…

It was a bit of frustration on my part over the people who seem to think that the Democrats MUST be supported, no matter what, and anybody who’s the least bit sane must agree with this position.

I feel the absurdity of this position most strongly on issues of gay rights, probably because some of the people in the world I love the most fiercely are gay.

I often think, in this particular set of circumstances, of the intense pressure African-American men were put under to support the WWII effort and enlist, and how strongly so many of them resisted that pressure, despite the social opprobium it brought them. Some of them felt that a Fascist victory, even in America, couldn’t make things all that much worse for them than they already were.

To which all I can say is that if this sounds like hyperbole – you’re probably white. There comes a point where, even though one group may kill you, another group has managed to make your life so shitty as it is that agreeing to support them, even as a defensive position, will just cost you enough personally that it just isn’t worth it.

Bill Clinton, hero of the Democratic party that he is, is on record saying his support for the Defense of Marriage Act is a position of principle, not of political expedience. As far as I can tell, all major Democrats feel that way.

There’s an old saw about the relative merits of dying on one’s feet versus living on one’s knees. I don’t try to answer the questions it asks for anyone else. I just wish everyone would extend the same courtesy.

Sorry if you thought my words were directed at you personally, Marq. That’ll teach me not to post anything when I’m upset. My apologies.

it makes you a supporter of the war in Iraq. Oh, and you hate black people, too.

Oh, yeah–forgot about this. 1.) Um, no…. and 2.) Well, to use a line I’ve used in the past here, “I look good in black, and black looks good in me.” So, again, no.

Hey, Marq….hope you never want to get married or anything. Because if you ever try to use the political system to work for that right, it makes you a supporter of the war in Iraq. Oh, and you hate black people, too.

Um, gee, was it something that I said? The “Fascism!”, “Stalinism!”-thing was an attempt at the funny–you provided the setup, and I did the lame-o punchline. As to what you say, I do not expect that same-sex marriage will be legal in this country within my lifetime. I expect that the country is almost certainly headed into a very dark chapter in its history, and may not come through intact. I think there’s a global depression headed out way in the not-too-distant future. The odds against one or more genocides, right here, in *this* country, are not all that far-fetched. Furthermore, back to teh gay marriage thing, I fully expect that one or more countries that currently support it at this point will declare it null and void at some not-too-distant point in the future. Furthermore, I fully expect that the human race has not much more than a thousand years left to it before we utterly manage to obliterate ourselves. Oh, well. It was fun while it lasted

So here’s my last question to you on this topic (well, unless a really good discussion cranks up again): Even though you’re leaving, what’s your best advice for someone like me, who’s not? What can someone in my position do that might actually do good rather than harm? No snark here; I’m interested in your response.

Learn to use a gun. Keep a supply of cash handy. Decide – right now, for yourself – what your personal comfort level with violence is. Come up with a quick and simple method for communicating to your loved ones that there is a problem of some sort that no one else will realize is a deliberate communciation. If you are in a district where your vote might make a difference, vote. Keep your passport current. Learn to recognize military aircraft. Make sure you stay in touch with the people you love if they aren’t nearby. Read the foreign press. Be ready for anything. Figure out if there is anything that could happen that you would think would be a warning sign to leave quickly, and once you figure that out, don’t let anyone change your mind about it.

And the very last thing for which I will never forgive the Republican party is for making me feel like I have to sound like a militia whackjob if I want to adequately express the degree of concern I have for the state of American affairs today.

So here’s my last question to you on this topic (well, unless a really good discussion cranks up again): Even though you’re leaving, what’s your best advice for someone like me, who’s not? What can someone in my position do that might actually do good rather than harm? No snark here; I’m interested in your response.

I will focus on convincing my fellow Americans how far we have strayed from our traditions. I hope we can build a truly progressive movement. The way I see it, this is the only way to move the country to the left. And yes, you Democratic apologists will have to take me (and hopefully millions more like me) into account. This is the only way to convince the Democrats that they can’t just sell out every principle they suppossedly believe in.

Do it for the good of your nation, and for the children…

Bring on the Jones Town Kool-Aid!!

I know that’s oh-so-moral-relativist of me, but here’s what I’m thinking: I don’t want someone here fighting with me who’s not deeply committed to the fight, and I certainly wouldn’t want someone forcing me to stay in an unpleasant/dangerous situation if I really wanted to leave. The choice I’ve made, I made for my own reasons; the choices that, f’rinstance, Jillian has made, she made for her own reasons, and if I were to try and impose my reasons on her, I’d be just as bad as They are.

Never Too Busy to Spank It

good imagery

Fascists!!!1
Stalinists!1!!

;)

Hey Jillian, are you even listening?

How’s that whole “Dems and Repukes are the same shit� working out for people dying/maimed in Iraq?

How about New Orleans and Katrina?

Do you even give a hairy rat’s ass about any of those people?

You know what? I actually do.

Like, say….I have this crazy idea that none of them ought to be tortured. Ever.

And maybe someday, the Democratic party will be able to agree with me on that topic with a unanimous voice. Surely that’s not too much to ask?

But you know what? I also have this crazy idea that a government ought to do perhaps just a tad MORE for its people than not just let them die horribly in the streets after a natural disaster. Sure, that’s a great starting place, but think of all the other things a decent, civilized government could do. Like provide them with access to DECENT FUCKING HEALTHCARE.

You know what would be a fun thing to do? Find out how many people in New Orleans died prematurely due to lack of access to health care since Clinton COMPLETELY FUCKED UP getting health care reform pushed through a DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS, and compare that to the number of people who died in Katrina. Or maybe you just don’t give a rat’s ass about people who die slowly, outside of the public view? Maybe you only care about them when they screw up your vacation plans for Mardi Gras and riverboat trips, hmm?

What you don’t seem to understand, no matter how many times it’s explained to you, is that the Democratic party hasn’t been a friend to the poor and downtrodden in this country in quite some time. Maybe it’s because you’ve never actually BEEN poor, and had to deal with the bullshit that accompanies it in America. Maybe you were one of those Democrats who had to fight to hide the big boner Clinton gave you when he promised to “end welfare as we know it”? Once again, it’s not like you’d actually have to SEE the hungry kids the death of a program like this would leave behind, so why should they count? After all, it’s not like they’d disturb your delicate conscience by being so uncouth as to die in high photo op situations that would shock your innocent eyes on the nightly news or anything.

I’ve done my mightiest to be civil throughout this conversation, and it chaps my caboose to no end to get responses like this. If you really want to get into the “who cares the most” game, we can, but I doubt you’d like the results of it.

I don’t know what to tell you. When the Democrats had control of both the Executive and Legislative branches of government most recently, they didn’t really do much of anything to inspire any degree of confidence in them. Yes, they didn’t start an unnecessary war or torture people….but if that’s the standard you hold your elected officials to for excellence, then you and I are really not on the same team.

Then, when the Dems started LOSING support from their base – who really were people like me once upon a time – they ignored us and started pandering to the OTHER PARTY’S base. Denying gays even the pretense of civil rights? Pissing and moaning about legal abortion? Voting FOR the war in Iraq (check your Democratic rep’s voting record before you respond to that one!)? Yeah..that’ll show me. Boy, do I ever regret not giving my unqualified support to the Democratic party.

Except that when they DID have my unqualified support…they pissed it away. They can have it back any time they want it.

And after all this, if anyone STILL thinks I’m saying that “Democrats and Republicans are the same”, they are quite welcome to haul that strawman off and kiss his ass. Just don’t do it where anyone else can see – they might get offended.

If you’re in a plane crash in the Andes, starving to death in the snow, you eat the flesh of the dead. You’re not a cannibal by choice – events have forced you to make a pragmatic choice. Sure, you could stick to your ideology and die, but what the hell good did that do anyone?

It’d do plenty for the other plane crash survivors: more to eat, yay! Of course, if you starved to death, it’s not like you’d be giving them the gift os high-quality meat. But you’d never starve to death–if you were eating virtually nothing, pretty soon your body would have a hard time producing heat, and after it auto-cannibalized as much of you as it could, you’d die of exposure.

Why, yes, I *did* read a book about cannibalism. How’d you guess?

No, I moved because of the socialist bent of the society here. I am lucky in that my partner (no, we’re not maried) is a UK citizen. My son is profoundly disabled. I am offered quality services and schooling for him the likes of which I could only dream of before moving here. My family gets free medical care and prescriptions. This is extended to me based on a non-legal relationship – a domestic partnership. Yes taxes are higher. No, it’s not a perfect society – let’s be clear about this; NO SOCIETY IN THE WORLD IS PERFECT. I made this choice for my family, because of our situation. But maybe in a different circumstance, where I didn’t have health issues and loved ones who had greater needs, I’d be right there fighting beside Mikey.

As Anne Laurie already pointed out, nobody likes a good fight more than a Celt…but sometimes even Celts have to protect their families first.