Dead bodies everywhere so we just go shopping.

[democrank]

I`m beginning to think many Americans are living in LaLa Land. Torture planes flying overhead, loved ones being blown to bits in Iraq, our jobs showing up in India and Granny on a bus to Toronto to scrape together medications. The response? Corporate media dispatches a group the size of Rhode Island to report on opening statements in Michael Jackson`s trial while ordinary citizens chant their BushWorld mantra....We can`t be overdrawn. We still have checks. It`s like a national What...me worry? Maybe it`s just me, but nothing seems to be adding up.

My place isn`t wrapped in duct tape but I`m plenty scared. Every time I hear that Can-You-Hear-Me-Now commercial, I think of the CIA guys ringing alarm bells or thousands of world citizens on the streets with no-war signs or economists worrying about the plunging U.S. dollar. I`m scratching my head over our national apathy. If we keep up like this, about all that will be said is that we may have been into bombing and torturing but, boy....no country could match our assortment of wrinkle creams and reality shows.

A few nights ago I listened to Scott Ritter on Free Speech TV. He hit the nail on the head when he challenged Americans to ask themselves...Where is the peace movement? Where are the boycotters? Where are the marchers? Where are the voices? Good questions, Mr. Ritter. Not to diminish the actions of those trying to bring truth to light, but shouldn`t we be out on the streets by the millions? I don`t know if we`ve been lulled into one of those trendy "comfort zones", if we`re convinced that patriotic Americans don`t ask questions and don`t make waves or if we believe chanting "Number One, Number One" enough times will force others to genuflect and defer. What I do know is that we must do something ...and fast. I hope with all my heart that groups like Democratic Underground will be the impetus for change.

[Clark2008]

1. We're all too busy blogging?

:shrug:

[msmcghee]

2. Thanks for that dose of reality . .

. . You are right. What strange planet is this? Something will have to give - unless Rove has actually figured out how to never pay the price.

Maybe human societies don't have to follow the laws of thermodynamics.

[Hugin]

3. I join you in your amazement. n/t

[WildClarySage]

4. Be very afraid

and then go buy something. The economy needs you.

[Something of Reason]

5. Dont surrender to this

Adopting a doom-n-gloom attitude is exactly what the Repubs want you to do. When our side starts to feel like we can't win, then we might as well throw in the towel.

[democrank]

14. Who said we can`t win?

Saying that many Americans are asleep at the switch is hardly the "gloom and doom" you mentioned, it`s reality.

I remember (and participated in) the protests during the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War. When the people took to the streets in such large numbers that they could no longer be ignored, the winds of change began to blow. That`s what needs to happen now.

[newyawker99]

23. Hi Something of Reason!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[rainy]

6. We have been out in the streets by the millions but we keep being

marginalized by the press. Protest after protest and no attention gets old and soon the people realize it is ineffective. What now? I suppose we should start shutting some cities down but that's when it gets very dangerous. Protests no longer get any attention. Unless, of course, they are taking place in another country and not against the US.

[Dhalgren]

9. I think that you have hit the nail on the head.

The only way to get some movement is to get dangerous. It is slowly sinking in with a lot of people that when Bush said that he doesn't listen to focus groups, the media took that cue and stopped listening, too. So, what now? We have to give them something that they can't ignore. That's where it gets dangerous. And before some good Democrat comes on and says, "that just turns people off", well let me ask, "What is the alternative?" If we get serious, the media will take notice, but then we could be killed or imprisoned - that is the catch...

[Karenina]

15. TAKE BACK THE MEDIA.

History lesson, WHAT TO DO NOW!

The 1950s blacklist is back, and it's on steroids this time!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1626497

[mwb970]

7. Someone has to emerge to organize us.

We're like workers with no union. If someone would come up with a plan for mass protests I would be out there every day if that's what they called for. But there's no sense in just me and a few friends standing on a corner downtown with a sign. We need to be ORGANIZED.

[SnoopDog]

11. I agree with you on that one...

Who organized the 'million man march'? That was organization.

Also, I think there are too many separate organizations all trying to accomplish the same thing. For instance, we have many many web sites all promoting our core beliefs about democracy. How can anyone visit/participate in all these 'splinter groups'. As liberals and intelligent people, it seems that we all want to 'start our own thing'. This is our great for business but maybe not so good for uniting the people.

We are planting the seeds for change - we just all want it to happen now. (We are in a crisis and we do need these changes now). Day by day - we need to organize and fight this evil administration nad change our government.

[seabeyond]

8. something about watching an election stolen

all the irregularities right there to see. and media not report. the average man doesnt even know

a bit deflating.

but yes to all you say

[patrice]

10. We have a very committed group here in K.C. that meets on a certain

streetcorner every Sunday at 4 pm. Traffic is very supportive; they actually read our signs. We've been doing this for going 3 years now. There are anything from 10-15 of us there to appx. 1200 on special days, like Martin Luther King Jr's birthday. We are working on getting people out for 3/19-20 next month.

Everyone in our group is horrified by Iraq.

[tom_paine]

12. The Greatest Generation to the Fuhrer Worshipping Generation in 60 years

We now share more in common with those who allowed Hitler to come into power than we do with those (some stil alive) who defeated him 60 years ago.

The circle has closed.

[murray hill farm]

13. Thanks for this post...it is so true!

Everyone just seems to go by the "head in the sand" philosophy.

[taught_me_patience]

16. We're too busy trying to make ends meet

it's getting increasingly difficult in *s "economy"...

pay raise last year... 2%
inflation (hedonically adjusted) 3%+

seems like a got a pay cut, while the coporate execs received millions in stock options and bonuses.

taught.

[bigtree]

17. really worried about money these days

wish it wasn't so. everything going up. hours cut, pay cut, no benefits. . . stuck in low gear.

[BeTheChange]

18. So, Ive been thinking alot about this lately..

I'm currently in the final stages of wedding planning and after throwing money left and right, I question if I shouldnt have just had a picnic with sandwiches in a park somewhere. We would all recycle our trash and everyone would sit around and pass a guitar in lieu of a dj. My flowers would be wild flowers handpicked that day from the hills of Northern California.

But then I looked at my actual wedding plans and I dont regret a thing so far. I dont think it was selfish to spend that money to create a lifetime of memories that were personally more pleasing to me then the alternate scenario. I dont think it makes me not aware of what is happening in the world. It just reminds me that this world is so temporary and transient and I cant take all the money in the world, or even a penny with me when I leave it.

So I spend it wisely on the things that matter and I try not to spend all my time focusing on what is happening. I'm still getting married in April, Im still going to shell out the ridiculous 1.25 a head cake cutting fee. I'll look for the perfect pink purse to match my bridesmaid's dresses. If you saw me walking around you might think I was a zombie too. If I spent all my time here reading about all the things that were going wrong, minute by minute, I would not be living my life. So, I tune in for the breif rundown and I wait for some leader to step forward.

Until we get a leader who isnt scared by their propaganda, revolution on the scale that is needed will not happen. The right just uses that to their gain. When the time comes to march, it will happen but the American people arent ready for it yet. Often the posts on DU seem to detail some stupid chin dragging neaderthal as mainstream america.

I think that the reality is that most people are optimists. They believe in the basic decency of humanity. Even the most backward country bumpkin will shake my hand and look me in the eye when giving his word. They believe in the government to somehow work its way out. Blame a century of revisionist education for that. They need to believe in the constitution verbatim, just like some christians need to believe in the Bible being completely free of interpretation. Call it complacency, apathy, fear, social schizophrenia, optimism.. whatever. Martin Luther King was an amazing Liberal with a religious message.. he was from the south and a black man at that. None of that stopped people from listening to him. He understood the message and how to deliver it. I believe that people are basically good for the larger part and that if we had a voice or a few voices opposed to the thousands of us that are disenfranchized with blogs and discussion board, the results would be startling.

People are open to an honest voice, with good hard facts. No conspriacy theories about 9/11, no HAARP, Plame, etc political drama. Real life stuff. Economy, jobs, soldiers dying, how the middle east affects us here at home in social programs, inflation, peace mongering, etc.

Maybe it's too late, who knows. But history tells us that people all over the world have stood at dire straights in various times and prevailed.

[flyarm]

19. MAYBE I AM OFF BASE ON THIS..BUT ...

IN THE LATE 60'S AND EARLY 70'S ..IT COST US ABOUT 3,000.00 A YR FOR COLLEGE..TODAY THAT NUMBER CAN BE UPWARDS TO 40,000.00 a yr..we didnt have to work for college at least many of us didnt..today the kids have to work and go to college, and when they are done at the end of the day..they are no hanging around the college or sitting on the great hall steps talking..just talking like we did..when we sat their we talked about each others brothers or sisters in nam..or the neighbors kid...and when the draft began we were sitting in college classrooms with radios as they called the birth dates out over the air...we had real news then..not 100% there was alot of propaganda..but nothing like we are seeing today..we saw the body bags on our nightly news..and consiquently we sat on the stairs at college and got mad together..we plannned how for our brothers to get out of going..we planned how to stop the damn war..but we were communicating in real lfe..when we said..lets go do a protest..we did it...when someone said..moritorium in washington..we all said i'll drive and we set up car pools..we were face to face ..in each others faces...

and the death toll daily was in our face...its not this time..and the kids are going to their apartments and getting on blogs, and just the computer..but they are not getting to talk , to plan, to yell out loud on the school premises..

they may get in small groups..but we are more isolated today..and so are the kids!!
when my son grad college a few yrs ago..i would go to his baseball games , and i would walk the campus..and i would ask ..where are all the kids after classes..my son would say..hey mom most have jobs to survive..i never saw kids sitting around like we did in the 60's and 70's on campus just shooting the shit!

just a thought...theses kids are working so hard today just to survive..
and as for the so called grown ups...most are all working their asses off to survive ..just to simply survive, most don't have the time to dedicate to knowing what we know whats going on..

and most depend on the sound bites of cnn/fox /msnbc, and the networks..if they are not telling them the truth...welllll... most will never know it!!

we are at a real catch 22 aren't we??

fly

[BeTheChange]

21. Catch 22, Indeed.

It's so awesome to get perspective. Middle and lowerclass children that are managing to find their way into college really dont have the time nowadays to do anything but work and pursue that highly esteemed piece of paper. Not to mention the education that they have been recieving conditions them to not question authority.

Im 27 and I have no idea what Vietnam was like. Hell, I have no idea of a world before Regan. I'd say anyone under 35 right now has no idea of life other then the police state. They are cogs in a corporate wheel. They don't have time to go to town hall meetings, getting to vote every 4 years is a chore for some, when I was working two jobs in my early twenties I didnt have time to read a paper. I barely had time to exist. But bet your bippy that if my existance had been called into question I would have made it my utmost priority to preserve it.

Not everyone is on the internet, shocking as it may seem. And out of the ones that are half of them barely know how to use google. They dont have time to read every latest breaking news story. I mean, hell.. Im still confused about this whole James Gannon thing and Im on the net atleast 3 hours a day. I dont have time.. maybe Ive got a kid to feed, or laundry to do or maybe I give up a little and spend my free time watching the bachelor because everything is so gloomy I dont know how to deal so I can veg out in the white noise. This is the tale of the "sheeple". We dont all come to the same conclusions, we dont all live the same life. We barely even talk to each other anymore. I live in a huge apartment building and dont know a single other soul that shares my walls. We are a million voices talking over each other right now. We arent even talking to each other, really.

[AnnInLa]

20. Bizarro world

There seems to be a fat-cat cozy complaincy that has enveloped the nation (except for us, of course). Everyone thinks they are living in Pleasantville. The dominence of SUVs on the highway scare me to death...the amount of plastics we use and discard every day....the fuel we burn without thinking about it so we can use our vehicles instead of our legs, etc forever.

I go to Mexico often and stay on an island named Isla Mujeres, where the living is very simple, but most locals are not dirt poor. Most people walk everywhere....children play late at night out in the streets, but it's OK because everyone watches out for all the children....people don't spend inordinate amounts of money for big lavish meals (except tourists)....entertainment is in the town plaza when people make their own music, dance. Etc forever.

When I come back home to the States, I get that feeling you get when you are eating something VERY rich...too rich. Kinda sick. There's just too much of everything here, and we are determined to protect our decadent society at all costs. God knows, we shouldn't have to do without our monster vehicles or monster burgers, or our credit cards. I'm just as guilty as everyone else.

[mr blur]

22. Can I just ask,

what's the "Can-You-Hear-Me-Now commercial"?

I read recently that there were 500 journalists embedded in Iraq, but 1,000 journalists assigned to cover the Michael Jackson trial.