I'm feeling like this country has become dead in the water

[PlanetBev]

I never felt this way in the 60's. Despite the upheavals, the war and the assasinations, it always had a feel of forward motion, of progress. It was evident in everything, most especially music and art.

As someone soon to turn 60, American and it's institutions has become a nest of vipers, intent on devouring each other. I especially miss the Democrats of old. We had a lot of real, unapologetic liberals back then. After they lost the White House in 1980, and 17 senators in the Senate, it's like they became permanetly paralyzed and afraid of the Repulicans, even when they have the majority. I don't think they've ever really recovered.

I don't mind if anybody disagrees with me, it's just what I'm observing right now. Hope to hell I'm wrong. I'm gonna have to make me some "get out the vote" calls.

[gateley]

1. Sometimes I wonder if those on the Right are feeling that same forward motion

and hope that we did in the '60's. :shrug: After all, they have been energized by something they believe in (even if it's racism and capitalism) and maybe that's what's giving them their 'strength'. I think we feel that we're dead in the water (I think you put that well) because we don't seem to have the momentum, press coverage, passion that we once had. I can't explain why, though.

[Warpy]

6. I think they're feeling the same thing we did in the mid 70s

The movement had run out of gas, too many people were drugged out and violent, and the opposition was growing quickly.

They had their great run during the Clinton years. It's all been downhill since then as their economic dogma has been exposed as a pack of lies that has impoverished 95% of us, their swaggering foreign policy has been a bloody failure on all fronts, and their pious leaders outed as whited sepulchres, all of them.

Remember, it's only been 5 years since Rove was crowing about a permanent GOP majority in government to a black Democrat in the White House and their party being reduced to tantrum throwers who are trying to shut everything down, even vital services, out of rage and spite.

We lefties turned to our own gardens, metaphorically if not literally, and survived by focusing on the local. I have no idea what these witless and violent people will do to survive their downfall from political grace.

I just hope we all survive it.

[Confusious]

30. It wouldn't be forward motion

It would be backward motion.

[mmonk]

2. Yes, that is the difference. Moving backwards instead of forward.

[PlanetBev]

3. Fox News might be part of it

24/7 propaganda, feeding the masses. It's ubiquitous, in doctor's offices, car washes, etc. It's like the telescreens in 1984. You could turn it down, but never off.

I grew up with 7 TV stations in Los Angeles. There was always something to watch. Now we have hundreds of TV stations, with loads of rubbish.

[KansDem]

4. "I grew up with 7 TV stations in Los Angeles."

Let me guess: 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13? I saw some good movies late a night; movies I haven't seen since.

And they actually had sign-off times!

Those were the days! :D

[PlanetBev]

8. You got it, Kansas Dem

Channel 9 was owned by RKO at that time, and you got great old movies, including a lot of the 50's Sci-Fi fare.

[Blue Meany]

5. I know how you feel

In this 1960s I was pretty angry about things and thought the "establishment" was evil, but over time a developed a more nuanced view of things and developed a willingness to accept imperfections. But I feel it's all gone way to far to accept: the entire national political structure has become so thoroughly corrupted that I have no expectation that they will do anything purely good, like, say the 1964 Civil Rights Act. And I don't really trust anyone involved in it.

I have concluded that, for the time being at least, the action has got to take place on the local front. Sure, I vote for the lesser of evils, but I'm working to disengage as much as possible from tentacles of wall street that have so corrupted the system and to re-engage at the local level where I can make a difference with my investment of time and money. By this I mean, bank at the local credit union, eat locally produced food, take your retirement out of Wall Street managed funds as much as possible and invest in local businesses that serve the local community, buy as much as possible from small local businesses, and try to make the local community more green and humane through civic action.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. I feel like we're in the decline of America. The craziness and lack of rational thought and the

constant yelling from the 'know-it-all-know-nothings'.

[PlanetBev]

10. Back then, you knew who the demagogues were

Nuts like Lester Maddox, George Lincoln Rockwell and Joe McCarthy. That's because we actually had responsible journalists. Now, the mainstream press pass off Palin and Back as "mainstream."

[madmax]

9. Well then, come sit by me.

We're on the same page. I've lost faith, we're too far gone. I'll keep plugging away but, as far as low expections, I've hit bottom.

[KansDem]

11. That's what happens when we put a black Muslim communist in the White House!!!

:sarcasm:

Actually that's what I was going to say if asked. A couple of weeks ago, a water main broke a couple of streets from my house, shooting water up as high as the power lines. It caused quite a commotion with not only the water company coming out to fix it, but two local news stations as well. The "reporters" were walking around interviewing some of the homeowners who came out to view the spectacle (part of the street was torn up from the water's gushing and bits of asphalt laid all around).

If I was asked for my input, that's what I would've said. Then I would have fallen on the ground and shouted while shaking violently, "Help us, Sarah! Save us, Sarah!"

I don't think I would've made it on the evening news, but it would've been fun! :D

[Cleita]

12. The things that were done in our name under Bush

and also under Obama are contributing to our decline. Our opening up the Pandora's Box of rendition, torture and now killing civilians with our drones many of who are children is giving us a big karmic debt. We must admit our guilt, beg for forgiveness and try to make restitution. But above all we have to bring the criminals of the Bush administration to trial. Only then will we be able to make a turn around because the end result will be to purge those elements that are making us dead in the water, who are still running around free plotting their next grab for power.

[glitch]

18. Until Habeas Corpus is fully restored we are dead in the water.

At least as the United States of America.

[lunatica]

13. The process of losing your job or declaring bankruptcy or

facing foreclosure sure doesn't feel like forward momentum does it? Somewhere in those years we lost our status as citizens and became consumers.

I think we had something in our hippie days. It's too bad Obama's generation saw it as a time of excess. It was the time of the Civil Rights Act which the GOP and their teabaggerati are trying to undo now.

I can't fucking believe we still have DADT. This country is fucking going backwards, not just dead in the water.

[EFerrari]

15. To a conservative, change IS excess. n/t

[WCGreen]

14. I feel that as well...

[whathehell]

16. I get you, PlanetBev...

I'm of the same age and I remember the "old" America of the 50's '60s and 70's...even the first half of the eighties before Reganomics kicked in.

And yeah..The Democrats of old..unapologetic liberals is right. Even back in the late 90's, I remember my Dad, an old FDR union Dem, surmising the DLCers with disgust: "There ARE no democrats anymore"!

..And you're right..They have NOT really recovered..I'm hoping that with Summers going, Obama may be "reconsidering" his "new democrat" priorities.

[PlanetBev]

17. Hope he reconsiders trying to reach out to the GOP

I hope he undertands now, if you extend your hand in friendship to those lizards brains, you'll draw back a bloody stump.

[whathehell]

24. You WOULD think

that he would get that by now, wouldn't you?:eyes:

[damntexdem]

19. So you don't think that it has sunk yet?

Well, it's not just dead in the water, it's also listing to starboard.

;-)

[Recursion]

20. The halcyon days of yore

I'll probably feel the same way in the 2030's.

I feel like we're confronting a lot of challenges and making more progress than I could have hoped for 4 years ago.

[guitar man]

21. Apathy, distraction, misinformation

...selfishness and denial have taken over. While the masses are being fed and buying into the Atlas Shrugged fantasy they have no idea that the sequel to such folly is going to be The Grapes of Wrath.

I was hoping we could save it but more and more I'm convinced we are going to have to go through a Great Depression scenario all over again in order to wake up to the reality of that kind of backward thinking :(

[JustAnotherGen]

22. My mom will be 63 in November

And you are echoing her sentiments on the situation with me on Monday night. Ironically - this is why she and my dad are going with me to DC at the end of October. It was their idea - and they are figuring out the logistics. She says it gives her hope that relatively young people (to her) on the left are still willing to raise a little hell like she did in the 60's.;-)

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

23. An overdose of politics-as-usual by alleged progressives in power will do that.

Back in the '60s we recognized that the entire system was corrupt and fought it. Now, it's considered "sensible", "practical", and "realistic" to embrace the inherent corruption of the system.

[scarletwoman]

25. You left out "pragmatic".

:evilgrin:

[AnArmyVeteran]

26. I agree with you too. Today's leaders don't have a clue how to lead.

[laughingliberal]

27. It's not a terribly optimistic time, that's for sure.

And I hold little hope for any unabashed liberals who could lead a charge for sound economic policies like we had back in the day. The monied interests are too entrenched, now. They'll never allow it.

[Atticus]

28. I hear ya. I'm 61 and I, too, recall when liberals refused to back up for anyone.

We were right and we knew it and those who opposed us knew they would have no easy victories and, certainly, no surrenders.

The difference now, in my opinion? We are reluctant to say we are motivated by love of our fellow man. We strive to quantify and measure everything, including our own motivation.

Just do what's right for people and the corporations and politicians will be just fine.

[proteus_lives]

29. We're still moving. We need to make changes but the fat lady hasn't sung yet.