What will it take for a sea change to begin in the US?

[Stinky The Clown]

So many things that happen, that seem momentous at the time, that seem to be change events, turn out not to be.

We The People seem either disinterested or powerless to effect change.

Just recently - and by no means are these the only events I'm thinking about - we had 20 dead children, days before Christmas, in a school in Connecticut that so many thought would be a catalyst to start a move to curb our gun fetishism. In the end (and it IS past the end of that event's influence) the NRA seems to have only grown stronger and crazy Wayne has become even more influential as he pulls the puppet strings of the morons on Congress.

Today, a key part of the Voting Rights Act was on the scaffold with its neck in a symbolic noose and there was not even a single protestor in front of the grand steps on First Street, NE.

The MASSIVE issue of our government spying on us has been reduced to a comedy starring Edward "Where's Waldo" Snowden. Lots of loud voices, but NONE of them talking to the actual issue. The only news today is the he is the transit zone at Moscow International, and Vlad says they won't send him back the waiting arms of His Uncle Sam.

There IS protest, however, over Paula Deen's firing. Her supporters are making some noise. Like other skeezy celebs before her, she'll probably survive and revive.

What the fuck?

I mean, really, just What.The.Fuck?

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. So you know, the SCOTUS forbid demonstrations

Recently.

[NoOneMan]

2. They've perfected bread and circus

McDonalds and iPads.

This is the end.

[graham4anything]

3. Rev.Al Sharpton- this will mobilize the CORE Barack Obama supporters to come to the polls in 2014

the REAL supporters of the President just got mobilized

and it will be in the voting booths in 2014

This will turn the nation BLUE quicker than ever.

[hobbit709]

5. Keep telling yourself that. be like Tinker Bell.

What do you think will happen in all those gerrymandered districts along with the now OK voter suppression?

[graham4anything]

8. Black voters outnumbered white voters in 2012. Minorities and women will destroy the republicanparty

keep thinking the change isn't coming.

Because it is. The revolution was won 1/17/2009. And it won't be taken away.

I will be in DC on August 24 (already had my reservations made for the weekend.

Will you be there?

[hobbit709]

9. You paying my way?

[n2doc]

4. When the suffering gets too much to ignore

Not just those who are suffering now, but those who are comfortable now. It is only when those who thought they were secure get shocked that large scale protests will happen. The 1% are hoping/relying on the idea that change is happening slowly enough that people won't notice how bad things have gotten or how their rights have gone away. They may be right.

[MrSlayer]

6. We had a sea change in 1980.

It's just getting warmed up.

Our last chance to avert was 2009 and no one acted.

[Recursion]

7. The point of a "sea change" is that it happens too slowly to notice at the time

I would argue we've been in the middle of one since about 2006.

[SoCalDem]

11. It started with the ruination of the Carter administration

in preparation for the Republican Juggernaut that was 12 years of GHWB (the first 8, he was the behind the scenes, a la Cheney)

Clinton came along & ruined the plan for a bit, but he was soon enough marginalized, and most of his signature victories were what republicans wanted, and he just claimed them as his own.

The changes made to the USA during those administrations are the ones that killed the middle class and allowed big business/big banking/big chemical/.big drug/big ag/big oil to steamroll us all into the dirt.

The SCOTUS appointments that came from those 12 + 8 years are:

Scalia (age 77)------Reagan
Kennedy (age 76)---Reagan
Thomas (age 65)----GHWB
Roberts (age 58)---GWB
Alito (age53) ------GWB

and bear in mind that Ginsberg is 80, and not in the greatest health...Breyer is 73.


Had Gore prevailed, we would probably have had a 6-3 for years now...and who knows, Scalia might have stepped down by now, if he was a part of a minority..

[Recursion]

12. Yeah, I was born in the Carter Administration

Doesn't really speak to me. We can't keep refighting battles we lost. Or, we can, but it's a bad idea.

[SoCalDem]

13. As Dems we HAVE to re-fight.( or acquiesce )

republicans NEVER accept defeat.. that;s why their ideas usually end up prevailing. Dems have a bad habit of fighting like a banshee...winning, and then moving onto something else..

That's how we lost/are losing:

Unions
Rowe v Wade
womens wages issues
Civil Rights voting issues
Affirmative Action
Climate Change
and many more.

[bhikkhu]

10. Higher unemployment, lower home ownership, and more inflation

(or alternatively lower paychecks, but that's less much likely).

Like it or not, the majority are doing pretty well with the status quo. As long as "the way things are" works pretty well for most people, change is problematic. Even spying is more or less a non-issue...what difference does it make to someone who's just doing their job, living their life, doing nothing wrong? That describes pretty much everyone in my neighborhood. Who has been harmed? Who knows anyone that's been harmed?

Speaking rhetorically, of course, but that's what it comes down to, I think.

[hootinholler]

14. Electing someone like Howard or Elizabeth to the White House AND

Having a Congress that will back them up.

Until then, I predict a lot of pissing and moaning on my part, whilst trying to figure out how to get Howard or Elizabeth elected.