2001 DU spirit:"So let go of those bi-partisan feelings, people." [View all]

[madfloridian]

Last edited Tue Mar 10, 2015, 11:49 PM - Edit history (1)

I was reading DU back then. It was my salvation from the ones around me in this area who are mostly now Tea Party and proud of it. They have all their talking points memorized and can spout them loudly and proudly, even though they don't have a clue what they are saying.

I did not join until a year later, but I had kept my sanity reading here.

I came here a moderate/conservative. I became more liberal through the years.

Now I see it is not going to be comfortable to post much about liberal topics, the push is on to head to the middle and not make waves. I don't have to make waves, no one does. But I am glad we made waves about cuts to Social Security. I don't regret making waves about the privatization of education, though it hasn't mattered much. I feel better for doing it.

Read the 2001 Manifesto of a forum with a big heart and many liberal thoughts...setting out to battle the right wing instead of joining them.

https://web.archive.org/web/20010219071508/http://www.democraticunderground.com/about.html

Some excerpts:

The conservatives have turned "liberal" into a dirty word, and we're taking it back. We of the Democratic Underground have decided the time has finally come to lower ourselves to their level. We're talking all out, balls-to-the-wall, light-the-fuse-and-stand-well-back thermonuclear partisan warfare.

No longer will we shrug our shoulders as Rush Limbaugh blithely tosses out another line about "liberal hypocrisy". No longer will we nod and smile politely as Robert Novak body-slams our ideals, kicks them in the crotch, and then pisses all over them.

Well we're sick of it. Not just because they're wrong, but because, let's face it, they're having way more fun than we are. Not only did they steal the election but they got to call us stupid while they were doing it, and now they're going to squander eight years of peace and prosperity.

Understand, it's not Democratic Underground's job to stop them - there are plenty of people around who are far better organized for that. But we can stop them from getting away with it. Every time an immigrant maid, or a tobacco company payoff, or an inconvenient DUI (or two) comes along, we'll remember - and we'll be here for you to vent your spleen. To paraphrase the greatest politician of our time: we feel your pain.

So let go of those bi-partisan feelings, people. Get in the forums and blow off some steam. It's time to stop beating ourselves up and start swinging in their direction...

If I am "swinging in their direction" (the right wing that is)....I would rather not see Democrats of any type or label enabling them or their policies.

I can "let go of the bi-partisan feelings" very easily. I also have so far swung back into the fold when my vote was needed.