So I get there with my wife at around 5:30pm, to Acts Full Gospel Church of God in Oakland, CA. We immediately noticed two Tea Party guys standing at the entrance with protest signs. We parked, and then I went to the entrance to talk to the Teabaggers, out of curiosity. After the expected diatribe, I part ways when the guy tells me that it's Okay if the top one percent gets to own 90 percent of the wealth in America, because the rest can also be successful if they work hard. Well, that was another confirmation on how stupid these people are...
I've never been to this venue, and it was nice to see how big it was... It can hold up to 3,500. I estimate that there may have been about 800 people.
So I went thinking that maybe this time the Democrats are ready to engage in the fight. That they have something substantive to say. That they understand the problem. And that they are ready to lead. How sorely disappointed I was!
So the lady pastor says her prayer and asks everybody to pray with her! A couple of atheists (I presume) yell out something about "not being here to listen to prayers" and walk out in indignation... And the program begins.
An introductory short speech by a union guy. Representative Barbara Lee Speaks first, then Nancy Pelosi, then Raul Grijalva (AZ), and Mike Honda (San Jose).
The typical stuff... We need jobs; the economy is terrible; people are suffering; the Republicans are mean; we need to let the Republicans know that "we need jobs."
And then the kicker: The main objective of the meeting is to have people make two lines, one on each side of the room, and tell their stories about unemployment, and about hardship, and about how they are suffering. And then they were going to video tape these stories--all of them--and make sure every single member in Congress gets a copy.
For God's sake! What is wrong with these people?
I should've known where this thing was heading when the first speaker (the union official) started asking people to stand up, and stay up if: they are unemployed; or lost their homes; or are underemployed; or believe the economy has not improved. That should have been my first clue.
And then it gets "better." People take to the microphone and talk about all the horrible things that are happening to them; no jobs; no benefits; losing their homes; no health insurance coverage; intimidation and harassment by employers.
Nancy, Mike, Raul, and Barbara, sitting there on the stage, nodding and listening in "earnest." Then Leader Pelosi interrupts the flow to tell people that she knows what she needs to do when she gets back to Washington: She will "let them know" that we need to focus on jobs. After a few grumblings from people that have been waiting in line to speak, Pelosi sits down, and we hear a few more "testimonies" of horror. Then, once again, the flow is disrupted by an earnest young lady to show a video of more people sharing their horror stories from different cities across the U.S.
And there people stood--waiting, and waiting--to tell their own horror stories... Even thought they will have to tell them without the privilege of the former Speaker being there because she announced she would have to leave to attend "another function."
And not to worry, tells us the young Democratic lady: Since time is running out, after the official ending of the function, cameras will still be there recording every single person who wants to share their story of misfortune. And again, she will personally make sure that all of the videos are put into a DVD and sent to every single member in Congress.
Who are these people? Are they fucking with us? Is this some kind of twisted sick joke?
We fucking know what's going on. We know that the economy sucks, and that war profiteers are raking it in by keeping these wars going, and that yes, we need to tax the rich.
Is that why I go to a meeting like this? To listen our leaders complain about how mean the Republicans are, and how we need to tax the rich. And to listen to gut-wrenching accounts of people who are suffering?
We don't need that shit! It is confirmed. These establishment Democrats use the poor, and the minorities, and the unemployed, as props. They do really think we are that stupid. They don't even try to pretend to be sincere. It's all formulaic to them. And of course, they get away with it because the poor, and the unemployed, and those who are losing their homes have no power. They are pawns in this sick game.
When I go to a meeting like this I go with the idea that these are our leaders. That they know more than we do. That they have much more power than we do. That they are ready and willing to lead--for God's sake--and to take on the motherfucking criminals who ruined this country.
And want them to tell me the truth. I want to hear them say it. I want Nancy Pelosi to speak the truth from the podium: That Wall Street stole trillions of dollars. That so far they have acted with impunity. That profiteers are benefiting by keeping us in an eternal state of war. That corporations have bought off both political parties, and that she is not longer going to take part in that charade. That she is ready to take on this corrupt system, and fight for us.
I want fiery and passionate rhetoric, delivered with conviction, with a sense of indignation. The times call for exactly that.
In the middle of this clusterfuck that is reality today in America, I want someone to fucking speak the truth for once!
And most of all, someone who is going to give us hope that these wrongs are going to be addressed. That the cavalry is coming.
"Don't worry brothers and sisters! We know what's happening... We know that these criminal bankers think they are going to get away with exploiting you. We know that these corporations think they are going to subjugate you, exploit you, and enslave you. But I have a very clear message. We're on to them. We will not let these parasites do that. We know that people united will not be defeated. We are going to take on these greedy exploiters and manipulators head on. And we will rebuild America. We will make sure that every American that's willing and able to work has a job. We will stop exporting jobs to low-wage countries. We will do these things. We hear you, and we are with you, and we will do whatever it takes." Thunderous applause; emotions; motivation; HOPE.
But what do we get? More complaining and whining and a sense of impotence, and the indignities of asking everybody unemployed to stand up so everybody else can see you; asking anybody who lost their homes to stand up, so everybody else can see you; asking people to go to the front and share in front of news TV cameras and in front of hundreds of people the most horrible stories of misfortune, of suffering.
WE NEED A MILITANT LEFT. Enough of this bullshit!