"Let's Act in the the Democratic Emergency"

[anarchy1999]

Published on Friday, July 30, 2004 by CommonDreams.org
Let's Act in the the Democratic Emergency
by Ronnie Dugger

We are in an American emergency. It is the emergency of all our American emergencies. Along with the Civil War, this is our second crisis of legitimacy, but more, it is the culminative crisis of our identity. Are we a democracy, or have we irreversibly degenerated into a Presidential-corporate-military dictatorship? Are we still a good country, or are we becoming a bad country? Can we understand and act in the emergency well and fast enough, or will we lose the United States as we know it?

But as we approach the national election three months away, we have slowly awakened to realize, too, that this quite general American emergency is focusing down into an historic democratic emergency. We the American people are on trial at the bar of history. If we let the Presidency be stolen with invisibly counted votes we're both stupid and supine. If we do not act now against the theft of the election, we may be complicitous in the confirmed incarnation of the first privately controlled dictatorship of the mass mind in history.


snip to the end:

No. Consider, instead, that we, and all our good and strong organizations, might decide to form--say--the Committee of the Democratic Emergency, and through it take upon ourselves, if we come to deem it necessary, to declare--say,--a State of Gandhian Noncooperation and Nonviolent Civil Resistance, to declare-say--that the stolen Presidency, and the White House occupied four more years by the usurper, we will Never Accept.

And then, as Shelley visualized, speaking to the garment workers in New York at the turn of the last century-We will rise like lions after slumber, in unvanquishable number, Shake our chains to earth

Like dew which in sleep had fallen on you--for We are many, they are few.

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0730-10.htm

We should have paid more attention, listened more and been more prepared. What now?

[sweetheart]

1. Let the teenagers crash the family car

There is little point in hoping to restrain these teenie bopper
fratboys. They have their majority. There is no longer the
"clinton did it" excuse. The teenagers have taken the car, and
are GOING to crash it. They are not insured, and there is a point
where a parent simply sighs and surrenders to fate.

When red faced teenagers come back asking for help with their mess,
demand the keys first.

[anarchy1999]

2. "Tough love" comes to mind.

What a week it has been. With so much more to come. Personally, I don't want to see the car crash. I want to take the keys away now!

[pauldp]

3. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

Your piece is eloquent and spot on.
I can't believe the seriousness of the situation we are in. I feel like I'm living in the f*cking twilight zone. The Mainstream Media has abandoned us. The democratic leadership is terrified that people will call us names. Thank god I found DU last week, it's helping to keep me sane. There is a glimmer of hope when I see level headed scientists, researchers and ordinary people rolling up their sleeves and getting to work. Dr. Steve Freeman came out with his powerful paper "The Unexplained Exit Poll Controversy"
http://www.appliedresearch.us/sf/
a week after the election and it was like a gulp of fresh oxygen.
then today on DU read the "Must Read" on the zogby site was another
statistical vindication.
http://www.zogby.com/soundbites/ReadClips.dbm?ID=10398

We have to build the scientific case to the point where anyone trying to refute it looks like an idiot. At the same time we must hold everyone in congress accountable for the lack of a paper trail; the Repugs for killing the legislation in committee and the Dems for not screaming "BLOODY F**KING MURDER!!!" when the Repugs succeded.
If none of that works then we have no choice but to take to the streets and do what we must.

But then again maybe I'm just a wacky conspiracy theorist who belives in wacky conspiracy theories like...Evolution!

[anarchy1999]

4. Just go buy lots of tin foil.

Sorry, trying to find a little humor in this nightmare.

on edit, forgot to say welcome to DU and how did you find it?

[DemBones DemBones]

5. Welcome to DU! I only hope people

will wake up, a fragile hope at best.

:hi: Glad you've joined us.

[Lindsay]

6. Welcome to DU, pauldp.

And....

I have been thinking on this lately...all our institutions have failed us. The government and the media stand against the people. What does it mean that we're on our own now?

At least we have the internet(s), for now....

[pauldp]

7. Thanks, good to be here

Does anyone know if the Foreign media has taken any interest in this?
Or are they all just owned by the same people that own our media?