I've been thinking about Jimmy Carter today. . .

[eileen from OH]

Remember during the "energy crisis" when Carter was mocked for wearing a cardigan in a speech? Remember when we were asked to conserve energy? One would think that the power outage would have been a good time for Bush to talk about (insert joke here)conservation. You have only to read the stories of the sense of community that sprang up in NYC last night to realize that there is a huge untapped resource of people willing to help one another, even perfect strangers.

Remember 9/11 when the entire country flooded NYC with aid and would have done anything our President asked of us? His request: "go shopping."

Were any of us, outside of the military and their families, asked to sacrifice anything during the Iraq War? (Okay, okay, lots o tax dollars, but we haven't even been asked for that, it's just been taken.) See, I have a theory that the reason why the Dixie Chicks were crucified is because it was people's only outlet - the only way they felt they could "support the troops". Nature abhors a vacuum (well, so do I, but that's another post.) Americans yearned to help and were not offered a way to do so constructively. So they responded eagerly to a negative call-to-action. Because it was the only "action" offered.

What would have been the effect if Bush, after 9/11, had asked the country to forego tax cuts, for the good of the country and the economy? If he had said this on 9/12, do you not think the overwhelming majority of the country would have responded with a resounding, "Hell, YES, we can wait."

Remember when JFK asked us not to think of what our country could do for us, but what we could do for our country? It was a great line because it tapped into what, I think, is really our greatest strength. We want to DO something for our country, we want to give, we want to feel like we are part of something bigger than our individual selves. That's patriotism, ladies and germs. And by not asking anything of us, EVER, Bush & Co. have denied us the chance to really show our love for our country.

I despise this administration for so many reasons, all of which have been expressed more eloquently than I could. The lying, the cheating, the abuse of power, and on and on and on. But I'm starting to think that what I hate most is the way they've tried to suck out the pride we should feel in our country by not letting us PARTICIPATE.

The good news is that it ain't working. This board and other blogs have convinced me of that. Because if Bush Etc., ain't askin' us to do anything, we've got some great Dem candidates who ARE. And all we gotta do is work and give and turn out for the one who emerges.

eileeeeen from OH (going to get a beer)

[Minstrel Boy]

1. excellent post

And that's it: they discourage participation.

I'm reminded of a recent article by Sheldon Wolin, analyzing the Bush methodology, entitled "Inverted Totalitarianism":

"While the Nazi totalitarianism strove to give the masses a sense of collective power and strength, Kraft durch Freude ('Strength through joy'), inverted totalitarianism promotes a sense of weakness, of collective futility. While the Nazis wanted a continuously mobilized society that would not only support the regime without complaint and enthusiastically vote 'yes' at the periodic plebiscites, inverted totalitarianism wants a politically demobilized society that hardly votes at all. Recall the President's words immediately after the horrendous events of September 11: 'Unite, consume and fly,' he told the anxious citizenry."

http://www.canadiandimension.mb.ca/extra/d0509sw.htm

[demnan]

2. Eileen, you are very eloquent

I enjoyed your post and welcome you whole heartedly to DU! Some of our best posts are from our newest members and some of us, being suspicious of freepers, don't recognize that fact. You made a wonderful analogy to the energy crisis of the 80's. Jimmy Carter was the first Dem to really suffer from the right wing Republican media blitz. Energy conservation is a huge issue! When will we realize this!

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[sandnsea]

3. They've reduced us to subhuman slugs

No offense to slugs. That's what I hate about this administration. I've just been getting sadder every day and couldn't find the right words to express it. You hit on everything. They really play to the worst in humans and encourage the lowest form of hate and survivalist behavior. It is all too sick and I'm too sad to express any more than that.

[eileen from OH]

8. then I strongly suggest

beer.

Thanks for all the nice replies. It's something that's been rolling around in my head for awhile. There's been a great deal of criticism about how Bush pissed away our "capital" with other countries, post 9/11. But that leaves out how he pissed away his "capital" with the American people, by not asking anything of them. What a bloody waste.

eileeeen from OH

[CarlBallard]

4. Good points

Remember during the "energy crisis" when Carter was mocked for wearing a cardigan in a speech? Remember when we were asked to conserve energy? One would think that the power outage would have been a good time for Bush to talk about (insert joke here)conservation. You have only to read the stories of the sense of community that sprang up in NYC last night to realize that there is a huge untapped resource of people willing to help one another, even perfect strangers.

But you can't stuff a sock down a cardigan. I agree with you generally that a massive power outage is more likely when we're using massive amounts of power. It is depressing that nobody on the national level is encouraging conservation either for this or to choak money off from the Middle East. I guess that's what you get with a VP who says conservation is a personal virtue.

[joeybee12]

5. Great Onion Article about Carter

last week, I think. He was being tried for crimes against INhumanity for trying to promote peace! One could almost believe it in today's Godless, Bush-led world.

[Minstrel Boy]

7. Remember the Simpsons episode

in which a statue of Carter is unveiled and the townspeople go berserk, shouting "Jimmy Carter?!? He's history's greatest monster!" A pithy nod to how a decent man with sensible ideas was successfully vilified.

I think sometimes Carter was America's last, best chance. I hope for more chances, but the time's getting short.

[Julien Sorel]

6. Republicans don't do things like promote conservation.

That's too soft for them. The Republican idea of conservation is rationing gas in occupied Iraq -- leaves that much more oil for us to plunder.

[LEFTofLEFT]

9. Thank you

President Carter was the first victim of the VAST RIGHTWING CONSPIRACY. He did so many good things.


We must fight the rightwing monsters like the future is at stake. IT IS !!!

[Old and In the Way]

10. Great post eileen from OH!

Welcome aboard...very eloquent and you covered a lot of ground in a few paragraphs.

Interesting, I've been thinking about how this country took a right hand turn in 1980. We got "Morning in America", the feel good, do nothing years of Reagan/Bush. I think it started then when Bush took over the energy policy for America and made sure his Houston backers were well taken care of.

25 years later Dimson is presiding over "Evening in America" and it all goes back to his Dad derailing the policies that may have made us energy independent and a better country for it.

So fricken' sad.