Revolution #2009

It's easy to believe airliners were brought down by guys with box cutters.

For this nation's duly elected president and his progressive policies to be kneecapped by a minority of loud, angry, possibly psychotic right-wing zombots is a sure sign that democracy is nothing more than a gossamer ideal.

And by lazily allowing such ideological idiocy to spread unchecked we now have the cultural equivalent of cancer.

There is no more reason for anyone to grant Republicans any respect. They have abdicated their authority. Their intentions are clear, their leaders too in love with their own salaries, their brazen goal to become the Kamikaze party reaching critical mass. Their credibility is all but dead, reduced to a bitter, gaping, black hole.

And thanks to them, democracy seems poised to tumble in.

Politics may be politics but this has gone way beyond gamesmanship and into the realm of wanton, drunken destruction. So far, no sane Republican---if there is one---has been roused by any nascent patriotism to voice opposition to any of the mad utterances vomited forth from the party's leaders and their "grassroots" infantilized infantry.

They have demonstrated daily that, having lost the presidential election and control of congress they've lost their their cultural relevance and all sense of morality as well, and in a fatally childish tantrum, are executing a nuclear option. The leadership itself has allowed the dead-enders into the fold and purposefully impregnated those soft-boiled egg psyches with apocalyptic imagery. The rest of us were too stunned to think that it was actually happening, that the Republicans would kill everyone and everything to wrest control back from a citizenry which wanted nothing more of their Grand Old Party's grand guignol.

And in monumental self delusion, the daily news cycle spins and spins with a wink as brazen as Sarah Palin's, as if we are all in on it and that this sort of thing is "healthy in a democracy". If anything, that alone means we might really be closer than ever to a real societal calamity, something that makes this economic crisis look like a picnic.

Only if every salvo is met with equal ferocity, if every pseudo fact is countered by reality is there a chance. To lay back and let vitriol burn itself out is unrealistic in a time when such things are the bread and butter of the corporate controlled media, when despair and division is essential to their profit margins.

You say you want a revolution? Well, alright.

Comments

[WellTickleMeWillie]

I idea of revolution to throw out the bums is appealing but naive. The national guard would be used in an instant to quell any kind of revolution-like protests. It may be romantic to think we could re-install democracy to a country that has strayed and betrayed its roots but it is only a pipe dream. The only viable alternative would be a 3-rd peoples party representing progressive ideas and principles. Even that may be a pipe dream at this stage since the corporate owners of our gov't would not easily permit a competitive political party to become reality.

[research]

The National Guard would be on our side, it's Blackwater we have to worry about.

[UkieOlie]

Well said! And I agree, sadly, that there doesn't seem to be one sane Republican left. Just cowards, hypocrites and those who are bought and paid for by corporations.

[Randy White]

One fast revolution started last year in Portland, Oregon. It has been documented at www.bright­neighbor.t­v and continues to spread throughout the US and now Canada.

[Social Construct]

The right has fallen into a death spiral of circular logic and it's end point is a precise center of nihilism.

[Social Construct]

Yet, I am aware of intelligent, well reasoned conservatives; however, for the life of me, I cannot figure out why they are not more vocal. As I think about it, though, it has been many, many years since there was a republican leadership capable of moving forward without the right-of-right snarling attack dogs distracting the constituency.

[NoFactsJustTruth]

I remain an Independent, Steven, because BOTH parties take legal identical bribes to betray the interest of The People. This crookish behavior effectively turns all legislatures into corrupt 'one-party' systems, as BOTH sides of the isle accept untraceable 'bundled' campaign contributions from the SAME 'industry' lobbyists.
A party may 'sound' more convincing and more progressive, but it's extremely naive to NOT believe most votes on Laws are 'pre-engineered' (behind closed doors and under the table) to ensure the status quo, or if possible even more profit$ for any big busine$$ buddie$, Blue-dogs are 'A' convenient excuse for some failures, but they just shift those 'blames' around and that engineered vote 'appears' more random. I give you the 'Mukasey Confirmation Vote', where two Senators (Feinstein and Schumer) abandoned their party AND the Rule of Law ...to protect 'torturers' and War Criminals.
A week before the '06 election, following the 60 Minutes "...off the table..." interview with Nancy Pelosi, it became apparent it was 'planned' that everyone - 'goes home', and none would ever get prosecuted.

Now, throwing one quick reality check at you...
Suppose, just suppose the Democratic National Party (hierarchy) has ZERO interest in actually seeing the pathetic republican'ts - 'fail'? Suppose they WANT to lose huge numbers of seats next year - rather than HAVE TO FIX ANYTHING ...especially the pro-corporate legal 'bribery' system.

Admittedly, ANY failure on their part already looks suspicious ...from 'this' perspective.

[July rose]

Well said! It is truly frightening to see what the Republican party has disintegrated into.

[DEJM]

Some people just don't get it.

People are angry. They've lost their jobs, their homes their healthcare. They cannot pay their bills nor afford their basic necessities.

It's not about political parties. It's about the fact that neither party is doing anything to help these people.

People know that Congress can get things done when they want to. They've managed to unite to pass pay raises for themselves. They voted on new luxury planes for themselves despite a monstrous national debt.

So it appears that they don't want to do what they were elected to do and worse, what they promised to do when they campaigned- help the people.

Your comments are superfluous and disrespectful to a populace that forks over millions of dollars in taxes of its hard earned money. It misses the point entirely. this is not theater. It's real life

[Death Panel Chairman]

I always want to comment on Steven Weber's articles but they are so great there is nothing left to say.

[SkreetGil1]

Indeed.

[tangelan]

Ditto

[BuckCarson]

I read this article with an open mind. Here is what I boil it down to:

- Republicans are angry, ignorant, nuclear, psychotic, vomiting, Kamikaze, infantile, ... and zombotic (whatever that means).
- Republicans cultural relevance no longer exists.
- Democrats should counter the GOP's "revolution".

Logically contradictory, there is no interpretation of this blog other than that it is simply a rant, disguised with words stolen from a thesaurus.

Questions:

- This article is very typical in my view, how can conservatives take you seriously when there is no content in your words?

-Is it perhaps, that you are simply angry as well?

Psychologists suggest that it is better to simply admit your feelings and make that the topic, rather than acting out. You'll live healthier by practicing this simple approach to living. Also, a quote from Albert Einstein: " Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." - this ought to be your mantra as a budding blogger.

[TheFobster]

You say you want a revolution...

...well you know.

[Delphine]

We loved how Obama kept his cool during the campaign, the jujitsu let 'em hoist themselves on their own petard method of running.

But now it's about getting things done. I can't believe after what Clinton and Gore and Kerry went through that the WH actually believes that (a) the gop has any interest in anything but cynical maneuvering or (b) that refusing to "dignify" the idiotic ravings will make the ravings stop or keep gullible idiots from believing them.

Even given his OWN experience, giving away the store on the recovery bill without receiving a single gop vote, I can't see how the President still believes there is a "deal" that can be made re health care.

The gop will whine about how unfair reconciliation is - no matter how many times they used it (they have ignorance and memory loss on their side). They'll whine they didn't have time to read the bill (regardless of the way they forced unread bills down the dems' throats for 8 years). Wah wah wah.

It's time the Dems, stopped caring a whit (or something that rhymes) about what the gop thinks - they don't even represent their own constituents - and do something the way 70-80% of us want it done.

If there are any members of the gop in congress who actually care about their constituents, they need to speak up now, or forever give up their souls. They've leased them out as it is. Along with not a few

[itmaybetoolate]

If it is going to take a revolution, we are out of luck. Americans are past the point when they would actually sacrifice something - time, money, prestige, the latest episode of the hottest HBO series - to do something about the take over of America by corporate entities. bush and his cronies tortured people - tortured!. And now, our new president refuses to punish these war criminals, for god's sake! If that won't get people into the streets, what will? Certainly not the fact that our elected official are ignoring us while they get rich!

[eilish]

I wanna know those people with the money prestige and HBO. The majority of the people I come into contact with lately are, hmmm. Out of work, out of unemployment, out of a home, out of hope and absolutely out of energy or resources to be part of a revolution. In short, they are Out of Luck.

[itmaybetoolate]

Were they like this during bush's 8 year reign of terror? I expect many were not. In fact, many are now out of work because of bush. Many have sat idly by and look what it has gotten them.

[lis60]

Oops I agree we need a revolution of some kind. The far right LOUD kooks are given way way too much media attention for a minority. Also as someone else noted many others in congress (regardless of party) are at fault. It's all about politics and money now. Many of the people against health care reform get millions from the health care industry. Something needs to be done about the influence of lobbyists.
The right wing nuts need to be exposed for what they are-racists.

[BuckCarson]

Correct, we should enact the fairness doctrine while we have the majority. We know best.

[lis60]

I agreei