IF Bush attacks IRAN, are you ready.. to occupy Washington DC?

[FogerRox]

Ben Burch had a thread a while ago, on just this topic.

Are you ready to draw the line ? Are you ready to defend your country ?
Or are you getting ready to sit back and watch it all fall apart on cable TV, and then send the kids to school the next day. Are you ready to go to DC if the other shoe drops on Iran?

Are you ready to go to the US Tienanmen Square?

How badly do you want your country back?

These questions have been floating thru my head for a while. I'm not sure I have the answers for myself. But God Damn it, if one of my brothers or sisters needed me, needed my help, I better have their back. And if it is me, you all better have my back.

What do good patriots do, when all good reason has failed?

[bear425]

1. I will be there.

on edit: we should be there now.

[The_Warmth]

3. Right on!!!

[FogerRox]

4. Many times I feel like this too

"on edit: we should be there now."

[The_Warmth]

2. It's always been a curious question to me....

How would Americans respond to an attack on Iran? I think it would be the make or break point, I would hope to meet you all at the capitol.

[rooney]

9. This administration is doing everything that they did before

attacking Iraq and they know that all of the people will not want to attack Iran since Iraq has been such a mess. Then just before it happens, Condi and Bush will settle with Iran by negotiating something or other or just telling the US that is what they did. We will all be so sorry we criticized Bush and his popularity will go back up once again. And we won't attack Iran.

[Doctor_J]

13. We've gone past so many breaking points, this one will be

no different. Smikr's approval rating will dip some more, but since the voting is rigged in many states, it doesn't really matter. Buy Halliburton stock, and make lemonade from the lemons

[Selatius]

5. I hate how you invoked Tiananmen Square. Thousands died there

I fear occupying D.C. will only provoke people in power to bring in riot police or even national guardsmen and unleash hell on protesters and demonstrators. The shootings at Kent State were bad, but this could be on a far larger scale.

[FogerRox]

14. Power concedes nothing unless it is contested

10 million PEEPS in DC? Bush would do what? Nuke us? Birdflu us.

I'm not talking about a march at the Washington Monument.

I'm talking about taking the city, Washington DC ..... back.

This regime must be removed from Power, no later than when the Dem majority gets sworn in Jan 2007.

[Ani Yun Wiya]

34. See you there...

Glad to see you have an understanding of the numbers required.
Coupled with a massive general strike, it WOULD do the trick.

[heartofthesiskiyou]

32. I grew up in Kent Ohio

Some may die. Kent impowered and embolded the movement. We stopped the last fascists by demonstrating we were not scared of them and we were willing to stand up to them.

[murielm99]

36. I was a junior in college during Kent.

So many of us shut down our colleges and universities.

I remember a banner in a dorm window someplace. It said, "You can't kill us all."

They could try. This lot is so much worse than Nixon.

But they will kill the whole world if we don't do something. I will be there.

[hootinholler]

33. If it wakes up the rest of the nation, I'll be there. n/t

[Breeze54]

38. The cops were cheering us on!

They were laughing AT the counter protestors in DC Sept. '05.
This is what I saw -->


They weren't threatening at all. I didn't feel threatened.
And they didn't seem to move from that position and were quite friendly!
And there were over 500,000 people there marching.

[Raksha]

6. General strike. We shut down the whole friggin' country!

Nobody goes to work, nobody goes to school, food doesn't get delivered to the supermarkets, we stop buying overpriced gas. We go into the streets and raise hell! I don't know how well I'd survive something like that, but that's the way to put a stop to it.

[jazzjunkysue]

8. Amen. We all protest in our own cities, every day. The city hall protests.

This shit has got to stop.

[FogerRox]

18. Yeah, thats our strength, we are the people, shut the whole joint down

[otherlander]

21. AMEN! Things are changing. I posted something like this a while back

and the general reply was, "You're being hopelessly idealistic." But now, now the people here are ready to support something huge.

[rucky]

35. For it to work, the first wave has to be able to hang in there...

for at least a month, before it catches on.

Start stocking up on the basics - as if you're preparing for a disaster.

75% of the strikers won't suffer much, because just a few days will bring the govt to its knees, but the 25% who start it will have to sacrifice.

[tech3149]

7. when reason no longer works why not be unreasonable? n/t

[FogerRox]

20. what do patriots do? the Founding Fathers made the choice................

They died for us................

[originalpckelly]

10. I believe my response is:

hell yeah! Yes, that is it, hell yeah!

[rooney]

12. I have asked the question several times.

What actually could the people do to stop this nightmare. Is that what it would take. I can't believe all of the political POSTURING the house members and the senate are doing. Don't they understand, we need action now.??

[Brigid]

11. We have been ignored for too long.

And this will be the last straw. It will be time to head for DC.

[joe_shmoe]

15. **Please sign this petition against military actin against Iran**

It is with grave concern that I observe the growing threat of a new U.S. war--this time against the people of Iran.

For a collection of articles and resources on this subject you can visit this link: http://reseaudesign.com/research/iran/iran_summery.html

I'm starting up a petition which I will be sending out to as many members of Congress as possible. I'm asking for help to get this signed by as many people, possible in the next month. Send it to as many people you can.

http://www.petitiononline.com/n0war1rn /

[Ian David]

16. There are plenty of Bush-bots right here near home.

I'm marching to The Mittens Mansion.

Remember: "W" Is the new Swastika.

The enemy has conveniently identified themselves for us.

[diamondsndust]

17. I've been ready for a long time, soooo...

if this jackass does attack Iran, I'm right there with you. I damn sure don't want my kids growing up in a dictatorship and I'll fight to my death to prevent it. How many martyrs does it take? How many of us does he think he could silence. Do you honestly think, given all the lies and open corruption that this criminal regime has been exposed, that any National Guardsman would follow orders from this SOB to fire upon and kill American Citizens? I'm willing to bet that at least 90% of them wouldn't. The other 10%.. WE CAN HANDLE THEM...

[FogerRox]

19. Its about the kids, growing up in a dictatorship, will you allow that ?

if this jackass does attack Iran, I'm right there with you. I damn sure don't want my kids growing up in a dictatorship and I'll fight to my death to prevent it.

Yeah, right on, its about the kids. And the legacy their parents leave them. My father served in the Pacific, WW2. What will your kids say about their dad? What do you do in the revolution? " Uh, I watched AMerican Idol"

Do you honestly think, given all the lies and open corruption that this criminal regime has been exposed, that any National Guardsman would follow orders from this SOB to fire upon and kill American Citizens? I'm willing to bet that at least 90% of them wouldn't. The other 10%.. WE CAN HANDLE THEM...

Youre being kind.... I call it at least 99%.

[diamondsndust]

26. Hell no I won't allow it... as I stated...

I'll fight to my death to prevent it. Hell, I'm in my early 40's.. but kids are only 12 & 13... they have a lot longer left on this earth than I do, and it's them that I worry about, along with everyone else's children. We OWE it to our kids for them to have a better life than we had, not setting them back 300 years.

[FogerRox]

43. RIGHT ON diamondsndust,.... your post got me all misty eyed

Hell no I won't allow it... it's them that I worry about, along with everyone else's children.

[StellaBlue]

22. I don't have a job, so...

If anybody can cover my rent for me - I'm there!

I plan to become a professional activist upon retirement. ;)

[FogerRox]

23. You need a plan "B"......... cause plan "A" aint workin

Let me put it this way, do you seriously think it will matter if the shit hits the fan? I mean you not havin a job?

[StellaBlue]

27. Can't really take that bet right now

Though it's tempting.

I've had a really, really hard year, personally... just now getting on my feet. Have debts I need to start clearing up.

Otherwise, I'd be all over it. I am trying to become FI(financially independent) so I only have to work part-time and can work for change the rest of the time!

:hi:

[otherlander]

24. Do you propose that we take up arms against our leaders?

Or beseige the capital nonviolently, and refuse to leave even if they kill us? Normally I wouldn't support the former, but at this point, either would be an improvement. The later seems like a better idea; a violent coup could end whatever semblance of a democracy we have left. A human wall wouldn't be that different from Camp Casey, just a lot more people and more dangerous, but definitley worth it.

And one more thing: Tax resistance. If we all refused to pay our taxes, the government would loose a major source of ammo-money. But would they still be able to get by on money from big oil?

[FogerRox]

25. I have asked the question :What do patriots do?

When all else failed, the Founding Fathers declared independance.

What do you plan on leaving your kids?

[otherlander]

28. India was liberated nonviolently.

There are lots of nonviolent, effective things we could do. Besieging the capitol, tax resistance, and gas boycotts...

Did you read the whole post or just read the subject and decide that I was against revolution?

[ladjf]

29. What good would that do? They will cart all protesters off to

detention camps, never to be heard from again.

[FogerRox]

39. cant cart off 10 million people, too many people.

[Golden Raisin]

30. I fear too many today are either robotically glued to

'American Idol', or just struggling for day-to-day existence, and that will take precedence. I suspect the older 1960's Vietnam generation of protesters are probably more likely to get off the couch and march to save democracy. Whether you agreed with them or not, we also no longer have visible and audible "voices of conscience" like Martin Luther King, Jr. or Bobby Kennedy speaking out publicly --- exhorting people to live up to and demand a higher standard of what democracy can and should be.

[KAT119]

31. Just 1/3 of Americans against this fascist WH is 100 million people!!!

Polls show that nearly 70% of Americans dissaprove of WH war criminals--far too many to put in citizen prisons!

$$ talks loudest to these corporation tyrants--stop buying their goods--keeping our hands in our pockets for 2-3 weeks will be revolutionary in its unprecedented and staggering effect on the economy.

Stop paying taxes goes w/o saying.

Stop feeding the Beast w/ our dollars and it is crippled - lifeless.

Stock up on necessities-water, canned goods, meds. food for pets.

70% of American people vs a handful of Neocons!!!

Let's Roll!!!

[Breeze54]

37. I've been ready, I've gone to DC...

... but it was barely on the news. I've thought a lot about this also.
I mean, how many marching does it take to make it a 'news' story?
The immigrants got more news coverage DAILY than the March in DC in Sept. '05!!
I also wonder about the 60's - '70's generation. Are they to old to march anymore?
To caught up in thier lives to get off thier collective asses?
I did see many age groups represented in DC. It was beautiful.
One marcher had to be close to 90 years old!! I was totally impressed!
My youngest son (16 at the time) was with me and he was complaining of being
hot and tired of walking until we saw the elderly woman. And she wasn't alone.
He stopped complaining after that. ;)

Does protesting need to take a different form now? :shrug:
I already boycott cable and satellite tv. I barely use gasoline.
I doubt those companies will notice my absence.

This --> has been going on for awhile now.
Tell your Representative and both of your Senators it is time to impeach president Bush now!
http://www.millionphonemarch.com/impeach.htm
You can call your members of Congress right now on one of these toll-free numbers,
888-818-6641 or 888-355-3588. There are operators on duty 24 hours a day.
Just ask to be connected to your one of your senators or your house representative and they'll put you through.
If you don't know who they all are, or want all their direct phone and fax numbers,
just submit the simple form on the right,
to get all their numbers right down to their district offices,
right here on this page:

Our members of Congress must be made to understand they can no longer defend the crimes
of this administration against the people, and they will only get that message if you
speak out now. Click to enter the pool to guess how many Bush Administration members will
be indicted by Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald.

Is it working?? :shrug:

Maybe if more demonstrations/marches were organized in the warmer months there'd be a larger turnout?
I don't know. I wonder; what will it take to put a fire under people to get them moving?

But I WILL be there...again!

I see a lot of 'mature' protestors in this pic I took in DC in Sept. '05. ;)

[bdamomma]

77. great pic

I was there Sept. 2005, we need another march soon.

[Mr_Spock]

40. Yes

I can't take it any more.

[Arkham House]

41. If Iran *is* attacked, and things go to hell--

--then something like what you suggest would, in my opinion, be morally justified-and indeed, long overdue. But it won't, can't, "just happen". Does anyone know if anyone, *now*, is, if not making plans, at least taking stock? Anyone in a position to make this happen? Seems to me, the time for getting ready is now...and I'd certainly be there myself, to share whatever fate we'd face together...

[FogerRox]

42. I guess my point is...........

YOU need to make plans. YOU need to ask yourself the question,
"what do good Patriots do?"

YOU need to look at your family, and ask are they worth it?

In WW2, France, there was the Vichey Government, and then there was the
"FRENCH RESISTANCE". How many kids asked "What did you do during the WAR, DADDY?"

WE all need to ask ourselves, "What is the tipping point?".

[StellaBlue]

49. I like the invocation of La Resistance

Both because that's just what we need and because they were FRENCH. We should call ourselves La Resistance. It'll piss em off.

[In Truth We Trust]

44. In the course of Human events when it becomes necessary to KICKASS; I will

[i miss america]

45. What? Do something bold and productive, like take REAL action?

I might miss a gangbang kiss-ass session or flame-fest here on DU. :popcorn:

Seriously, I appreciate your thought provoking post and wake-up call. When its time to storm the Bastille, I'll be right beside you.

[Kablooie]

46. I think I'd just occupy Vancouver.

[genieroze]

47. Start packin for Washington because it's not a question of if, but when.

[shadowknows69]

48. and when is more than likely in weeks

not months.

[FogerRox]

58. exactly genieroze

[StellaBlue]

50. I'll occupy the Texas Capitol

It's only five blocks away. Used to work there, know the cops.

[Jack Rabbit]

51. We should be ready for something

1. A war against Iran is not justified at this time. It would be yet another impeachable offense.

2. Bush and Cheney have gotten away with so much that they think they can just go into Iran (or just nuke it) and ask, "So what are you going to do about it?"

3. Point 2 is your fault and mine. Each of us is both an American and a member of the international community. We are the ones who have let them get away with it.

4. It isn't just a question of electoral politics. Even short of manning the barricades, there is much we could have done but did not. Where were the boycotts of Exxon and the divestment campaigns aimed at Halliburton? Why hasn't the international community ((read: the United Nations) convened a special tribunal for war crimes in Iraq and crimes against humanity arising out of the war on terror?

5. Of course, where are the politicians? Why is the only serious talk of impeaching the war criminals Bush and Cheney at a grassroots level?

[FogerRox]

57. get ready -- yes, they were ready for election fraud

in the Ukraine. They had plans to occupy a city, the orange brigade, remember?

[Lady Effingbroke]

52. Yes!

I owe it to the past - to the Founding Fathers and Patriots who risked, and in many instances gave ALL for posterity (that's US, TODAY!) - and I owe it to the future - to my 3 year old niece and others of her generation and to generations yet unborn.

I am afraid - yet I must overcome that fear - not for myself, but for others who are too young for their voice to be heard.

[merkins]

53. Not sure

I'm not sure if the days of marching on DC are relevant anymore, not that I don't admire the commitment and message it sends. Just seems like the gov/media can frame
it away like they did the Iraq War protest.

I would think a national sit-down opt-out would make a far better effective response.. stay off the job, out of school, out of the stores (beyond the neccesities)..
..just a thought..

[butterfly77]

54. Lets march on ...

FOX,CNN,MSNBC, AND THE NEWS PAPERS!

[StellaBlue]

61. I am posting this idea in its own thread, with your name

GREAT IDEA

[StellaBlue]

63. link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1352658#1352980

[butterfly77]

67. Hey ! I didn't think anyone would take my idea seriously

I think about this everytime I see the people in the window on fox when they turn and wave and laugh at the bystanders. Do you think they will wave and acknowledge us?

[TransitJohn]

55. Yes

I am ready, and will go.

[FogerRox]

56. Me too, if the shit hits the fan, I'm there........

[oxbow]

59. yes

n.t.

[roody]

60. I'm on the west Coast. How about

if everyone occupies their own cities and towns in the streets, or D.C. if possible? Bring pots and spoons to make noise. Strike. Huelga.

[SupplyConcerns]

62. My girlfriend is there

So yeah, I will try and do something. Though my plans involve recording what some might call a "political" album this summer, so I think I can do mroe good that way.

[Innocent Smith]

64. The reality

The reality would be that they would ignore and marginalize you. You only have to look at the past few marches to see that you'd get very little airtime and they'd spend half of the airtime implying you are a loon. Looking at the past it is not hard to see that an attack on Iran would drive up Bush's ratings - short term rise, but most likely a very dramatic rise. I have no easy answers either.

[CoffeeCat]

65. They couldn't ignore millions of people...

If enough people went to DC--that could not be ignored.

This has to be done. People have to peacefully protest if we go to war with Iran.

I will be there. I will definitely be present and accounted for.

I have two small children and I fear for their future. They will know nothing of freedom
and democracy if we continue down the same heinous path.

If millions converge upon DC--and peacefully protest, that cannot be ignored.

Furthermore, I sense a shift happening. People are truly beginning to wake
up and I can feel it. Bush's polls are in the toilet. An overwhelming majority
are against this war. People gave BushCo many second chances. He's failed every
time. The cumulative effect of his blundering mistakes and his sick policies
has turned him into a pariah.

Things are turning. The Dixie Chicks are back...and unafraid to speak out. People
ARE listening to Al Gore and taking Global Warming seriously. Many Iraqi war vets
are speaking out about the atrocities. Atrocities in Iraq have been happening since
the day we invaded. We're hearing about them now, because we're at a tipping point.
No one, outside of the liberal blogs--discussed voter fraud. Now, the issue is
being examined and people are discussing it.

People don't want to face the horror--that BushCo culled 9/11 to further his sick
agenda. However, they are facing it--slowly. American is coming out of denial.

The past few years are a repeat of the American denial that existed before Vietnam. It
took a while for people to break out of their molds--and come to grips with the reality.

People are breaking out...you can feel it. During the past several years, I've sensed
so much repression and denial. Reality TV and other violent shows are symptoms of a society
that is desperately attempting to escape dysfunction that permeates our country from the top down.
People seemed to "cocoon" more, in order to escape the unsettled feeling in our nation. We've evolved into a nation that retreats into our private, backyard, enclosed decks--instead of hanging out on the front porches.

However---people are getting angry, getting informed and getting vocal. People are breaking out of those cocoons and wanting to connect more with people.

I can feel it...can't you? If we go into Iran, it will only reinforce BushCo's warmongering
reputation, and it will galvanize this nation against them.

I truly sense this...it's why I'm not afraid.

[FogerRox]

70. Damn, TwoSparkles, what a great post, really great....

[CoffeeCat]

78. Hey thanks...

...that was nice of you!

:)

[dweller]

66. but but but ... it's JUNE !

THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.



:kick: & R!

dp

[butterfly77]

68. Anytime is a good time...

to fight for our rights, if not when, if not us who? At the rate it is going we won't have a country to fight for if we don't speak up now?

[Freddie Stubbs]

69. According to benburch, Wednesday is the day we nuke Iran

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=895089

[HughBeaumont]

71. Sister lives in Silver Spring, MD . . . DAMN right I'll be there.

By train or by car. Let's flood the damned city and not leave until things change.

[NotGivingUp]

72. Count me in!

[dysfunctional press]

73. i was there and ready on jan. 20 2001...

and i'll be there again.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

74. Kicked and Recommended

[marions ghost]

75. An attack on Iran

could be the tipping point...IF they are stupid enough to do it. I question whether the American people would put up with another occupation in the Mid East. Could be the last straw.

If it happens, people can consider protesting in Washington, protesting in their own locale, protesting by work stoppage or boycott, protesting in any nonviolent way they can. Congress would be forced to respond if the uproar was loud enough.

[BreweryYardRat]

76. A question...

I'll show up if I have to hitchhike all the way from South Florida, but I think I can get hold of a car, or a Greyhound ticket. I'll be in this country for 50-odd more years, and I don't want it being corrupted any more than it has.

But I would like to bring something to give me a chance of self-defense in case the Republicans try to get cops/Guardsmen to fire on demonstrators. I'm not of legal age to own firearms, so I was thinking of bringing...well, this, since it's about 5 foot and can be jury-rigged to mount a protest sign:


Is that a good idea, or would it be more likely to aggravate a tense situation?

Edit: I can ship this through Greyhound package express, but Amtrak doesn't really have a shipping policy for prohibited items. One less transport choice available.