feels that DU is not worthy to post his essays and comments on. According to the post, his decision is made.

"This huge and wide-ranging message board has succeeded in getting the word out", "We have managed to BYPASS THE CORPORATE MEDIA FILTER.. and that makes us dangerous." Yes, but that doesn't seem to matter to "the essayist".

He "stopped", but others of us have not and will not.

[rucky]

10. Look, I'm on here alot...

and I fail to see how it's different today than one month ago or three years ago.

I see things around us getting pretty grim, and the tone of the board is reflective of that. I don't see how leaving would change that tone.

[WillyT]

11. Big K & R !!!

:bounce::kick::bounce:

[notadmblnd]

12. you're absolutely right. Thanks for articulating it so well

Ive been here a long time and I do think I'm one of the more quiet ones. I read everything, commenting very little. I guess I've learned to recognize the smell of BS and turn my back on it instead of stepping in it and causing it to stink more. But you're right, the message taken from this forum does get spread far and wide. I can't say how often I've been able to change how an associate, friend, or family member's mind in regards to how they think about things. Me, a quiet insignificant person has actually made a difference by being here and staying informed.

It really is sad that many here are guilty of what we accuse our opponents of, and it is sad so many fall victim to group think and become intolerable to opinions that force others to stop contributing to this great site.

[Kip Humphrey]

13. That which brought us here will sustain us...

Look, DU is and has been for some time a hotbed of psychological warfare (example, ER forum). Why? Because we have gotten the word out, we have made a difference, and we are an irritant in the side of global fascism.

How do we continue in the face of expert psychological attacks and manipulations? We each return to that which brought us here before the wars erupted - that inner sense of peace and right and justice and democratic values that no amount of manipulation from the outside can disrupt. It IS hard to keep insisting, to battle back with common sense, reason, facts. We all have had need to back away to regain sanity & strength, to rediscover that inner sense that brought us here and ultimately brings us back.

As we bear witness to the unfolding of events, events we pretty much all knew would unfold, return to that which brought you here. Go forward without hope. Treasure your inner peace. It WILL get worse (much, much worse) before it gets better. Just be sure to be there when the better comes. Take care of your selves and bring your courage with you.

[LostInAnomie]

14. People need to grow the fuck up, and get over their own egos.

I get so fucking tired of fucking masturbatory, self indulgent "Goodbye Cruel World" threads. If you want to leave then just fucking go. There is no need for the childish "My thread didn't get the attention I wanted it to!", "DU isn't what it used to be!", "I love this board, but groups that don't agree with me have ruined it" solipsism.

This is a fucking internet forum. Don't come here if you are too fucking fragile to have people disagreed with you, or not give a shit about what you say. Get over yourself, you aren't as important as you seem to think.

[L. Coyote]

31. I'll second that. And get over the fact that not every vote in Congress goes

exactly as you think it should. And, don't bash the Dems every time that happens. Try to imagine what it is like for people like reid and Pelosi to "have to" deal with Bush, et.al., and what it was like as the minority! They did not do the "cruel world" indulgence, but kept on working to overcome.

We shall overcome. But, it requires some realism.

[kikiek]

39. You just spoke for me. I laugh at the people here who believe they alone know what a "true"

liberal or progressive is. They complain about people walking lock step with the Dems yet they tear apart anyone who doesn't walk lock step with them, including people on the board and our representatives. Usually they sound like a spoiled child ranting. How ironic that this "progressive" democratic place needs to be reminded that this community is full of people with varying views and beliefs on every subject. Kind of flies in the face of what the party stands for in my opinion. For many, if they don't agree with something a rep does they smear them as bad as any right winger I have ever seen.

[L. Coyote]

42. Indeed. And, the disrupters are organized, in lock-step, and relentless.

They bash Dems and try to make the place unappealing to those who seek intelligent and effective discourse.

Ain't it great to be a success!

Also, some of the posters are children.

[PatSeg]

130. Yeah, who needs enemies

when we've got US??? :nuke: "Yikes, what was that??? "Just the Democrats self-destructing!!!!" "DAMN!"

[Laurier]

32. Well said.

I don't post much, but I read a lot, and I have never understood the need for dramatic exits from an internet forum. It always strikes me as childish, no matter who does it.

[deadmessengers]

35. AMEN

You hit that right on the fucking head. The "goodbye, cruel world" threads are masturbatory and self-indulgent. I'll also add "attention whoring", and juvenile. It's the electronic equivalent of a 2-year-old's breath-holding tantrum.

Mind you, I've no problem with people who feel that this place is taking too much of an emotional toll on them, and feel that they need a break, or even a permanent one. I get that, and I certainly respect that. I've done it a couple of times, myself, but I didn't post a "someone pleeeez pay attention to meeeeeeeeeee" message about it. That's toddler crap right there.

[PurpleChez]

45. Amen to your amen

This is one (albeit of many) reasons why the Thugs continue to win elections in spite of scandal after scandal. We fracture too readily. I am not trying to minimize the emotions of those in question...not at all. But the thugs stand by their man even if he were to get caught roasting children. We fold much more easily. I'm glad that we don't fall in lockstep like the thugs, but there is a downside to it.

[rpannier]

92. Agree

What I find most disturbing/irritating about the "I'm leaving" threads is that they are the equivalent of "I'm gonna kill myself...don't try and stop me. I mean it. Nobody loves me anyway. I'm gonna do it. I mean it!..."

It's so damned histrionic. If you're gonna go, then go.
Send your good-byes to your friends via the DU mail.

I do agree that there is too much name calling and "holier-than-thou" or "Progressiver-than-thou" around here.
But, it's not like you live in the same neighborhood as everyone here and they're screaming it from their second story window at 2 in the morning.

If you don't like someone, don't go to their threads.
If you don't like DU, go elsewhere.

[PurpleChez]

101. Yep

I know I've recycled this line here a dozen times, but I still believe that liberals/progressives get too caught up in things like "sure, he's pro-choice, but he's not pro-choice ENOUGH." It's no sin to be an idealist, but I think that too often our lefty brothers and sisters are holding out for a perfect candidate, while Repubs will vote for ANYONE who pays lip service to fighting gay marriage and making Baptist dogma the law of the land.

[Seabiscuit]

129. Amen to your amen to his amen!

AMEN!

[PurpleChez]

144. Sounds like a revival meeting! Amen!

[L. Coyote]

152. Indeed, indeed! Ohhh YEAH!

[TankLV]

58. My thoughts exactly - thank you for expressing it...

[Virginia Dare]

110. Agreed, most people come here for debate..

it's to be expected that at each and every given point SOMEBODY is not going to agree with you. I've had very heated arguments with some DUers on a particular subject, but then will be in full agreement with them on others. Some people come here just to stir the pot. They're easy enough to spot, although some of them are craftier than others, and the ignore button really helps once you're on to them.

[porphyrian]

16. Almost everyone who leaves voluntarily returns.

Give them a month, tops.

[helderheid]

17. yea, I'm proof of that...

:blush:

[porphyrian]

21. Heh, heh, I didn't want to name any names...

;)

[shadowknows69]

36. Guilty as well

"You are the perfect drug"
-Trent

[Coexist]

53. 'sokay - just so long as you're back!

[calimary]

77. Hey, I'm just glad you're back.

That's what matters. You're back. Same to the other returnees here, too. We need every one of us, as many as possible who have the fortitude to keep going.

[SoCalDem]

83. Indeed.. and most people just need to take a break for a while from time to time

No ONE person is more important than any other, anyway.. It's the group effort that counts..

The ones who decide to stay away, will have their shoes filled by newcomers who get fired up and join in.

There's room for us all..

Who left anyway?

I've taken a breather this weekend, and must have missed the Dance of the Drama Queens :)

[porphyrian]

103. I think Will Pitt was the headliner. - n/t

[TomInTib]

104. Yesterday was like the last episode of a soap opera.

You know, the one where half the cast is going on to a new show and the other half knows they will never get any more work at all.

[Blue_In_AK]

18. Nature (and probably DU) abhors a vacuum...

If the essayists step away, some of the rest of us might be more inspired to step up to the plate. I don't know about anyone else, but for me at least I tend to just provide short answers to other people's original posts because I don't feel as "creative" as folks like Will Pitt. I know that's my problem and self-esteem issue, but shake-ups aren't necessarily bad.

And I don't really imagine that Will Pitt will stay away long anyway. He could surprise me, but I think this place is too much in his blood.

[radfringe]

20. I'm not leaving

and I'm not shutting up because it offends someone else. If they don't like what I have to say - well - that's what the IGNORE button is for, and the HIDE THREAD check box

my concern is with our country FIRST and I'm not drinking blue kool-aid just to make someone happy

when the dems do good, when they stand up - even when they lose - I'll back them to the hilt

but when what is attached to that hilt is sticking out of my back - then all bets are off

when we get the pretty speeches, and the promises only to have them cave in AGAIN, well then I say it's time to FLIP THIS HOUSE AND THE SENATE TOO

we don't need any more republics and we certainly don't need democrats trying to be republics

[Hubert Flottz]

25. I vote for you and your toons!

And I feel the same way you do. I even took some abuse here at DU, because I was foolish enough to defend the democrats who caved in on the surge. I was waiting till September like the dems in congress asked, but enough is enough. It's time to get loud. Seems like every day we discover a new neocon lie or another intolerable act, yet Impeachment is STILL off the table. Our freedom and liberty are at stake and I'm afraid the democrats on the internet are proving to be a lot wiser than several of the "EXPERT" democrats in congress.

I stayed on DU sometimes 16 hours a day during the last couple of months leading up to the election in 2004 and I almost got dead from it. I kept up the 16 hour a day thing most of the next month after that election was over, trying with the rest of you to figure out what happened in Ohio. So upset and discouraged I could hardly sleep or eat. On December 16th of 2004 I had two massive heart attacks on the same day. I came home from the hospital a little over a week later, knowing how lucky I was to have survived and that I had to kick the DU/political thing, for my own good.

I logged on to DU after I got home and I thanked everyone for their kind words and good wishes and I told a few friends here that I had to lay low for awhile and I took a 6 month break from DU and from politics in general. No politics on TV, or the newspaper, or the telephone, or anywhere. I came back rested and I've tried to pace myself ever since. When the argument gets too hot for me, I just chill out, or punch a little button.

I think DU is still just as great as it ever was, if not greater. I think that everyone here is a patriot, except for the few disruptors who come by to try and cause folks to get pissed off and quit. DU is like any other good thing IMHO...you have to know when you've had more than you can safely and sanely handle.

I know a lot of you no doubt wish I'd stayed away when I was gone for six months, but I missed the people here and I missed the wealth of information that I've found here ever since the very first day I tuned in. My hat is off to every American who cares enough about our country to want to make it an even better place to leave for our kids and grandkids, than the America our mothers and fathers handed over to us.

Keep asking the questions and keep up the good fight. This past weekend was just another battle in the war to take back America. Rest up and refit if and when you need to, but keep your eyes on the prize, a united America, that we can once again be proud of. Bush is a false prophet and a false uniter and we can all agree on that. Bush and Karl and the freepers would like nothing more than to divide and conquer the patriots here at DU. We can't afford to let them win again.

[opihimoimoi]

106. and thank you for that...a magnificent post if there ever was...a true Patriot you are

This place will survive no matter what the Trolls/Freeps do/say...

so will Truth and Reason...they are not dead but kidnapped and drugged...in a prison somewhere...maybe Gitmo....

Come, we go regroup and oil the Treb Unit, gather shit for ammo...

[Hubert Flottz]

141. And thank you my friend.

The ONLY good thing Bush EVER did, was bring us all together here on DU and on some of the other fine democratic web sites around the WWW.

Truth and Reason are on our side. Better than the GOPers Wall-Mart plastic JHC, any day!

To the Walls...the paid freeper hordes are on the attack...

[opihimoimoi]

155. Get that oil HOT...sharpen the spears, load the TREB, gimme a Vector...

[NotGivingUp]

38. EXACTLY! n/t

[Tyler Durden]

127. Present.

No where else to go.

Hi D.

[radfringe]

147. HEY T, your new doggy is a cutie!!!

[Tyler Durden]

160. Thanks, D.

He pretty cute. Smart too.

I wake up in the middle of the night to take a pee, and when I get back he's snuggled in with his head on my pillow.

[Neshanic]

22. So us others, you know "non-old timers" know, can you give us some insight

on what is the cutoff date of being considered an old timer, and just one of the rest? Also please, when you take a break from building the Pitt shrine, can you list the "A" list of writers, posters, and others you consider more valid than others? I mean to have the "old days" back, whatever the fuck THAT was, we newbies need to know our place, we Democrats of questionable questions, and posters of trivaility and nonsense.

Bar the door? Of course. By all means the cult of personality of one person, and his mom,(an amazing post I must say, and an internet first I think that I have seen),needs to be fed by denegrating others here by telling them this place sucks because of their voice WHICH certain others do not want to hear. Not like the good old days for sure!

Well guess fucking what, these are not the good old days, they are the nightmare years, and slavishly devoting your crying jags on a person leaving, it might be better to try to understand that these "other" people are fed up, and are frustrated and angry at what has happened to this country. These "other" people may not be as elequent and have a snappy prose, but they are here, and are not republican trolls.

You want the old days, then start sorting. Let us know all you "this place sucks now" gang so we can understand the pecking order, or your new rating system that may be good for you to use.

We are all on the same team.

[Laurab]

48. I don't see it as "denigrating" others at all

I'm just "one of the rest", but, you know, Will is one of the reasons I came to DU and stayed. And learned. There are many others - people who have a real talent for writing, and for expressing themselves, and somehow, expressing how I feel, as well. I don't have that talent, I'll be the first to admit it, but I am sure glad there are people here who do.

I wouldn't build a "shrine", but if it weren't for people like Will, H20Man, Nance Greggs, and several others, I'm not sure I'd be here. Over the couple of years I have been here, I've seen a lot of good people chased off - and I mean chased. We used to get videos from Crooks & Liars almost before C&L had them up - no more, and that was one ugly thread. There have been others, too. People I really respected have been drawn into arguments that got them tombstoned, because, like it or not, some people WANT these people to leave, and actively work at it.

There ARE trolls, and there are also people who have problems with other people being admired for their talents. You don't have to be "eloquent and have snappy prose" and no one is saying you do, but it's nice to have a few around - without those people (and I don't think there is a list, I think everyone would have their own favorites), DU would not be DU.

I like the funny, "trivial", the short and informative, or just the sharing of opinion posts, too. It kind of all fits together to make DU what it is.

[Hissyspit]

50. The attacks on liveoakTX and her video threads were despicable.

Never could figure out whether it was trolls or what, but on the other hand, she shouldn't have given up just because of the attacks. And no one else should, either, unless this place is of NO value to them at all.

[Laurab]

57. Agreed

Some people are just more sensitive than others, I guess. A forum like this isn't a good place to be sensitive. In fact, it's probably a terrible place to be sensitive. I don't know, because I'm not - I sometimes think I go too far the other way. I don't give a rats ass what anyone thinks about what I say, unless it's someone I REALLY respect.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

96. It was one poster in particular, who was eventually TS'd. He stalked her from thread to thread.

The mods did what they could, but this poster was determined to drive her off DU.

I guess he succeeded. :-( MKJ

[marions ghost]

55. Definitely

there are a lot of trolls around lately. Some of them are obvious, some are not so obvious. They seek to divide, esp when they pick up on Dem frustration. Don't give them the satisfaction.

[madrchsod]

23. been here since january 2002

and i ain`t going anywhere. shit who else would have me?

[Chichiri]

24. Who's Katie? eom

[Justyce]

114. Katie Couric?

lol

[ruggerson]

26. Yes, it's the paid, organized internet disruptors!

Did you mention there was a bar here?

[Madspirit]

27. All the Three

All three of those who have left in the last two days, that I know about...their profiles are still up, including Will's... They are still here. Let's hope they reconsider.
Lee

[sammythecat]

28. Nicely done and well said,

Your last paragraph, especially, articulated my own dismay when I hear of people leaving DU.

[L. Coyote]

29. INDEED. There are forces at work on DU intent on DEM bashing.

And, they are having a field day.

Perhaps the mods can do something to restore this to a DEM forum.

[Usrename]

34. Why is it wrong to oppose the Bush Doctrine?

Why is it wrong to object when the party leadership supports the Bush Doctrine that we all oppose?

What are we supposed to do, cheer the bastards on?

[PatSeg]

128. Consistent and persistent opposition

eventually will reap change. Emotional attacks on dems will reap chaos and that is what the republicans are praying for. We don't need to feed the fabricated image of a disorganized party of emotional misfits.

[Usrename]

149. I don't think there is any fabrication going on, at least not with me.

A clear picture of the Dem party is not one of disorganized chaos. There are clear lines of disagreement, though. And these lines of disagreement are becoming exposed, despite the best efforts of the party leadership to disguise their true beliefs.

Two distinct groups are emerging now, and the fog is beginning to lift. It isn't the far-left against the moderates at all, and it isn't chaotic at all.

Basically, some of the party leadership are fascists, they believe in everything the Bush agenda is accomplishing. The other group is decidedly anti-fascist, some to the point of being militant about it. I don't think calling these folks the far-left wing is very accurate.

Six years ago Joe Lieberman was considered one of the most liberal senators in Washington. He has not changed at all in these intervening years, it's only that his true beliefs have been exposed. And it's pretty ugly, and pretty racist, and definitely fascist. That's the only real problem with Joe Lieberman, he's a complete Bush-enabling fascist. But as long as he was pro-choice and anti-gun nobody in the party gave a damn.

There are many that are like Joe that are still controlling the party because of their leadership positions. It's time to shine more light on these guys. Who is Steny Hoyer?

[PatSeg]

150. I don't think so either

I was referring to the image that republicans paint of the democratic party. I never saw the democrats that way but the media painted the party that way. I always saw democrats as diverse and progressive.

The whole "disorganized party" thing was just another PR stunt, like "flip-flopper" and "cut and run". They take anything positive and turn it into something negative in ten words or less.

[Usrename]

157. You're right again.

I'm not all that sure it's altogether a party thing. The American people as a whole are quite diverse and progressive. But you would never know it by listening to all the hype.

[PatSeg]

158. Yeah

It appears that a lot of the divisiveness was created by political operatives to win elections. Like turning "liberal" into a BAD word and then liberals feel the need to describe themselves as "progressives"! Leaders have used such tactics throughout history to pit one group against another to divert attention from their own corruption and people just keep buying it.

[kikiek]

46. I agree with you again. As many have said before if you don't agree with something fix it from

the inside. Quit attacking Dems like they're the enemies. If they are your enemy then this isn't the place to be! And quit defining what I can or cannot agree with the Dems on, and whether or not I am a progressive then! No one put them in charge!

[L. Coyote]

153. Right on. And keep the argumentation on substantive concerns.

And enough already with name calling and insult hurling. How does any of that even fit here? It is disruptive.

[Warren Stupidity]

52. So basically you have no respect for those who do not agree with you.

We are 'dem bashers' trolls and republican moles. That really is not an attitude that is conducive to dialog. Perhaps instead we have a valid analysis and viewpoint that is just a little bit deeper than 'dem bashing'. Perhaps you are not even trying to listen. Perhaps instead you want to purge DU of all opinions you find offensive.

[Name removed]

66. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Solon]

59. Party over all!

:eyes:

[opihimoimoi]

108. The GOP muster their attacks on us by every dirty trick in the book

They have nothing else...their guns are empty...instead they use garbage for ammo.

Come, we go expose the GOPers for what they are....Lying POS's

look for big picture...as a group, the GOPers have fucked America and now they claim its all Bushies fault...

The GOPers have given us tons of Ammo...so much so...they made themselves into a JOKE

[PatSeg]

125. That's the truth

I wonder if they realize how ridiculous they've become. I watched part of ONE republican presidential debate and they were absurd. The very small minority of voters who are buying their crap aren't enough to carry an election. They don't even have the imagination to come up with a new playbook.

[opihimoimoi]

154. Certainly all of them are NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME..neither was Bush

The GOP has ruined all too many lives with their BS CRAP

[PatSeg]

156. They look so desperate and pathetic

Bush may not have been ready, but Karl Rove was. It still blows my mind though - how on earth could they sell someone like GW? It still scares me. The people who voted for him are still out there.........

[opihimoimoi]

159. These are the Pubs Best??? Boy, are we twoubles...

[PatSeg]

162. Its turned into a SNL skit

But how could you spoof something this ridiculous?

[opihimoimoi]

163. Give them time...I am sure it can be done...LOL

[PatSeg]

164. I love the way comedy

brings everything into perspective. It brings the obvious to light and has a powerful impact on the political scene.

[BlooInBloo]

30. Oh. I thought all the old-timers got together and talked amongst themselves...

... and decided to bail.

[Turn CO Blue]

33. Everybody please! Take two of these; you'll feel better in the

morning!


We all need a serious dose of de-crank!

[MissMarple]

37. Well, I don't know about being lucid and coherent, or even cogent, but I'm not going anywhere.

I might check out every now and again, but I always come back.

[truedelphi]

65. Yur sig line is very lucid and cogent

Can't get more cogent, thinks I.

[MissMarple]

82. Thank you. I love General Clark.

:) That has been my sig line for a very long time.

I like his determination, we need more people with backbone representing us. My son, as a two year old and when in trouble in the face then overwhelming authority often said..."Fine, go on ahead!", and then marched to his room totally skirting any further consequences. The girl child did that, as well. Actually, in different ways, they both still do. They could really take the wind right out of your sails. I just loved that. Backbone, is one just born with it?

[Jack Sprat]

40. Franklin D Roosevelt /quote

"I believe that in every country the people themselves are more peaceably and liberally inclined than their government." FDR


There is a demonstration scheduled by CodePink, Women For Peace, In Washington Sept 15-18. Many of you cannot attend because of distance, work, or family hardships. But, for those who may feel so inclined to actively demonstrate for the principles of peace that you believe our country has historically believed in, I would urge you to consider attending one of these events.

[Name removed]

41. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[northofdenali]

44. We are ALL ready for change, and ready to fight for it.

We need everyone. Please, the infighting is taking us down the 2000 - 2004 road, and no matter what faction is acting, we need to try to work together. If DINO's are in our future, so are RINO's and the downfall of the BFEE needs to be our primary focus.

I hate quitters.

[Independent_Liberal]

51. "I hate quitters." -northofdenali

So do I, my friend. Everybody's frustration and anger is understandale. However, in spite of all that's happened, we aren't going to just roll over.

[northofdenali]

54. No quitters here in Alaska, as far as I know -

We were all raised in a rather harsh and, unfortunately, Republican environment. We know how, when, and where to fight.

[drm604]

47. Thank you Thank you Thank you!

This is exactly what I've been thinking. There are a small number on here (I'm not pointing any fingers) whose purpose is to disrupt and dishearten us. It's very possible that some of the tearful goodbyes are actually from people like that who are trying to start a stampede. We cannot let them do that!

Please everyone, hang in there! This can all be just a passing phase. It's up to us to make it that. We need DU right now, maybe now more than ever.

Stay. Post. Argue if you must, but don't give up on DU. And don't give the disrupters the satisfaction of seeing their plan work!

[Amonester]

56. I just don't understand... Listen, everybody... (who don't have moi

on their Ignore list already, of course).

There is a small silhouette with a small X colored in red at the top of each reply. When you place the mouse cursor over it, a tooltip should appear next to it, and it displays something like "Click to add this author to your Ignore list."

Now, my humble suggestion is, this cool feature is your friend. Everybody has the choice to "keep" the DU they want to keep, the way they want to have it.

Everyone: YOU HAVE CHOICES. Why leave when so many people who love your input a lot WANT you to stay? Why not "learn" to use the features at your disposal, and let the moderators decide what to do on the alerts (or on their own judgements)?

At the very least, try that option and see if you can cope with it before you leave.

Thank you.

[EFerrari]

60. Oh, burden me with my own choices already.

:)

[Amonester]

64. Yikes! I was scared I was on your list (if you have one). ;^)

I forgot to add: "NOW EVERYBODY COME BACK!" in my spontaneous appeal.

(Too late to edit.)

[EFerrari]

72. I only ever put posters on ignore to save them from my mouth.

And that's the truth!

And, The Big Leaving is a DU ritual. We do it, we need it and then, it's back to work. lol :hi:

[Amonester]

78. I hope nobody leaves THIS time because we need

each and everyone more than ever. Not the other way around.

We have to find the way to stop the descent.

We need to find it, sooner than later. :think:


On edit: typo.

[EFerrari]

81. No one is leaving, we'll be fine. If nothing else,

that protective layer of old DUers will cushion the landing.

lol

:)

[tomp]

68. i hate ignore.

it's the coward's way out. of, course no one is reading this because i'm on so many ignore lists.

[Amonester]

71. My list is empty (I used it just once, then forgot... until...

a few months later when I saw that "ugly" Ignore tag in the list of replies).

"Yuck" I thought, and then dumped the "list of one" right away. Hated that too.

That's why I included "if you can cope with it" in there. :yoiks:


On edit: forgot the ).

[hfojvt]

74. ignored

There is nothing necessarily cowardly about it. I am not afraid to read the insults and ridiculous arguments of the people I have on ignore, but why should I waste my time when they have proven so intractable to reason?

You may not be on that many ignore lists, but it can feel that way sometimes. 90% of DU does not read 90% of DU.

That sounds like something Rumsfeld might say, but consider it. Of the tens of thousands of posts on DU every day, most DUers read less than 1000 of them. Or if there are 15,000 posts per day to read 10% you need to read 1,500 posts. That's alot of reading. Then the fraction of posts that you reply to is likely to be less than 1/5 of the posts you read for most DUers.

It can feel like you are being widley ignored if you don't get alot of replies, but it's not necessarily so. Often I get the most replies when I write something that is a liberal heresy, like 'the wage gap between men and women is a myth' and half a dozen DUers will reply to call me a moran. Or if I write something that is, apparently, egregiously wrong like 'internet porn is expensive'. I got ten replies to that, many involving :rofl:

If you don't get alot of replies, you may not be putting you foot in your mouth often enough.

[tomp]

80. i'll have to try harder. however,...

...it's the intractable that are so attractive. du has convinced me that most people are incapable of changing their opinions. i come to confront the intractable and the wrong, because somebody has to.

[truedelphi]

131. Time zone changes mean something too I am sure

I often log on at 9PM on Sunday night.

That means that 3/4 ths of the country is already asleep.

If I post something at that hour, it probably will fail (eespecially if I don't get on board and PM friends to boost it the very next day)

Someone who is up and at their keyboard at 8Am EST probably has a better chance of getting a response - even if they made the same comment as I had the night before - as people are already bored at their jobs by then and peeking at DU.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

97. I actually asked to be on one poster's ignore list, because it's populated by my favorite

DU'ers.

He/she has posted on several threads, saying, "you're going on ignore now, too" to some of our best and brightest, and I felt left out. :-) MKJ

[Vilis Veritas]

100. LOL

:rofl:

Peace.

[Virginia Dare]

111. It's useful for the wolves in sheeps clothing though...n/t

[Viva_La_Revolution]

62. Absolutely. nt

[ClassWarrior]

67. In case I haven't said it before...

NEVER Give Up.

[EFerrari]

87. Now you tell us.

lol

[Mythsaje]

75. Well, I'M not going anywhere.

If that matters.

[Festivito]

84. I think the disruptors have become trickier. And, DU gets smarter.

And some of those who left either quietly or loudly will return, because they are pretty smart as well.

In fact, there are enough smart people to run a democracy in this country.

But, alas, there are those who disrupt for payment, fearing loss of payment, fearing extortion, and/or fearing they've been wrong -- big time wrong.

So, we stronger smarter DUers will fight smarter and more strongly against the
Military-
Industrial-
CONgressional-
Media-
Internet-(Note they're trying to take US.)
Complex,
...because the people united will never be defeated.

[kineneb]

85. not going anywhere, either

...like, what am I going to do, go out and have a disagreement with a large-mouth bass? Or worse, competitive bass fisher-people? Gag me... its like summer, folks, and the county is overrun with touristas in their Winnabagels, with, like, clashing-colored kayaks on top... fashion disasters... trucks loaded with wine grapes, with drivers who can't, well, drive... herds of Harleys going by, euwww, too much black...

...and I worry about being offended on DU, well, like, are you crazy?



Valley Girl speech /off

[PatSeg]

86. People burn out

I've seen this on other Internet groups (not political) and it is relatively common. Some people get so emotionally invested that they need to take a break to clear their heads and refocus. Others leave for good. It isn't necessarily a bad thing and often can be for the best.

Internet forums are an incredible opportunity to interact with a lot of people in a short period of time. The discussions can be both enlightening and informative, in spite of the occasional pettiness and put-downs. The downside is that people often act in ways they wouldn't in person because of the anonymity. I find it amazing that people don't realize their words have real consequences just because they are online.

Right now people are very emotional and for good reason, but we still need to articulate our feelings without being cruel and personal. Anger can be constructive, but if one is too emotional, people only hear the emotions, not the ideas behind them. I had a very good debate teacher and I generally lost points for "emotions". His lessons came back to haunt me many times in my life, but eventually I DID learn.

Recently as I watched the current crop of presidential candidates, I thought we need someone to inspire us, a 21st century hero. But now I think we've moved beyond that. We have to stop relying on others to inspire us. WE are the heroes. We are the inspiration, if we choose to be. As for presidential candidates, I am far more pragmatic than I was in my youth. I'm looking for the person who can do the job, not the one who speaks the most eloquently. JFK fulfilled our fairy tale dreams and FDR was the supreme father-protector. They served their times well, but times change and we have changed as well. We need to stop looking for a charismatic leader who speaks for us. We can speak for ourselves and here is a great place to start. Then we can teach our children and engage others in stimulating dialogs. Through our words, we can start a new kind of revolution, if we don't succumb to pointless bitchery and infighting. Too much is at stake now for us to resort to hateful, pitchfork mentality. We must not become what we are fighting.

[NuttyFluffers]

88. no! goodbye cruel world, i'm committed to hurtling myself down the stairs...

... to get a midnight snack! :9

by the way, both the narcissus and the dandelion grow well with 'night soil' as well as calm water.

[rpannier]

93. You left out...

"...because nobody loves me anymore. You don't understand me! I've been here forever! I hate you all!"

As you read this, please throw in the voice of a whiny teenager who's been told they can't go out with their friends until they clean their room.

[donheld]

89. Annabanana, I'm not going anywhere

This spat is the repuglican's dream. Get us Dems fighting and tearing each other up so we have no time to fight them. We really don't have time for that. We also don't want to give them that satisfaction.

[acmavm]

91. So the purpose of this thread is to tell anyone who is sick and tired of

being sold down the river by the democratic party to shut up because some people may just get their panties in a wad and pick up their marbles and go home? I have to watch my civil rights and my tax money being taken away with the help of the party that I've voted for all my life and I have to shut up and pretend that everything is hunky dorey so someone else doesn't go into a snit and write a long farewell? Just because someone else doesn't mind that the people we thought we elected to help us last November is more interested in helping this criminal administration and themselves?

I agree with some of the posters here. Tell us who can stay and who should go. Tell us what we're allowed to post if we're 'privleged' enough to be allowed to stay. Then maybe we'll mull it over and decide if we want to post a long tedious goodbye screed.

I get called names and attacked all the time. So what?

I never came here because of Will Pitt. I don't stay because of Will Pitt. People who say that's one of their primary reasons for being here puzzle me. He left. His choice. Has NOTHING to do with me. Or people who post like me. Or anyone else sick and tired of being shafted by those who were sent to bail us out, who are making a damn good living off the taxpayers, and who apparently don't think they owe us a damn thing. The word 'representative' has a whole different meaning for some of those people than the one in the dictionary.

[ananda]

95. What's jammin up what???

I haven't noticed Bushinc gettin jammed up on anything.

Everything Bush wants, he gets.

Sue

[Vilis Veritas]

98. Feedback can be good or bad. Never Give Up.

One of the main issues with any online forum is that there is feedback. Feedback reverberates through the forum like electricity on wires. It hums and sings its discordant notes or the harmonious notes, but most often the post's tune becomes distorted the more feedback that is encountered.

A necessary evil in the area of public forums is the "Ethernet Post Feedback Protective Parser(tm)." You must be able to parse the rhetoric and flames and separate out the discordant notes from those that sing harmony. And you must also realize that any posting is potential ego-busting material and therefore PREPARE for it.

Essayist looking for debate must choose their forums properly and turn a blind eye to the trolls, flames and discordant notes in order to manage an effective debate. The error occurs when the essayist takes on a troll, or someone who is having a bad day. Usually the second response should act as an alert.

One more point, if I may...to give up is to concede victory. To take offense at someone else's offense is in itself the bigger sin. Sometimes essays are offense essays - meaning that the author has taken offense at something and is venting that angst in the essay. When this occurs, you can place your bet that there will be challenges and spats that arise...that is why there is such a thing as the "Sin of Offense". It is a simple premise really. If something offends you, there are two courses of action. One is to ignore and let the offense die where it stands. The next is to take offense and give power to the offender. This usually results in a spiraling affair that ends poorly.

This does not mean that a reply is verboten should something offend you in a post or essay. This only means that your response must be carefully crafted to not imply offense, but offer enlightenment and encourage learning. Perhaps posting a simple, "then we must agree to disagree" response would be all that is required to get the point across.

Peace.

[PatSeg]

116. This is still a new means of communication

You have a very clear overview of online forums. I've seen the same thing happen over and over again on many message boards. Internet communities are still a relatively new phenomenon in our society. They tend to bring out the best and worst in people. As a result moderators often have to enforce strict rules and guidelines to maintain order and civility, which is sometimes met with resentment from members. As a co-owner of a Yahoo group, I know it is difficult to maintain an acceptable balance, but it can be done.

Meanwhile, participants have to take a certain amount of responsibility for their actions and reactions. We also have to know when to push away from the computer and put some balance in our lives. It is acceptable and probably advisable to take a break from any board when it is adversely affecting your non-cyber life. Message boards can be a great outlet for ideas and opinions, but it can also make a person very vulnerable to those who have nothing better to do than to anonymously attack others. Not all malcontents are trolls. Some just don't know how to express themselves without insulting others or they may just thrive on pushing other people's buttons, in which case they should just be ignored. We should have all learned this on the playgrounds of our youth. "Think before you react, and not all actions require a reaction".

[Vilis Veritas]

139. Perhaps, it will always be new...?

Without the ability to parse the facial expressions and body language of the parties in any online debate there is a constant 'new-ness' that seems to keep the debate forever young. Smilies, emoticons, avatars all try to provide some sort of outlet to make up for the shortcoming, however, the sad fact remains, we need that fleshly visual que that is body language to help us determine friend from foe and that is a real problem with the medium that is the 'wired world'.

You bring up a very important issue, knowing when to 'push away from the computer.' As a programmer, I know that there is only one way to solve a perplexing program error. Walk away. Take a nap. Read a comic.

Peace.

[PatSeg]

142. So True

I was thinking the same thing before I read your post. When you talk to someone in person, you often can "hear" what they are really saying through their facial expressions and body language. As you said, smilies and emoticons aren't adequate substitutes and I've seen people use them to offset a really nasty, vicious comment. I particularly hate "lol", as the poster of an attack is most certainly NOT laughing and if they are, it is AT you. "Gotcha bitch" is often what they really mean.

Other times, people just don't proofread what they write and a mistake or two can totally change the meaning and tone of the message. I think most of us have learned that the hard way.

Lately I retreat with an episode or two of Scrubs. Restores my sense of humor and allows me to escape the madness now and then.

[catmandu57]

99. DU is a living evolving presense

Things change, life happens. In case you guys haven't noticed we're winning, true, none of the biggies are doing life sentences yet, but if you poke your nose up into the wind you'll find it's coming from another direction.

Things aren't going their way anymore, we, and other sites wield heavy weight influence these days, its what we've been working for since, well, for a long fucking time. I would have loved to see all of these bastards hauled into court 21 january, but that's not going to work, so we'll have to keep forcing their hand time after time, eventually things will change, life is change.

Now, I'm going to get some work done.

[FourScore]

113. Often it is so obvious who the disrupters are

that I wonder why they are allowed to continue to post here at DU. Sometimes their caustic ways go overboard and their message will be deleted. Maybe there could be a rule whereby if 2 deletions occur within one thread by the same person then they can no longer post within that thread anymore...I don't know.

It's certainly irritating. I've seen it happen within my own threads. There is a method to the "disrupters" madness -- they often try to disrupt as close to the top of the thread as possible in order to prevent people from reading the real responses with substance further down. Personally, I wish people would just ignore these "disrupters", but they don't. I guess it's too hard, even someone as smart as Will couldn't ignore them. Damn!

[PatSeg]

121. I agree

Just "ignore" them. Reacting only encourages feeds them.

[rhiannon55]

115. Could at least some of the supposed "new" rancor on DU

have anything to do with the fact that, as Bush's support has tanked, more people (former Bush supporters) are finding their way here? Many of these people are not liberal, by any means, but as they wake up to the nightmare of BushCo's assault on our country and the world, they are seeking a place to discuss their new awareness and the confusion they must be feeling about it. Maybe their not-so-liberal voices are diluting and changing the "DU Conversation", at least to some extent.

Just a thought...

[PatSeg]

119. Some people are just "late"

in coming to the party. Many of us have seen this coming for years, while the rest of the country slumbered in complacency. We've had years to digest the magnitude of the situation. Though all online groups are susceptible to infiltrators, I think many of the offenders are just angry and looking for a fight. They are quick to respond without thinking, often not realizing they are contributing to the problem. Fighting back is not enough if it is uninformed and disorganized. Our emotional reactions are valid, but need to be put aside if we are to attain our objectives.

[autorank]

120. What a nice message. Makes my day. As someone once said...

Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke;)

Who left?

I always post what I write here. If people like it, great. If not, and they're sincere, I'm happy
for the feedback. If trolls comment, I just put the on "ignore" cuz, you now know my philosophy
(above;)

Michael Collins (aka autorank)

[Marrah_G]

124. Sigh

I've gotten a couple private messages today from people who are taking a break due to the direction the board has been taking. It just makes me really sad to see people I like leaving.

This too shall pass.

[Alcibiades]

133. The retreat into private life is understandable

Some folks have time to post, some don't. Sometimes folks get busy with other things. Perhaps some people feel the need to step back for a few months before plunging headlong into the next presidential election, with all that entails for activists.

It's hard to stay angry for a whole lifetime, or even eight or four years. I certainly have been getting a bit tired of it. People do what they need to do--lurk, stop reading DU, whatever. I know they will working hard when it counts.

[irislake]

136. I couldn't agree more!

The exchange that takes place among like-minded, well-intentioned people from all over the world on websites like DU is awesome! Flame away hard core and split hairs.Who cares?

Most of us don't post much. Getting around the corporate media and our crooked politicians all over the world is vital at this time when so much is at stake. We are getting access to so much truth that would not be available to us were it not for chat lines on the internet. We are forging ties all over the globe. Our politicians lie to us and this is one way of getting round them. This is a vital meeting place. Do not leave.

[blayne]

137. I agree that more people benefit than some might realize.

I haven't been here long, but I am one of those who comes to this board throughout the day-reading everything but not saying much if anything. However, I do use the information I learn here to spread the word about what's really going on in this country.

[blayne]

138. I agree that more people benefit than some people might realize

I am one of the ones who comes here throughout the day-reading everything but not saying much if anything. I do, however, use the information I learn here to spread the word about what is really going on in this country.

[19jet54]

140. Just like real life ...

... people are born & die every second - some we miss, some we won't, but life goes on anyway?

If you don't have thick skin in politics, you won't last long.

[Rex]

143. Well I didn't go to the grocery store.

I should go today, I bought kitty food from the local store across the street so I reallllly don't need to go, but should.

Hmmmm.

[PatSeg]

146. If you do go,

could you pick up a few things for me? I am SO unmotivated to leave the house.

[Rex]

148. I feel horrible, I still won't go

man, okay what do you need - I might go! Well, maybe. :D

[PatSeg]

151. Cat food................

but I might go myself. Shit I'll have to brush my hair and change clothes. There's always tomorrow....