Before I get into the meat n' taters of this rant (or, if you're veggie, taters n' taters), let me say that it's awesome to finally be in the right head space to get back to Kos.
I've had a seriously crazy last year or so, and I'm sure I'll get into some of that before too long, but that's not what I came to talk about.
I came to issue a telegram.
To: Authors of open letters:
Stop.
[End Transmission]
Just because I've been away from the Great Orange Satan for around a year doesn't mean that I haven't had access to useful information, thought-provoking discussion, and, at least once, an ego-stroke from a complete stranger. Now, when I deemed it necessary to step away from them Interwebz and clear my addled, rattled brain for as long as it took (11 months, 10 days as it turns out), things around here looked more or less the same as they do today:
Unhappy people, pie fights, flame wars, Fuck Your Opinion, diarists calling out other diarists in their one diary of the day (useful, innit?), and six or seven rarely noticed diaries on how we (not the royal we, but the collective we) can elect new and better Democrats.
New and Better Democrats, you say?
It feels like I've read that somewhere before.
Look, y'all, I'm happy that the 'net provides all of Cthulu's creatures with the worlds largest soap-box; I'll be the first to admit I've put myself up on it from time to time (read: every chance I get). It doesn't fuck with my Chi in the least to watch people attempt to provide counter-arguments, discourse at length on hot-button topics, and frequently use the word "Hobbit" when referring to Kucinich (I kid, I kid).
What bothers me is that this site was never, ever about eating our own.
This is exactly what the Right wants us to do: engage in the same kind of political in-fighting that lost them national and regional elections everywhere starting in '06.
I'm not gonna go down that road. It's a big tent, and there will always be dissenting opinions and ideas under the canopy of a big tent, folks.
I kinda thought that was the plan.
If you're not happy with the way things are going in any administration, do something about it- organize, find a candidate with whom you agree, run for office yourself, support these guys, anything you can to avoid falling into the trap of petty, day-to-day bickering and in-fighting.
Cheers,
RR