The danger lies ahead.

[Cuban_Liberal]

Like most of you, to say that I was unhappy about Tuesday's election would be an understatement. I am angry. I am sad. I am depressed. Most of all, I am frightened, and the major source of my fear rests with many of my fellow Democrats, rather than the Republicans. The reason for this is simple: I know, or can guess what the Republicans will do in the next 2-4 years, but I cannot say the same about the Democrats.

In 1930, I believe that many--- even most--- would have looked at Europe and said, "These are civilized nations. The arts, literature and music have reached a zenith unparalleled in recorded history.", and they would have been right. Had someone asked "Do you think that any of these nations will, in the next 10-15 years, engage in the systematic extermination of 6.5 million Jews, and perhaps 10-20 million other people?", virtually everyone would have said "No, of course not. Don't be ridiculous!" . Sadly, we now know that neither the question nor an affirmative answer to it, would be ridiculous; rather, it would have been correct, even prescient.

This is the danger that WE face, my friends, and I already see it taking root. Many right here at DU--- all of then self-identified progressives--- are attemptig to assure the rest of us that "It won't be as bad as all that", or "They would never dare do something that outrageous", and so on. I wish I could believe it, because maybe I could sleep easily for the next four years, but I do not believe it. I have seen the calls for a radical agenda, heard Bush speak about 'mandates' and 'political capital', and seen his Congressional toadies nod in unison. I hear my party responding to the 'reach out' rhetoric in a positive manner, some even running to embrace those whose political agenda is anathema to anything and everything remotely progressive. I see others in this party willing to jettison commitments to issues of basic human rights, like the rights of gay men and women to be free to seek employment when and where they choose, just like anyone else.

I can see a 'Krystalnacht' in the not-too-distant future, if we do not rein in the Republican party; in order to do this, we must become a true opposition party, and we must never seek appeasement, because one sure way to appease a hungry tiger is to allow oneself to be eaten by it.

I am gay. I am a Democrat. I am a progressive. I will not go quietly, nor will I cooperate with those who seek to disenfranchise me of my civil liberties, and neither should you.

[jhain]

1. Thank You

n/t

[Cuban_Liberal]

3. You're welcome.

:hug:

[ewagner]

2. Opposition Party

We need to understand the role of a true opposition party and hold onto our values and not cooperate with the GOP agenda.

[Cuban_Liberal]

5. Exactly! n/t

[Changenow]

4. I just started a thread making the same point.

Great minds think alike?

[Cuban_Liberal]

9. Quite possibly.

:hi:

[HysteryDiagnosis]

12. Are we already the new Nazis?? Better check this article... there are

some pretty amazing correlations that not too many people are seeing, nor want to see at this early stage.


http://www.strike-the-root.com/3/herman/herman3.html

>>The Nazis demonized and then destroyed their enemies, after first intimidating and then liquidating their domestic opponents. The German propaganda machine cranked out misinformation and outright lies in the state-supported media, suppressing the truth and threatening anyone who dared to speak or print opposition to the war regime.

Lutheran minister and German war veteran Martin Niemoller mirrored middle-class German society of that time: “First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up, because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by then there was no one left to speak up for me.”<<

[seemslikeadream]

6. FLY THAT FLAG UPSIDE DOWN

My brothers in arms


These mist covered mountains
Are a home now for me
But my home is the lowlands
And always will be
Some day you’ll return to
Your valleys and your farms
And you’ll no longer burn
To be brothers in arms

Through these fields of destruction
Baptisms of fire
I’ve watched all your suffering
As the battles raged higher
And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms

There’s so many different worlds
So many differents suns
And we have just one world
But we live in different ones

Now the sun’s gone to hell
And the moon’s riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die
But it’s written in the starlight
And every line on your palm
We’re fools to make war
On our brothers in arms

--Dire Straits

[nostamj]

7. someone on DU actually suggested

that gay men and women pair off and marry each other, start attending church and stop 'socializing openly'...

I'm way too old for that shit!

capitulate and assimilate? :puke:

[Spiffarino]

13. Screw that!

To hell with Red America. This is still a free country until GW changes the SCOTUS and the Constitution. We have to fight this bullshit while we still can.

[Cuban_Liberal]

15. I'm already 'married'.

I will NOT assimilate!

[SammyWinstonJack]

27. Good Grief! I would be

:puke: too, on that one.

[Cuban_Liberal]

28. Much as I respect, love and admire certain lesbian DUers...

I just couldn't do it, either, because my marital day is saved for the man I love.

[Old and In the Way]

8. The wisdom of Ben Franklin, still relevant today

To paraphrase: "We all hang together or we will all hang separately"

Now, more than ever.

[nostamj]

14. The wisdom of Thomas Jefferson, still relevant today

Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.

- Thomas Jefferson

[Cuban_Liberal]

16. Very true.

I will not quietly pack a suitcase, and get into the boxcar.

FIGHT, GOD DAMN IT!

:grr:

[Raster]

26. Word!

[Spiffarino]

10. If we don't become a true opposition party

We will disappear, followed by the destruction of our basic freedoms.

The slow erosion of our freedoms began with 9/11 and the convenient excuses it provided radical conservatives. Now the slope is becoming steeper and more slippery. It's time to dig in.

[Cuban_Liberal]

20. We need a party leadreship with some SPINE.

I'm tired of being led by people who want to 'play nice' with these fascist swine!

:grr:

[liberalmuse]

11. Amen.

I don't put anything beneath these people. All it took was 911 to change this country and veer it steadily towards facism. There will be more 911's. Bush needs 'terra' in order to play on the fears of this nation's people and to better secure his power.

I don't want fucking appeasement, and I will not move to their side because they are WRONG. Bigotry is WRONG. Pre-emption is WRONG. Polluting the planet for profit is WRONG. Putting amendments into constitutions barring a minority group's human rights is WRONG. Gluttonous consumerism on the backs of slave labor is WRONG. Giving an unborn, potential being more rights than the born is WRONG.

[Cuban_Liberal]

19. Tell it, sister!

:thumbsup:

[CherokeeDem]

17. I Share Your Fear

I am very disturbed by this conciliatory tone from the Democrats. The people who hold power in the White House will not capitulate to our views and by not establishing some sort of opposition, they will run right over us and drive this country even further into destruction. When a "President" with the goals of this one makes a vow to use the so-called political capital he thinks was given him, it can only make one shiver.

Tom Daschle is a perfect example of what can happen if we don't speak up. In fear of losing his seat, he sat quietly by as the Repubs did what they chose to and where did it get him, he lost his seat. He might have lost anyway but he would have at least lost knowing he had fought for this country. I for one will not miss him. We must speak up for the 55 million people who know how bad this next four years will be and for the other half of this nation that must truly not understand what they have voted for. I am appalled at the tone from Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Bill Nelson of FL who vows to work with Martinez, and the other wimps in the Party. We have to take this fight to the Democrats and to the media. I for one hope that Howard Dean can become the next DNC Chair; we need someone to speak up!

What is heartening is that it appears that people on their own are getting together to start email campaigns and to communicate with each other as events unfold so that they can act quickly. A paralegal in Miami is starting just such a group and I and some of my friends are going to join with him. This has to be a grassroots effort because the Democratic Party is playing dead.

[Cuban_Liberal]

18. We need to get our act together.

I've already written and called both Sen. Durbin and Sen-elect Obama, and let both know what I expect from them.

[Cuban_Liberal]

21. Kick

:dem:

[lwin]

22. I consider myself to be a moderate Democrat...

and a realist. Some of my "fellow moderates" are saying that we need to ditch you, for the sake of the party. Bullshit. You can rest assured that I'm not going to sell you out for the sake of appeasing this administration or any of their koolaid drinkers.

Do I think we need to reframe our message? Yes.

But there is NO surrender on our core values. These evangelical fascists need to be stopped in their tracks. We may have to smile and make nice as we stick the knife in...but it has to be done.

[Cuban_Liberal]

24. Thank you!

All the true progressives I know still think like you do.

:hug:

[smirkymonkey]

23. I completely agree with you and unless we do something

about it now, our future in this country will be horrifying.

[Cuban_Liberal]

25. Exactly!

I'm not waiting for a Krystalnacht to do something.