Reply #12: I'm feeling a little that way too--

[berry]

but at a certain point last night I just turned of the TV, and settled down to catch up on some of the better websites. Read the editorial threads here at DU, read josh marshall's blog http://talkingpointsmemo.com/july0302.html#071103702pm
or go to the personal sites of the best columnists, like Krugman
http://www.wws.princeton.edu/~pkrugman/
and Scheer
http://www.robertscheer.com/

This doesn't change the facts on the ground, but I can feel that I'm in good company, that there are others who are also aware of what is going on, and watching closely. It's why DU is so necessary to so many of us (but there are times when it's good to be selective about which threads to read).

I've come to believe that we need both the optimists and the pessimists among us--giving up on hope means we will surely lose, but too much false optimism might mean we don't work hard enough to ensure that the bad guys don't win. One thing is sure--all the guns are out to try to make us (all Americans) feel helpless. That's their plan--how to take over America. We CAN'T let that PR trick work.

Did you see the article (I think from The Nation) about how Bush's language is calculated to make his listeners feel helpless and afraid? I'll come back with a link to it if I can find it. Or maybe someone else will post it. It helps to know how/why we feel so manipulated--then we tend to feel angry rather than depressed. A more active, empowering emotion.

Hang in there, bobd--you ARE among friends (and today's news won't be news tomorrow). FWIW, I don't think the "Bush lied" issue will be put to rest any time soon--partly because he keeps lying, every day. It IS exhausting to have to face the same stupid lies, over and over, even long after they should have been completely discredited. And the danger of burnout for the more obsessive among us (I count myself in that number) is great. I think I've just talked myself into a long walk this evening--I need it....