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Dustlawyer

(10,493 posts)
12. K&R!!! +1,000,000,000!!! This is what I have been talking about for the last 3 years!
Sun Oct 26, 2014, 09:28 AM
Oct 2014

I would add one thing to the emphasis on local change, I believe we build our consensus locally, but we join to fight nationally. We focus on one small, but all important area for the fight for all the marbles. We attack the root of the problem where corporations gain their control over our government. That is their ability to legally buy our politicians and judges. As Bernie Sanders says, it is the number one issue, and I believe it has to be to the exclusion of all other issues, Publicly Funded Elections! Outlaw campaign contributions! That is it. If we could get a very large and committed movement going, we would attract politicians who would see that their prospects of getting and staying in office would be better if they joined and helped lead the masses in this effort. Local work, by itself will not work. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce already plows large amounts of money down to the local levels.
Other than backing Bernie, I don't know how to motivate and organize people to do this. I have tried here at DU and even here among Progressives few believe or were committed enough to join this fight. They would rather come here and bitch about the symptoms created by the corruption than get off of their asses and do something.
Plus, there is a very large number that say we "must back Hillary or Republicans will get the White House." They are afraid to risk it for the kind of dramatic change that is imperative. Many fool themselves, like I did with Obama, that he was going to be this transformational President. Hillary is part of the big money class, they have been her friends for years. She will sell us out much like Obama has. This article does an excellent job of explaining this, we keep doing what we have always done, we will get what we always got! I for one will not play that game anymore! Sure if Bernie runs as a Democrat and loses to Hillary, I will vote for her before a Republican. If he runs as an Independant I will vote for him all the way! He is the only national figure that gets it and that makes him someone to rally around. It will take millions of committed people and there will be violence directed at us from all sides, but this, in my view is the fight for our very survival! Climate Change will not be addressed in any meaningful way unless we do this and win. If you care about your pet issue, jobs, environment, inequality, NSA... you must put them aside and join this fight. If we win we can then fix these other issues, otherwise we all lose!

Just finished reading the entire article...whoa...although snappyturtle Oct 2014 #1
It seems we have to start all over again like before we even had Unions classykaren Oct 2014 #20
we are going to have to go through the labor movement all over again in this country. nt antigop Oct 2014 #54
That is because the Industrial Unions were broken by business, governement, and business unions, jtuck004 Oct 2014 #56
I am a proud Union member who belongs to a craft union QuestionAlways Oct 2014 #77
That's what Mother Jones a Matles, among others, called them. And just because you have yours, jtuck004 Oct 2014 #82
Big K&R! I love his takeaway - that we need to start locally to begin to effect change nt riderinthestorm Oct 2014 #2
IMO his takeaway was local organizing in Not enough by itself. Tommymac Oct 2014 #67
Depressing but accurate read. djean111 Oct 2014 #3
Great call for action RiverLover Oct 2014 #4
the nice thing about being (semi) homeless and broke redruddyred Oct 2014 #8
I totally agree with you RiverLover why oh why did they ever do away with the real Fair and Balanced classykaren Oct 2014 #22
You are correct. No FOX wasn't mentioned. I find when stating the propaganda power of appalachiablue Oct 2014 #69
Correction-conservative corporate media and Fox were in the full article on Alternet. appalachiablue Oct 2014 #88
Accurate - On Point cantbeserious Oct 2014 #5
Local control, self-sufficiency Le Taz Hot Oct 2014 #6
Write! ReRe Oct 2014 #15
You are correct. Le Taz Hot Oct 2014 #26
There you go! ReRe Oct 2014 #31
Well, it's workers comp. so the answer is, Le Taz Hot Oct 2014 #32
Some of this is happening. At least around here, I've seen a real push not only for food from the Chathamization Oct 2014 #33
Those are all great ideas. Le Taz Hot Oct 2014 #34
I look forward to reading it when you finish. If you're interested, here's our sustainability plan Chathamization Oct 2014 #44
welcome to the Age of KaliYuga vlyons Oct 2014 #7
Back to basics. democrank Oct 2014 #9
You can say that again. n/t ReRe Oct 2014 #17
He had me until the solutions - TBF Oct 2014 #10
Maybe the solutions were written for a real world? brooklynite Oct 2014 #19
Oh yes it can be replaced - TBF Oct 2014 #25
Please enlighten us... brooklynite Oct 2014 #28
Money DonCoquixote Oct 2014 #53
Without currency, people end up on subsistence-only living muriel_volestrangler Oct 2014 #58
I don't think that is true - TBF Oct 2014 #59
How do you expect to support retired people? muriel_volestrangler Oct 2014 #62
Scare tactics of capitalism - TBF Oct 2014 #68
Socialism, communism and feudalism have all used money too muriel_volestrangler Oct 2014 #70
Money is just a representation of resources. If you allocate more equal amounts of money tokens CJCRANE Oct 2014 #71
But that's not happening - TBF Oct 2014 #73
Abandoning the status quo is a frightening prospect. ronnie624 Oct 2014 #99
OCCUPY! snooper2 Oct 2014 #92
Well that wouldn't be my approach TBF Oct 2014 #93
You Seem to be Unable to Describe What You Want to Build in Its Place AndyTiedye Oct 2014 #80
"Start a co-op" only works if it's not TBF Oct 2014 #85
Yes, Right in the Middle of a Capitalist System AndyTiedye Oct 2014 #97
Look no further than the authoritarian freaks who have taken control of the Democratic Party whereisjustice Oct 2014 #11
+10000000000 ReRe Oct 2014 #18
... bigwillq Oct 2014 #41
Our enemy is not Conservatives. It is Rahm Emanual, the Third Way, etc.. SomeGuyInEagan Oct 2014 #72
No kidding. nt TBF Oct 2014 #74
Right on. hifiguy Oct 2014 #91
Great post, the canonical issues making it difficult to distinquish our two parties. And as whereisjustice Oct 2014 #95
K&R!!! +1,000,000,000!!! This is what I have been talking about for the last 3 years! Dustlawyer Oct 2014 #12
Bingo! Great post. RiverLover Oct 2014 #13
Great post as well! The question that I have is how do we get enough people motivated to Dustlawyer Oct 2014 #38
This will only suppress Dem GOTV efforts. L0oniX Oct 2014 #14
"The Left is too content just to rent space in the attic from the Democrats. adirondacker Oct 2014 #21
Corporate control is the peoples worst enemy. L0oniX Oct 2014 #23
it's literally called the "Veal Pen" strategy: anyone who *wants* anything beyond electioneering MisterP Oct 2014 #47
Thanks. That would explain the early slaughter of many a good candidate. nt adirondacker Oct 2014 #48
and they broadcast how they're going to do it: MisterP Oct 2014 #49
I recall Lieberman claiming that Howard Dean would cause a depression during the 2004 debates. adirondacker Oct 2014 #51
"Americans are very pessimistic" LiberalElite Oct 2014 #16
Voting Republican is a suicidal tendency. L0oniX Oct 2014 #24
I sure hope Americans don't listen to NBC's propaganda... ReRe Oct 2014 #29
Support Bernie Sanders for President TheNutcracker Oct 2014 #27
If people feel pessimistic about their children's future tularetom Oct 2014 #30
A long, but absolutely wonderful article. loudsue Oct 2014 #35
Rec! progressoid Oct 2014 #36
A similar movement is "Dark Optimism". CJCRANE Oct 2014 #37
Truth. k&r polichick Oct 2014 #39
Sadly there's a lot of truth in this - and not only in America LeftishBrit Oct 2014 #40
Kicking So I Can Come Back And Read Later... n/t ChiciB1 Oct 2014 #42
Our nation is collectively insane truebluegreen Oct 2014 #43
I So Agree With The Thrust Of This Article colsohlibgal Oct 2014 #45
Good article but I don't think it emphasized enough how we must rhett o rick Oct 2014 #46
Interesting Man from Pickens Oct 2014 #50
Current voters have been described as unhappy but confused on what to do. Maineman Oct 2014 #52
What makes me fearful is the longer this tyranny continues the tighter the rubber band gets and there geretogo Oct 2014 #55
Maybe other people are afraid of the same thing RiverLover Oct 2014 #57
Yeah, it's time we all went populist and began insisting on policies and spending that PatrickforO Oct 2014 #60
Kick - so I can find this again later. scarletwoman Oct 2014 #61
The elections are fixed Pharaoh Oct 2014 #63
I wish you were wrong. Alas, you are not. All else aside, those damn electronic machines are silvershadow Oct 2014 #81
And yet, no candidate, elected official or Party leader has claimed that... brooklynite Oct 2014 #84
Powerful. The sad, hard truth and necessary solution. The groups named are a good start toward it. ancianita Oct 2014 #64
We need a complete restructuring humbled_opinion Oct 2014 #65
K & R with thanks. ancianita Oct 2014 #66
Liberals need to unite, heavily organize, and attract brilliant leaders AZ Progressive Oct 2014 #75
You forgot " educate " . They have taken civics out of our public schools . The Corporatists push geretogo Oct 2014 #89
Everything's going according to plan. And no real "Opposition Party" to stop it. blkmusclmachine Oct 2014 #76
Or any type of opposition really - TBF Oct 2014 #86
A note on the crisis of liberalism vlakitti Oct 2014 #78
K&R liberal_at_heart Oct 2014 #79
Nothing yellowwoodII Oct 2014 #83
We'll stop losing LWolf Oct 2014 #87
And when "real liberals" lose in red States, that means you should run MORE liberal candidates.... brooklynite Oct 2014 #90
Solution: BlindTiresias Oct 2014 #94
Foreign Income Taxes are Credited AndyTiedye Oct 2014 #96
Yet everybody keeps playing. hunter Oct 2014 #98
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