Daily Kos: "YOU." Talk about a kick in the pants!! Must Read.

[JFN1]

I have not been to DU lately (health issues), and I really didnt intend to poast anything tonight, I just wanted some company. Anyway, I was feelng pretty good earlier today and was clicking around Kos when I came upon this buried piece, and damn!! Kicked right in the ass with this thing! It pissed me off as I read it, but I went back a bit ago and read it again because it was really bugging me, the things this person said, and I am not pissed at the author any more, but I'm still seriously pissed.

Anyway, I thought you might want to check it out. So here are a few passages that stood out to me:

You can no longer say with complete certainty we still practice actual Democracy. You certainly cannot assert we are the Democracy the Founders attempted to create. I’m not sure what we are – part fascist state utilizing pseudo-democracy and unbridled police power? We are not quite yet the capitalist/corporate anarchy we are becoming. Close – but not quite.
..............
...it turns out most Dems are as fiercely delusional about Obama as Repubs were/remain about Bush. All of this, of course, leaves the door wide open for some truly vile stuff from future puppets/Presidents. Since we’re letting Obama continue Bush’s master work, we’re really giving the current power structure and how it is being utilized a big American “thumbs up.”

The author takes a bunch of different directions, and some of it is hard to take...but I like this part, especially the "human values."

But in practice, American/Christian values SUCK. Homelessness, wealth disparity, war, intolerance, poverty, violence, and a demand for the only actionable manifestation of Christianity, outside of its loud and constant proclamation as superior to any other system of values in every way, to be decidedly and single mindedly “Old Testament” in flavor...
...............
So where has the practice of these values/this value system led us? Does it make you proud, how these values have performed? Do you hope your children reap similar results for their futures, for their lives? Do you want them to practice these values themselves? If you do…well, you may as well stop reading. Otherwise, how about trying something different?

Forget your Christian values. Forget your American values.

How about we give HUMAN VALUES a try instead?

Oh, there's more, and its tough.

But, through no fault of their own, the Founders screwed us – and badly. They did not – and truly, could not – account for the Fourth Power of government as it exists today.

Money.

It is power, it is privilege, and it is a force used daily as a means to an end by our various governments, by corporations and businesses, and by ourselves individually and collectively. And it is completely and noticeably unaccounted for in our Constitution.

There is one obvious fix for this problem, but unfortunately it runs contrary to the collective American ego, and well, pretty effectively neuters predatory capitalism.
...............
Words can move mountains – yeah, sure they can – NOT!

Words inspire – BUT THEY DO NOT ACT.

You – yeah, YOU – with your texts and tweets and blogging and commenting and emails and surfing – you have become addicted to the mystique of words, and because of a selfish e-culture that rarely resists character assassination by keyboard, you have forgotten that words ALONE can never move a mountain – not ever.

Sure – you can feel all-powerful by making an insightful point commenting on a blog, or defending your point of view successfully using such literary tools necessary to defeat and humiliate those who disagree with your words. You can move people emotionally, inform and educate, and accomplish a whole lot of NOTHING other than getting an ego boost. I’m not discounting the power of words and how they can affect change – but please, a little perspective. We are literally fighting for our lives, here - and whatever power words might have, lie buried beneath the constant avalanche of words, the technological circus of words that defines our current culture. Words are everywhere, all the time, in your face non-stop, effectively diluting their power in a constant stream of meaningless invective which ultimately accomplishes little, if anything, anymore.

You are addicted to words, because they rarely require actual action. And the current Constitutional crisis we face is rooted in your word addiction. All a politician has to do is say what you want to hear – or what you don’t want to hear – and you fly into action – throwing your all-powerful words into the Intertubes to express your undying support or passionate opposition. Stroke, ego, stroke!! Stroke those keys!!
...............
Your outrage is getting old. Your constant bitching, hero worship, ego masturbation, cowardly fear and TOTAL capitulation to your own APPETITES, is getting very tiresome. Yes, I understand how righteous you are, how masterful your ideas, how moral your sacred Vote’s end result, how constant your fight, how deep your understanding, how gracious your giving, how perfect your soul.

What I don’t get is your utter FAILURE to do something – ANYTHING – about it. Here we sit, despite all you’ve “accomplished” with your awesomeness.

Words have a definite limit to their power, and then people must act. So WAKE the hell UP! HELLO??!!! IS ANYBODY HOME??? MCFLY??? HELLO???

We. Must. Act.

You should read the whole thing, if you can. It is a tough read, and its kind of long, but it is making me re-think a few things. The writer sure didn't hold anything back...he has some interesting things to say about revolution, too.

Edited to add article link.

[Newest Reality]

1. Link?

[movonne]

5. go to the part of the article and where it is blue click there...

[aquart]

2. Uses words to dis words and wants what instead?

I, of course, favor the guillotine.

[JFN1]

4. I know, the writer comments on the irony of this

at the end of the piece. Seemed pretty consistent to me. Like I said, I had to read it again to get it.

[oldlady]

3. saw Chris Hedges speak tonight and he said...

There are two poles-- Power & Privilege and Truth & Justice. The closer you are to one, the less you can participate in the other.

[snagglepuss]

14. Nail meet hammer. A brilliant observation. nt

[cali]

16. right. because Ted Kennedy never participated in truth and justice

[midnight]

29. I think that is why the Kennedy family was/is so remarkable...

[MedleyMisty]

6. Words are the prelude to action

On the livestream from Wisconsin one night, the reporter asked a protester what he thought about a general strike.

He did not know what a strike was, much less a general one.

I am all for action. But we need more words first, to educate people. You can combine the two - have teach-ins in your local community, for instance. Go to local protests and hand out educational material.

We have to build up a critical mass. You can go and sit somewhere in D.C. by yourself, but it's not going to do much.

I'm reading Pedagogy of the Oppressed, by Paulo Freire. I find it interesting that in the chapter about method, he's basically describing the internet. Decades before it was invented. Seriously. With the whole not having a dominant leader, symbols to easily explain ideas (internet memes, anyone?), free exchange of ideas, etc.

He also says that action without reflection won't do much good. But of course, reflection without action won't do much good either.

http://twitter.com/USdayofrage

Get enough people to follow it, and we'll get a date. Follow through on that date, and there's some action. First though - you have to use words to get the followers.

[JFN1]

7. Lots of words already, and no effective action

is what I got out of it. And I fear I have to agree. tons of talk, but no action, coordinated or not, and seem like things are quickly slipping beyond anything normal, or constitutional. What happens if we talk too long? We already accepted "free speech zones." whats next, if we don't find the resolve to take any next step?

[JDPriestly]

13. We are controlled through the manipulation of information, through

advertising including advertising fed us as "news." "News" that is owned by the corporate oligarchy and tells the story of the corporate oligarchs. We are fed that "news," that story over and over until we believe it.

So, we need a movement in which people refuse to partake in that manipulation.

The first step is to turn off your TV. You can still watch strictly the media that you choose to watch on the internet. We have a Roku box and watch Netflix on that. We dropped ours.

We watch MSNBC and Democracy Now and other similar shows like Jon Stewart on the Internet. We can order TV series that we like from Netflix. That way we don't subscribe to the trash.

It is a small expression of dismay. It is a tiny step toward empowerment. It is a nonviolent slap in the face of the media.

But if enough people turn of the gossip box, we might actually force the powers that be to give us intelligent information and entertainment. I think that just trying to organize people to do this could empower our progressive/liberal movement. How about this idea?

[Newest Reality]

8. I am rather surprised at

the number of people who talk about a revolution as either a necessity or a possible outcome of this. I am talking intelligent, thinking people who have a rather good grasp of the Gestalt right now.

Now, revolution can have different meanings to many people, so the word can be taken in the context of a people-power change that simply has to come about as push comes so close to shove. The revolution in thinking has already begun, that is for sure. This is too in your face to be able to ignore without resorting to almost pathological denial.

The other outcome would come from the populace watching all of this and reacting with nothing but shock and expletives. That will lead to something very dystopian and dark in the endgame. I don't think we want to leave the legacy of handing it all over to America Incorporated after the Corporate Occupation completes its final maneuvers. Thing is, multinational corporations make and/or supply almost everything we need and use. The shift we would have to make in many aspects of our lives is enormous. Yet, the shift they will bring us leaves no alternative other than living like Winston Smith's.

Might I suggest investing heavily in pitchforks and torches?

[gateley]

9. How are you feeling now?

And thanks for the article. Just glanced at it but I'm thinking I'll be pretty much in agreement when I go back to read it.

Take it easy, and take care!

[JFN1]

11. Good, today - thank you so much.

I hope all is well with you.

[The Doctor.]

10. K+R. Welcome to the Dog and Pony show critique.

It's been out of our many hands for a while now.

[JFN1]

12. "Stop. Participating. In. The. System."

Withing our current system. yeah your right, we have no chance. its only hopeless amd out of our hands as long as we consent to the bullshit.

[snagglepuss]

15. Bookmarked. "An addiction to words." He nails it.

:kick:

[Javaman]

19. Ironic that you bookmarked it. nt

[elocs]

17. The truth is that most people lead lives of quiet desperation.

The vast majority of Americans do not have it within themselves to do what the author demands needs to be done. You can jump up and down and call them cowards or worse but it doesn't matter because they are just trying to get through their lives and do not have it within themselves to do what is demanded of them. Besides, the 40% or more who actively support Republicans, teabaggers, and the like have no desire to change things as we would like to see them changed.

Within the excellent rant the author ultimately recognizes the truth:

We. Must. Act.

But, of course, we won’t.

I can appreciate the honesty of that. Pessimistic, but honest. The idealists here will clamor and claim, "Of course we will!", but no we won't. Most, many, some of us will continue to try, to do what we can do, to fight the good fight. Such is life.

America: an interesting experiment while it lasted.

[JFN1]

20. Probably not...

The more I think about it, the more I feel the writer is right...that quiet desperation you mention appears to own us.

[xchrom]

18. Recommend

[KoKo]

21. We are so inundated with "Fancy Distractions" we can't cope with passage of time...

space...or even know more than getting up outta bed, hitting the job or unemployment lines ...or just droning on in our ways of coping if we still have a job.

We are sleepwalking through our lives or living in desperation on the edge or anticipating it. It's "Shock & Awe" or "Never Saw it Coming" is what we live with out here in MAINSTREAM AMERICA!

Why DO we listen or read anything the "Mainstream Media Spews their LIES ABOUT..." these days?

ALL SYSTEMS ARE ON FAIL/ALERT! How can folks spend their time with video games, passive TEE VEE or watching "Jersey Shore" if they are living through these dark times?

Maybe only the Top 2% can use "ESCAPISM" to avoid what they've done to our Country. The rest of us ...just gotta get by.

WELCOME TO DICKENS AMERICA!

[JFN1]

22. True enough.

We were all caught up in the tail-chase for the "American Dream" and seemed to have little time for anything else. Now so many are financially screwed and have no resources with which to fight anything, except for their own survival.

I should have put this in the original post, but the writers solution he offers as one amng many, is intriguing, and might be a way through this mess:

1. Have a maximum economic standard. I’m not going to fill this one in for you –think it through.
2. Have a minimum economic standard based upon human values. Again, the benefits are obvious.
3. Forget elections – instead of a complicated, expensive, always vulnerable system of electing people to serve - everybody serves. Like jury duty, we all serve a term as representatives of the People.

Maybe chasing the "dream" can be something for all of us, not just the few.

[KoKo]

23. Good Points...this is the time the rubber meets the road ...and

while many have been out there working to try to change.....without millions of folks..change can't get off the ground. :-( Media doesn't report much except what they are paid to...

[JFN1]

28. Its all of a piece, isn't it?

No real plan, except profit, profit, profit.

[glowing]

24. Irony/ Hypocrisy? He's using words to ask for action...

On Edit: I get what he's talking about.. How much more crap can people take.. It takes time to move... Action doesn't have immediate results. It took 30 yrs since Reagan to get here; we aren't going to wake up tomorrow and snap have the picture we want to see... We have instant technology, so we expect it... but it takes time to change and mold ideas and make movements move....

[JFN1]

25. Thats my read on it - we've been sitting on our hands feeling helpless

long enough.

[Armstead]

26. I hate to say it but the author is absolutely correct

If we really look at things, we are all accepting a completely artificially crummy situation.

There is no natural reason a majority of Americans should be falling down the hill, while a tiny group are pushing us down to raise themselves up.

There are many many more of us than there are of them. BUt we allow them to abuse us en masse.

Why do we put up with so much that is so obviously WRONG in an objective sense?

If one dwells on That for too long one can easily sink into despair....So we let it slip out of our mind much of the time, and focus on our more immediate concerns.

But sometimes, as in that rant, the truth hurts -- but there is something oddly bracing when it's brought out in the open...A catharis perhaps?

[JFN1]

27. And thus we remain lost and motionless

and things progress. I get what the writer means when he suggests when people believe what hpenned in Germany can't happen here, this is how it happens, a bit here, a bit more there, and people moer concerned with personal survival than with anything else, including their neighbor's.

If this goes on, I believe we will all be lost.

[freshwest]

30. Needs to heard and acted upon. Thanks for bringing it.