Listening to some King Crimson can be enlightening. I think the following song pretty fairly describes what we are all vulnerable of falling into: Elephant Talk.
Arguments, agreements, advice, answers,
Articulate announcements
It’s only talk
Talk, it’s only talk
Babble, burble, banter, bicker bicker bicker
Brouhaha, balderdash, ballyhoo
It’s only talk
Back talk
Talk talk talk, it’s only talk
Comments, cliches, commentary, controversy
Chatter, chit-chat, chit-chat, chit-chat,
Conversation, contradiction, criticism
It’s only talk
Cheap talk
Talk, talk, it’s only talk
Debates, discussions
These are words with a d this time
Dialogue, dualogue, diatribe,
Dissention, declamation
Double talk, double talk
Talk, talk, it’s all talk
Too much talk
Small talk
Talk that trash
Expressions, editorials, expugnations,
exclamations, enfadulations
It’s all talk
Elephant talk, elephant talk, elephant talk
To avoid in falling into the trap of just being an empty echo chamber, we have to do more than just talk. That is why projects like the Twelve Days of Scalito are so important. We need to make sure we make our collective voices heard in the halls of government. Constituent letters are more influential than most people realize.
We need to be vigilant and pro-active to make sure that Congress begins to hold the Bush administration accountable and that they begin to take back some of the power they cravenly invested in the Executive Branch. We need more projects like the 12 Days of Scalito.
Thanks for the plug for the 12 days of protest against Alito. All the diaries have been excellent so far.
You’re right, BooMan. The 12 days was a great idea and we need to continue in this fashion.
Hmm, King Crimson, is that on 8-track? 😉
i love you or capitalizing my name correcty.
“…knowledge is a deadly friend when no one sets the rules/the fate of all mankind, I fear, is in the hands of fools…”
“…plate-spinning statesman, acrobatically juggling/bids his tamers go quiet the tumblers lest the mirrors stop turning…”
Man, I love KC… :^)
this one appears to be about Condi and her hubbydubya.
he is impossible
they have their cross to share
three of a perfect pair…
he has his contradicting views
she has her cyclothymic moods
they make a study in despair
three of a perfect pair…
one, one too many
schizophrenic tendencies
keeps it complicated
keeps it agggravated
and full of this hopelessness
what a perfect mess…
I think we need to provide a place in our social matrix where a core philosophy becomes a primary guiding element in our behavior and in the construction of our society.
Why are the wingnuts’ policies and politics so screwed up? Because their philosophy is dysfunctional as it applies to democracy and to the notion that government exists to serve the people.
Why is the Democratic Party in such massive disarray? Because the primary philosophy it’s leadership is operating on is one that tells them their main duty is to serve themselves by regaining the majority in government.
Bushco’s philosophy, (pathology is perhaps a more accurate term), is authoritarian in nature and acts in accordance with one pretty simple idea, the idea that “We are in power and so we can do what we want and this is the way it’s supposed to be.”
This is an anti-democracy philosophical rubric, which, by it’s nature, cannot engender democratic processes on any level. The idea that drives the Bush/GOP juggernaut now repudiates the very core principles of democracy , those principles being that the people are the source of the power and the laws and the legitimacy of government, not the subjects of leaders who would violate or otherwise ignore those laws whenever it suits them.
If and when the Dem party as an entity returns to a philosophy that has at it’s core the idea that the party and it’s elected representatives exist to serve the people and the country, they’ll continue to be outmaneuvered and bullied by the fascist sociopaths at the helm of the extremist GOP juggernaut.
Political agendas fail when the philosophies upon which they’re based are flawed. “We the people are afflicted now with dysfunctional philosophies underpinning both the major political parties of the day. It’s no wonder things are so screwed up and progress seems so hopelessly out of reach short of a major cataclysmic event that might wipe the whole slate clean so we can start over again from scratch.
Rant Rant Rant! IMHO
Reading my own rant above, I realize that it is in fact, an example of “all hat and no cattle”.
I’ll think on what basic tenents I’d like to see embraced in a functionally realistic Democratic philosophy and perhaps others here will beat me to it.
I lose hope that we’ll ever be able to educate party leaders except by voting against them. But then of course, we have to vote for someone; Or do we?
I know that this online activism helps a little bit, but it still does not replace boots-on-the-ground activism. But every little bit makes a difference.
That being said, this is the second time we have moved across the communities and compelled them to take some kindof action. (Hopefully we compelled them? lol:) Considering the group in this community I think we have a real backbone for these kindof actions, and many others. We are only limited by our creativity in what we can try to do, and this is a creative bunch.
I wouldn’t even care if some of the ideas fell flat. It is still worth the effort to try and keep people focused on common issues and causes as they arise.
This is a small part of winning.
It all helps the cause. Smile and know that we are all helping the cause. Even if just a little. Judging by the last election results it will only take that little bit more to win. Well, that and no Diebold! 🙂
Did someone put todays Justice diary up at dKos yet? lol
Even Diebold is on the run at least in a few jurisdictions around the country, notto mention their CEO resigning under a cloud of suspicion of fraud.
Definately been a good week for the good guys!
Wow, a King Crimson reference. Kudos! and newfound respect (not that it wasn’t there before).
on the back for Scalito. You are so correct too in that integrity + the originality of those affected = voices that must be heard to freshen the debate and clear the fog. That is why I love Booman and stay at Booman and play at Booman. We do tend to find our own voices here and not just repeat what is peated to us. Life is too short, carry the biggest flag you can find in front of the Washington Monument, sleep in the Waffle House parking lot, scan your dirty goose feather into your puter and color it yellow, Stop Bitching and Start a Revolution (as those Code Pink girls say)