History is Religion for the Masses

[thucythucy]

83. Bullshit.

History is how we learn how we got to where we are. It provides clues on how to proceed with any sort of progressive agenda. If you don't know your history, you're lost. And only the relatively privileged have the luxury of being lost without being stomped on.

Your other OP said we should simply not vote--"What if they gave an election and nobody came." That there's no difference between Democrats operating the levers of government, or Republicans. I call bullshit on that as well. Here's a part of my reply to that specious nonsense, which you didn't bother addressing before posting this latest.

"I'm assuming you're relatively healthy, have no substantial disability, and aren't dependent for your very existence on government run programs such as SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, Medicare, what have you. That you aren't in poverty or have children in poverty or know anyone in poverty who's on food stamps, or any other form of public assistance, which can be cut off at any moment at the whim of some elected official. That you aren't one of the people various GOP governors want forced to take mandatory drug tests to qualify for benefits. That you aren't a woman or girl who needs contraception or other health services in a state where most if not all Planned Parenthood and similar women's health centers are being shut down. That you aren't a LGBT person seeking to marry, or wanting to live out of the closet without having to fear having your face kicked in by homophobes. That you aren't dependent on mass transit to get to and from your job. I could go on....

Most if not all Democrats I know, elected or otherwise, support the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Many Republicans don't. Most Democrats I know support the Americans with Disabilities Act, which, while not perfect, is a hell of a lot better than what existed before. Most Republicans don't. When Democrats run my state house, funding for rape crisis centers (another service you evidently don't think you'll ever need) goes up or at least isn't cut, when Republicans run the state one of the first things they go after are services for rape survivors.

Really, you have to live a pretty comfortable and privileged life to not understand there's a huge difference between what happens when Democrats control the various levers of government, and when Republicans do. I'm old enough to remember when Reagan came into office, and arbitrarily started cutting people on the disability rolls. People DIED because of that.

As for providing a "solution to an existing problem" without "that shadowy government looking over your shoulder...." how do you suggest my quadriplegic friends get dressed in the morning, without government funded personal care assistance? You think church groups and/or volunteers are going to do it? When was the last time YOU volunteered to change an adult diaper?

Try living with MS, or without the benefit of a spinal cord for a couple of years, and then get back to me on how easy it is to provide solutions to your problems without the benefit of any pesky government program.

I have so little patience for the "I don't need government, so who cares who runs it?" argument. Especially on what is supposed to be a Democratic discussion board.

Edited to add: here's an example of a GOP governor trying to screw over people in poverty: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026043956.

This is just one of hundreds of cases of Republicans fucking poor people over for the fuck of it."

Advocating that people simply drop out of the political process isn't some form of enlightenment. It's surrender, pure and simple. And there are a whole lot of people--maybe not in your world, but certainly in mine--for whom such a surrender would mean further impoverishment, homelessness, even death.