Since a young age, I have been fascinated by politics, as well as history and other subjects that have to do with political subjects. Since early high school (I am in college now, save your insults for my lack of experience for not having any "real world" experience) I spent much of my free time reading political articles and keeping up with the political world. During the 2006 election I stayed up till the last senate race was called and celebrated that the Democrats took control of congress. I worked at the polls for my town all day in 2008, then went home to watch the victory of Obama, and believe in a future that we could move beyond what Bush had done to this country. For the next few years, I spent my time in real life and on the internet defending Obama, seeing that it was always the Republicans who were blocking and watering down legislation, but noticing a strange number of Democrats were involved too. In the mean time, I had decided to focus on political studies when I went to school, in the hopes of doing something having to do with politics or foreign work when I was done. Recently, it had turned into a desire to lead some sort of Progressive cause, whether running for office eventually myself or being a strategist.
With every Obama capitulation, I was down more and more on the president, but what could I do? Vote for a Republican, those who are out completely for the mega wealthy and multinational corporations? So I continued to support the President, as well as the Democrats. It was in this time that I finally found DailyKos, which had the effect of moving me even farther to the left (with facts!). The stories and information I found here solidified my desire to do good with politics in my country as a livelihood. My movement to the left led me to be even less and less happy with the Democrats, and President Obama in particular. The words coming from their mouths sometimes seemed to me to be directly lifted from Republican talking points I had heard for so long. A Democratic president offering to cut Medicare? AND Social Security? It was unthinkable, especially with the facts laid out so bare that we had a revenue problem, that the top 1% was not paying its fair share, not that welfare was bankrupting this country. And now we've come to this. Less than a week until the United States defaults. And part of me feels like the next step in this crisis is going to be the sale of public assets on a massive scale. The fight feels over. We've lost. I wanted to put my whole life into this battle, and before I can even see the field, it's over. I really hope I am wrong, but that is how I feel right now. If anyone can please convince me that I'm wrong, do so. I hope you succeed.