Why We Are Losers (and It's killing me)

[DemocracyInaction]

I walked away the day after the elections and tuned the media out. I've thought this over for 3 months. I tried to break everything down to the most basic strand of DNA. I would certainly love to hear exactly how we address this since it's answer is the total anthesis of who the Democrats are.

We are a party who have always tried to address the people and their problems as "WE". We are fighting for "THE PEOPLE". And, for decades it has been powerful and successful. The people felt a part of (and proud of) being "THE PEOPLE".

"WE" are now "ME". The "right wing Christian disease" has infected this country. They totally Americanized and bastertised the Christian relgion. They (unhonest to god) preach that money and riches are God's blessing on the holy and that Jesus really preached that helping the poor is just enabling the sorry bastards. And our media and entertainment preaches "success at any cost----kill before you are killed" (isn't this the basic premise of our reality tv??). There is no sense of community---the community "we the people" need to have in order to have a spit's chance of surviving.

Do you see our problem?? If we appeal to that sense of "WE/US", the brain washed public tunes us out. If we appeal to "ME", we are no longer the party of opposition--we are no longer Democrats (something I've been proud of all my life).

How do we appeal to these brain washed (thanks to our media) people who live only for "ME" and still retain our purpose, our honor, our dignity and our true goodness???------if we preach "ME", we have lost our moral high ground. And I'll die, after these 60 years, fighting for the high ground.....goddamn them to hell.

[hippiechick]

1. Beautiful post, D.

I agree - the capitalist greedy 'me me me more more more mine mine mine' virus has totally overtaken this country.

Unfortunately, after 100+ years of having that ingrained into their Sheeple brains, and especially in the last 25 years of super-greed, I don't know that anything short of a serious and traumatic national disaster is going to make people see that it's not about 'gettin' mine' ... but that it's about all of us, working with each other.

Sigh.

Lord knows the 'winner take all, cheat when necessary' mentality of Cokeboy and his minions isn't setting any good examples of what this country should be about.


:hippie:

[sendero]

2. It's true..

... most Christians today are what I call "property Christians" - every single thing they think is important relates back to property.

It's not what Jesus was talking about as far as I can tell.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

3. You know.... Edgar Cayce said that a country can develop a sort of

"national karma" as it were.... I believe self interest is what separates us from the "kingdom" that is within us. How can a materialistic society that is bent on having more than the Jones's escape the law of cause and effect??


http://www.esotericstudies.net/articles/articles_Reincarnation.htm
>>History depicts how man has learned to discriminate between self and not-self, good and bad, spirit and body, love and hate, and has developed the ability to think. By learning to think, he freed himself somewhat from group karma, but he also acquired the ability to create karma, such that each action created an obligation that at some point would come to fruition or be repaid. It was now these causes that kept him upon the “great wheel of rebirth.” If he thought or did evil deeds, he would again face evil at some future time, and if he thought or did very unselfish, loving acts, positive results would be his repayment.<<

[Mountainman]

4. I too have tuned out the media and politics to think about this.

The only thought that comes to me is that people will come to a point where what they see or feel doesn't jive with what they are hearing from the right.

Social Security reform is a good example. If people feel that they will lose it then they will be against the right's ideas of privatization.

It is a crack in the wall. This move to the right has to run it's course and we can't do much to stop it. As a matter of fact we are powerless right now.

When the people hurt enough they will ask for a change.

[smurfygirl]

5. yeah but whether we realize it or not the truth is that

we are growing stronger. We have a huge obstacle and ideaology to fight but we are really getting stronger. The more Bush keeps doing this shit the stronger we get. Five years ago we didn't have liberal radio or liberal media. Now we have FSTV, LINKtv, Air America, The Nation. The right has not been able to shut us up even with their police state in DC, NY, and the patriot act. In 2000 the protesters got no coverage, none. Now look at how many people covered it. And today the rw opperatives such as Rush and Hannity were trying to convince everyone that there really weren't that many protesters and the newspapers made fun of Lincolns gettysburg address. So you see, they are falling apart. They are bound to implode and this silly shit they keep doing like banning spongebob and desperate housewives really makes them look stupid. Don't worry, we are growing, it is just sad for us because of the huge loss we had this election. We must remain positive and focused and continue to give the truth to people. They will awaken and those that don't we should not fret over. They are but lost in their own ownership society.

[Qutzupalotl]

6. I see an opening via religion, as you mentioned.

The right is twisting religion to justify selfishness. If the issue is handled delicately--that is, by not calling them hypocrites or wrong--it might be possible to appeal to what's left of their consciences. If you're comfortable doing this, mention that Jesus wants people to help the poor and become peacemakers. There are literally hundreds of biblical quotes to support our positions. Not that many to support thiers, and what they have, they have to stretch to use.

[Just Me]

7. I'm just not sure about the answer.

I do believe it is absolutely necessary that we no longer enable those who are spreading the "dialogue of hatred/persecution" and we have got to become more willing to loudly articulate opposition to such horrid incitement, pitting Americans against Americans.

I do not believe it necessary to appeal to the ME ME ME aspect of our culture which is doing great harm to both our unity and strength.

I do understand your distress and wish I knew a "quick fix" to a problem that has been evolving over the last thirty years or so.

[gumby]

8. That's the conundrum.

The success of the "property Christians" (love that term sendero) is that they have framed their toxic message in the most powerful myths of this country.

This is why I think Lakoff is so important right now and it's why I think Dean would be very good as head of the DNC. Dean (I think) understands that the framing of communication in an age where the English language itself has been hijacked is very, very important.

The message itself is no longer important. It's how the message is successfully embedded into the deepest American Mythology that counts. Again, this is exactly what Rush Limbaugh does every day, day after day, year after year. Truth and message is meaningless in the face of such powerful framing.

[DemocracyInaction]

11. Gumby---you hit something very solidly on the head

It's the mythology of this country. That's why the drooling masses think Bush's innaugeral sppech was spiffy keen. It's a 1940's movie of da' big brave Amurekans brining democracy to the world complete with the "flowers thrown at tanks" (sound familiar?) image. They cannot comprehend: a) we are loathed around the world, b) they ain't gonna rally around us in those oppressed countries because they fear and hate us more than their local dictator, c) our 'democracy' means liberating them so our corporations can use them for slave labor and/or rape their natural resources, etc. AND it's a big assed diversion (wave that flag, shed that tear) while corporate America guts out middle class America and reduces it to South American peon status.

[gumby]

12. Rugged Individualism

"Rugged Individualism" is one of the main components of the American Myth that the 'property Christians' have exploited very successfully. It works as a mirror image of the 'volk' in Nazi Germany. Both these impulses work to suppress the power of the people against the powerful.

In one case, the citizen is to work as a mere powerless cog in the State function. In the other case -- from Reagan to Limbaugh -- individualism propaganda is used to break down communal power (as in labor unions) to the lowest power position of a single individual. At this point, an individual -- no matter how "rugged" -- has little power to protect themselves from cannibalistic capitalism. A "rugged individual" has little power over multinational corporations, or even the most powerful company in any State.

The "rugged individualism" myth has been used to turn citizens against the very government they are supposed to control and protect them against the excesses of wealth and power.

Now, when a elitist dressed in the right Cowboy costume comes along, those who have been so bombarded jump with glee and put their support behind fascism with the zeal of a revival.

[geniph]

9. Most of our problem is that our message is a muddle

we're trying to be all things to all people, and end up with nothing clear, concise and pithy that explains to people why they should vote for us.

We're losing the propaganda war, badly.

[Ms. Clio]

10. Yes-- we are being atomized into individual units of production and

consumption--much less threatening to and more profitable for the elites. They would much rather people focus on imaginary threats to their families (like Janet Jackson's boob) than organize into unions or political movements.

Real community is a profanity to the neocons and the fascists.