Cross posted from Docudharma- please post comments here-
http://www.docudharma.com/...
I am tired. So tired. I usually use an editor for my diaries because of my head injury and poor organization, grammar, repeating myself and essays that are generally too long. Those take me 10 hours or more and then an editor.
This one is straight from the heart and hip and will be written in short order and to the point (I hope).
During Viet Nam there were tons of protests and large marches and people in front of the
White house and more.
This war is even worse and the condition of our nation is far worse. We have some small and well meaning attempts at rallies and marches. Nothing near the ones of the Nam era.
It is time for true civil disobedience. We keep waiting and waiting and waiting for change. Now we are hanging our hat on the 2008 election. We hung our hat on getting a majority in 2006 and look what that has gotten us. DICK!! The problems keep mounting. The damage Bushco could do in the next 13 months could be catastrophic.
Our dems we thought would change things when we elected them in 2006 have done nothing. We heard from them before 2006 that we didn't have the majority. Now we hear many other excuses. We send petitions and write letters to our congressmen and senators. The democratic process is NOT working. The voice of the people is NOT being heard.
Bush and Cheney need to be impeached NOW. Funding for MANY things need to be increased IMMEDIATELY and funding for others need to be reduced or cut off. We need a definitive plan for COMPLETE with drawl of our troops from Iraq by 06/09 (IMHO). IMHO, immediate with drawl is not feasible for numerous reasons. This one is only relevant when coupled with numerous others but to name just one, our VA is buried now and the influx of another 160,000 troops tomorrow would break them and do nothing to help those returning and make it worse on those already in the VA system. I am not saying it is better to leave them in a war but the repurcussions wouldn't be too far from it.
WE, the left, need to take more drastic action. I am not sure what. I am open to any suggestions. I will participate in any logical action that would cause change. I just know our current tactics are doing nothing. To believe the election of a democratic president alone is going to change that is delusional. What IF a republican is elected, which is possible? We didn't think it was possible in 2004. We didn't think a majority in 2006 would have as little impact as it has.
The kind of changes we need are so drastic, wide sweeping and broad that only the demands of a HUGE number of people in a dramatic fashion will do anything at all.
I believe our current efforts are yielding so little that I have personally considered just dropping off the blogs and the talk about change and just living my life. My personal life is good. I could leave here and just vote for a democrat in 2008 and in the meantime leave all the talk up to those who want to continue fighting via the current unproductive means. My wife and I are in good shape. We make a decent living. I have full medical coverage by the VA. We have a nice little house in the woods with our two dogs and a cat.
Here are some ideas off the top of my head on possible more drastic means to get "their" attention. I am not saying any are good or feasible and I am open to anyone else's.
OUR DEMANDS- Impeachment, definitive troop with drawl timelines, increased funding for Veterans benefits, close Gitmo, trials of all in the bushco group who are implicated in illegal acts, release of the names of companies who participated in wire tapping, passing of the law outlawing torture by the CIA and adopting the recent revised Army code of conduct regarding torture of prisoners for all government agencies, any funds for Iraq tied to troop with drawl time lines and EQUAL VA funding and passage of SCHIP. Anything more that is reasonable and people contribute here, I am onboard.
POSSIBLE METHODS TO CONVEY OUR DEMANDS BY THOSE WITH THE CONVICTION OF THEIR BELIEFS.
- Do not file taxes in 2008 and circulate a petition on EVERY blog and every possible place of those who will commit to this. Release the petitions when completed to the press (provided enough sign, 250,000 ?). (Henry David Thoreau)*
- A petition committing to file for an extension for tax filing and then if our demands are not met by the extension date, do not file at all and also release this to the press (if enough signatures, 250,000 ?). (Thoreau)*
- MANY, MANY on the left going to Washington and camping out with signs posted next to our tents and painted on them about many issues and presentation of our demands.
- Camp out at individual state capitals where we live in lieu of Washington.
I don't know what else to do. I do know, I am tired of waiting and waiting and waiting. I do know that one definition of insanity is "repeating the same acts over and over again expecting different results."
This definition applies to most of us on the left without a doubt.
IT IS TIME TO TAKE MORE DRASTIC AND SUBSTANTIAL ACTION. IT IS TIME TO REALLY GET THEIR ATTENTION. LOOKING FOR ANY IDEAS OR INTELLIGENT CONTRIBUTIONS.
You are welcome to ridicule me. Tell me I am nuts. Tell me why none of this or other "civil disobedience" is not feasible. That is fine. I don't care, I can say GBCW and live just fine as I stated. I can let everyone continue talking, sending emails, and doing the same o same o and continue their insanity as defined above. I have plenty to do with a website I am setting up and my ebay business.
* My favorites. Can't throw us in jail and will get the message across that we are serious IF we get enough to sign a petition of intent.