Iv'e read a few posts here on Kos for the better part of a year now, and I have to admit, Kos has it right; we've got the right idea but the message is all fucked up. The 60's mass protests worked for a simple reason, they had a message that was easy to understand, end the Vietnam war and stop segregation. A simple message that everyone could understand
. Our protests now seem to dissemble into so many competing objectives that the GOP can dismiss us quickly as whacko's or loony's, which in part we are. See when Jon Lennon says"If ya go carryin pictures of Chairman Mao/Ya ain't gonna make it with anyone anyhow". The whole point isn't just that Mao was an awful dictator, but that if you go out to influence a lot of people<and I mean a LOT of people> you need to frame it <yes I said frame it> in terms and symbols that evryone understands. If Kanye West says "bush doesn't like black people", it doesnt resonate because its true, in fact it probably isnt, it resonates because it's a simple message to people who have witnessed events that seem to corroborate it. We know the reality is that Bush doesn't like POOR people, butblack people buy it because it talks to how they feel. The protest movement isn't working because they keep speaking to themselves and their pet issues; the enviroment, choice, women's rights, taxes, poverty and yes even the war. <God knows I'll probably get flamed for not listing someones issue, but my list is endless>. All these are noble causes true, but NONE of them are going to be realized with our current government. The GOP makes it simple for their constituents by keeping it simple, we've all heard it before, "God, guns and gays". all of it designed specifically to generate insular hatred. rest assured 3 more years of Bush and another New Orleans and our cities will BURN. We simply MUST get poor folk talking to each other again, but poor folk dont have time to listen to our pet peeves right now, they're too busy working a 70 hour workweek. We must keep it simple. I don't think we CAN promise everyone a job or health care or any number of other myriad programs we want and need, but we can and MUST demand 2 simple things from our government; Truth and Accountability.
Thats what this must be all about, because without Honesty Democracy becomes pointless, how can we vote for someone who cant tell us who they really are? What they REALLY intend to do? And unless we are fully responsible for the actions we take then there is NO leadership. For example, Bush wishes to complain about 'the beurocracy" for ruining the Katrina response effort, but I hate to burt the man's bubble, but the executive branch IS the beurocracy. The message is obvious and we have a short time to make it, because rest assured the evidence is in, these guys play HARDBALL, and while we all wet our pants over trivialities, Rove and team are gearing up for war.
Tomorrow, there is going to be a protest in a few cities courtesy of this group. <C:Documents and SettingsOwnerDesktopDemand Bush Resign.htm> Now I don't know this outfit from Adam and I ain't so sure I see eye to eye with 'em. But I'm gonna go, and I'm gonna make me a sign sayin 'Truth' on one side and 'Accoutability' on the other, because from the point of view o' me and mine, that all we've EVER asked of government. and for me thats all this is all about.
TRUTH ACCOUTABILITY.
Hope I see ya there.
C:Documents and SettingsOwnerDesktopDemand Bush Resign.htm