From what I gather from reading DU....

[RandomKoolzip]

a) The GOP are pushing economic ruin on the US because (among a number of reasons) they know no matter who does the actual voting, Obama will get blamed for it and voters will reflexively vote against him and the Dems in the next election cycle. They're cunning, you see. It's some Sun Tzu shit or something.


Simultaneously,


b) Obama is adopting agenda items from the Republicans (endorsing Romneycare, for instance) because he knows his image is such powerful Republican-repellent that attaching it to a GOP-associated position will instantly make it unpalatable to their base. He's playing 12-dimensional chess, you see. Smartest guy in the room. More Sun Tzu shit.


While they're playing Machiavellian wargames with one another,


c) The American people are fucked and the only people with any power to help us are too engrossed in pushing little plastic army men around on a map to give a shit.


Therefore,


d) "We are the ones we've been waiting for" = "You're on your own, suckers."

[Modern_Matthew]

1. This can't be recc'd enough. nt

[L. Coyote]

79. This can't be UNREC'd enough

for being politically and economically naive, simplistic, and a lot of hot air.

This is FAUX analysis.

The economy has never been better is you are RICH!

[blondeatlast]

2. Sadly shaking head and giggling uncontrollably simultaneously. k/r nt

[rucky]

3. I have a shrewd political move that would win elections entrench power.

Step One: Represent the people.

Look out, Karl Rove!

[Enthusiast]

43. That would be my plan. nt

[TriMera]

4. Yep, that's about it. k&r. n/t

[Taverner]

5. We are the ones we've been waiting for" = "You're on your own, suckers."

Ex-act-o-fuckin'-lutely!

[Volaris]

48. does it make any sense at all to tell them

that if they leave us to our own devices for too long, they will all be out of a fucking job?
I guess that whole REPRESENTATIVE govt. thing doesn't occur to them...(but then again, if THEY are out of a job too, then they really WILL be in a position to reflect the state America's Citizen Body Politic =))
Peace

[nxylas]

77. Except that America's Citizen Body Politic...

...doesn't usually have a lucrative advance for their memoirs and a guaranteed six-figure income from pimping themselves out on the lecture circuit to look forward to when they lose their jobs.

[Volaris]

94. very true.....so can we get a law passed that says..

as a public servant, you shouldn't be allowed to personally profit from you service to the community, so much so that if you are going to hit the lecture circuit after returning to your role as everyday schmuck, any financial compensation you earn from such a gig MUST be donated to a pre-determined charity, --not one with YOUR name on it, mind you--or given back to the State that made you worth so much cash in the first place (minus travel and reasonable boarding expenses=))

[nxylas]

95. I can see all sorts of potential problems with that

The Law of Unintended Consequences means that such a law would have to be very carefully worded, otherwise a law that was intended to stop ex-Presidents from getting rich on the after-dinner speaker circuit could end up biting some retired school janitor in the ass when he tries to make a bit of extra income after his retirement.

[RandomThoughts]

6. Well I am not on my own.

but I figured that out when they thought they could take my beer and travel money.


I am against Machiavellian concepts, but have found concepts in life, then match teachings in many other thoughts.

I wouldn't use a religious concept to further some goal like that, but find how religious concepts make sense to be really interesting.

Or as posted by another poster earlier today.

Maybe I am actually rich? :shrug:

Fiddler on the roof - If I were a rich man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo6BvfaOu5c

Although it would be nice to have that beer and travel money that is due.
On a side note, don't think that gets me to accept not having the beer and travel money that is due. :shrug:
Or in other words, I still don't accept my current situation as where I should be, nor where I will always be.
Knowing your place is often used as a smear, although much of that can be knowing when you are not in your place also, with a more positive thought.

[Serve The Servants]

40. Still trying to figure out this whole "Beer and Travel Money"

I thought that was what the Hell's Angels demanded of Hunter S. Thompson as payment for their input for his book, but that's probably not correct. Is it a metaphor for something??

[druidity33]

41. i'm not sure...

that poster deals in straight answers. Vague and nonsensical, morelike.

:shrug:

[CrownPrinceBandar]

55. Just go with it.........

B-)

[Serve The Servants]

82. I hear you

but the poster keeps mentioning that he is owed beer and travel money. It's sounds pretty important and sparks my curiosity. What exactly will happen when he eventually gets said "beer and travel money"? Will he finally go off into the light and move on?

[RandomThoughts]

97. Beer and travel money will relink the actual and what should be.

So it will return balance in existence for me, by correcting what is unacceptable, the lack of justice of the actions of those that tried to take the beer and travel money.

Or to make it easier to understand, the world should be more just and compassionate, and beer and travel money is how I can relate to that concept and stay in better thoughts when in tougher areas.

Feet on the ground head in the clouds concept.



Eagles - Peaceful Easy Feeling
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44A9iDQNrss

[RandomThoughts]

96. I have explained it many times in many ways.

And you can create many correlations.

The easiest way to understand it is to understand why hope is important, and why dreams are important.

This might explain it another way.


Let me try and explain the beer and travel money again.


Basically through much of life things were pretty just and compassionate within my experiences, and choices, although making mistakes of coarse, for the most part there was always a fairness in things, and when possible an attempt to be kind.

I worked, not very fun jobs, and had some joys, and was able to help some people, and occasionally did not do best.

So my life was on an upward trending towards justice and compassion.


Something noticed that, when I was defending the concept of justice and compassion, so that thing used its tactics of smear and fear to try and disable me.

And now I am somewhere on the graph below after the attempt to create despair, but not yet in balance with actual beer and travel money that should be here.

Here is the thing, when you are a long way from Justice and compassion it is difficult to link to that concept. How some are disabled by hardship.

So what you do is know that Justice and compassion will be the way it is again, by knowing in the future you will have the beer and travel money that is yours anyways, and that is due, you remove the distance from justice and compassion, and are able to link to it again.

So when in hardship, the hope of what will be, allows thinking in that state, without that hope of a dream of the future, you can not link to the better ideas, partly because of despair, but also because of the cloud a harder situation can put on a person to block them thinking the world can be more just and compassionate.


So the dream of the just and compassionate future, held in your heart in the now, even when the now is a bit difficult, allows for remaining in the concept of justice and compassionate even if your situation is worse off.


That is why dreams matter, and that is how hope can allow for the access to better ideas, and why the bad side tries so hard to create smears and despair.

Where you will be, is where you are in thought when you have a dream and can hold onto that concept to try and make things a bit better.

So it is not only that I am due beer and travel money and many experiences, but I will have beer and travel money and many experiences. Why? Because it is just and compassionate, and links into that entire concept, allowing for much of things around me becoming more just and compassionate.

Also part of thinking outside of time, by making the future the present, and understanding that what you will be, is what you always were, and are, in any situation.

[snooper2]

70. I was on my own last night

but then my cat came and brought me my beer and all was good with the sky. I thought cleaning out part of the garage would fix the day but the fox decided not to help. I'm not sure but sometimes maybe we need to take our riches and bury and rediscover...

Then new found Scotch tape will save the day as markers in the garage helped to rise the sun. I do believe that the fiddler on my roof is D&P but she won't answer the fence.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

7. Well done!!!

The average American is nothing more than chum waiting to be tossed to the sharks.

[elocs]

8. I've referred to Republicans as YOYOS (You're On Your Own Suckers).

The Republicans have pretty much been in a win/win situation. Obama takes office as the economy is crumbling and so spends billion$ to stimulate the economy. That makes him a reckless Liberal big spender in their eyes. He doesn't stimulate it enough and the economy falls into a depression then he gets blamed for that.

At this time, whatever Republicans can do to hurt the economy and jobs they will blame Obama in the next election for the results of their actions.

[rhett o rick]

75. This is why CorpAmerica threw the last election.They ran dipshit and Palin. They didnt want to win

They have 4 years to destroy America and blame Obama and come roaring back in 2012 with all the money Citizens United can muster.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

9. Well, it is clear that --

becoming a politician these days has very little to do with actually wanting to help America and her citizens and more to do with creating a steppings stone for a cushy, income generating post-office job.

Governing? Nothing but a big ol' bore that needs to be gotten through to position oneself for the REAL goal of corporate lackey.

[Ignis]

19. It's just a stepping stone to lucrative speaking fees.

[Journeyman]

10. Well phrased. . .

quite astute.

K&R. . .

[Kurovski]

11. K&R

I'm personally looking to outside resources such as Julian Assange and whistleblowers to help shape our politics. Even our best in America are hog-tied for now. No one who will not at least allow the corruption (look away from it) in our present system will ever get anywhere near the levers of power.

As Gore said in 2000. It's up to us now. Without the knowledge of what's happening, nothing is going to ever change.

[Enthusiast]

44. Well, yeah.

Bold criminality in our face with no likelihood of an investigation or prosecution. Institutionalized fraud on Wall Street and no one even raises an eyebrow. I never thought I would see a Carl Rove America.

[PassingFair]

51. Wanna know how depressed I am?

This is the paragraph I can't stop thinking about:


"We are afraid of the known and afraid of the unknown. That is our daily life and in that there is no hope, and therefore every form of philosophy, every form of theological concept, is merely an escape from the actual reality of what is. All outward forms of change brought about by wars, revolutions, reformations, laws and ideologies have failed completely to change the basic nature of man and therefore of society."
— Thomas Jefferson



Reasonably, I know that all of our pushing for justice at least
keeps the psychopaths on their toes, but damn, I'm TIRED.

Luckily, my family makes me happy, because I'm kind of burned
out politically.

[Kurovski]

85. I just posted how tired i am in a thread about PFC Manning.

I'm all over the joint, alienating people and surprised at how quickly folks kick up the cheerleader skirts because the "home team" won.

I feel like an asshole because many times I am an asshole.

I too will be paying closer attention to the homefront. The past two years have been a remarkable struggle to keep this family's head above water, but there are many happier things i have to focus on in order to regain a sense of balance after what has been a few extremely difficult challenges.

Here's to the homefront: :toast:

[PassingFair]

93. Manning almost seems like the last straw...

Is anyone picketing where he is being held?

I don't even know WHERE he's being held.

Okay. Guess it's Quantico.

My daughter's home from college at the moment...she
goes back on Sunday.

:(

[deaniac21]

58. Then he said, "How much for the happy ending"?

[Kurovski]

84. Well that too. But that was way after.

:-)

[here_is_to_hope]

12. But but but...

Everything is so rosy!
Really!
Look at all of the cheerleader threads!
first to rec btw...

[Hannah Bell]

13. kr

[bvar22]

14. K&R

"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans.
I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans."
---Paul Wellstone


"By their works you will know them."

[Uncle Joe]

16. On one of the morning programs, they asked Tom Brokaw about those polls.

82% favor a surtax on millionaires, and approximately 22% favor cutting social security, of course Brokaw never even mentioned the surtax, he totally ignored it but he jumped right on the idea of cutting social security by raising the age, the interviewer never even brought up the surtax question to him after that, no surprise there.

[Marie Marie]

29. Did you ever notice that the only ones in favor of raising the retirement age

those with powerful, high paid, cushy, sit on your fat ass kind of jobs? They don't stop to think, for example, about a 70 year old man climbing up on a ladder to replace your roof because that is all he's ever done. What planet do these people live on?

[old mark]

54. Unfortunately, they live here on earth with the rest of us.

They just don't give a shit.

mark

[Enthusiast]

71. They wouldn't care

if we lived in a cardboard box and ate out of dumpsters.

[old mark]

81. ...or if we didn't live at all...I think a lot of people don't understand how serious they are

and how much of a real threat to everyone else.

mark

[Enthusiast]

83. If people knew, the powers that be

would be stopped dead in their tracks.

We could start by investigating and prosecuting Wall Street fraud, military contractor fraud and medicare fraud (Rick Scott).

[Enthusiast]

45. Amazing.

I think Brokaw believes he is preserving some idealistic 1950s America that exists only in his mind. He has no idea what has actually happened to this nation.

[Hutzpa]

65. Yeah I know

he enjoys relieving the 60's back then were Blacks and Jews were spit and pissed on.

[Plucketeer]

69. Having reported the news

doesn't automatically elevate you to the task of making it. How many of these super-informed news anchors have run for president?

OH ----- wait ------ there's that bunch of "news" folks at Fox.

[2banon]

78. Yes, and so it goes

I didn't see that specific interview, but I can see it very well in my mind, as I've seen the same sort of thing on the tv and hear it on my radio day after day after for years..

Even NPR is worthless..

[Uncle Joe]

15. I believe you've summed the situation up quite nicely.

But at least we have a royal wedding to look forward to and the corporate media will be heavily focused on that once they've finished mastersheening.

Thanks for the thread, RandomKoolzip.

[Lifelong Protester]

17. If you are saying it is down to us, you are absolutely correct.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

18. Encapsulated beautifully...........

Beer and travel money for you.

[Cali_Democrat]

20. Yep

Pretty much

[TBF]

21. "You're on your own, suckers." -

Excellent assessment and the way we win is to band together. We may be on our own, but we are not alone. Solidarity.

[gtar100]

31. !! We may be without them, but we are not alone. We have each other

and several billion more disenfranchised human beings around the world who are sick of being used by a narssacistic elite unable to see their own self-destruction. They are the minority, we the workers of this world are the great majority that can rise like the sea against their tiny boats. They would do well to remember that but they think they can escape the consequences of their own actions. They tempt fate and eternity with their short-sightedness.

[WillyT]

22. K & R !!!

:kick:

[leftstreet]

23. K&R

[lonestarnot]

24. Used to it. Thanks for noticing though.

:hi:

[Octafish]

25. Even stepping on the margins of the wealthy will get a guy the Treatment.

What happened to the Gracci brothers and Caesar.

[jotsy]

26. Hear here!

We always were, on both counts.

RECOMMENDED

Save one little thing. The flat earthers we see on the right are but tools. Credit for cunning belong to the strategists who supply the script. They're employed by affluent narcissistic sociopaths to conceal darker agendas within official policy, played out in political theater by rank and file rimnods.

[Dappleganger]

27. Pretty much sums it up.

[Exultant Democracy]

28. Wow, awesome OP. I think you hit the nail right on the head. I wish we could have some progressives

in power.

[Scottybeamer70]

30. Very true

and sadly, while the American people feud among themselves about who is right and who is wrong, the
rich continue on their way to take everything they can get their hands on. While we fight each other,
the banksters and Wall Street bankrupt everyone and everything. They know exactly what they are doing.

[defendandprotect]

32. Or, they know we're all still voting on GOP/voting computers -- ???

And then, there's this ...

http://www.democrats.com/node/7789

[Bluenorthwest]

57. My entire State votes on paper ballots

So 'you all' and 'we all' are not the same thing in that regard. Voting methodologies are adopted on a State by State basis. Changes have to come from within that State.
I have never, not even once, used a 'voting computer' and I never miss an election.

[defendandprotect]

73. Oregon votes on paper ballots -- wow!! So no election theft in Oregon?

Amazing -- !! Think that's the way we all have to go --

On the other hand, there was Federal legislation which pushed the computer voting

machines -- can't think of the name of it at the moment --

so despite complaints, in many areas, computer voting machines were expanded instead

of eliminated!

[Kurovski]

86. Help america Vote Act? HAVA?

It didn't pass. It was flawed immensely. Huge battles over it, and i'm still shell shocked. It would have legitimized the machines, or something. Horrible battles and recrimination. Gross. I'm feeling nauseous just typing about it. Many corporate attacks online.

It will need to be revisited soon, but the voting machine companies should not b the ones controlling the laws.

Maybe someone will be a whistleblower in a big way. There was a whistleblower, but I guess it wasn't sexy enough for Americans. Not that the whore media bothered to cover it in any substantial way. Americans like to accuse one of "conspiracy theories" when you present them with disturbing news that might take a little effort to fix.

And here we are...

Assange, take me away...

[bvar22]

98. So, how do you KNOW your vote was counted?

The last time I checked, your "vote" was counted on a computer driven tabulator.
So you did use a computer, you just didn't see it.

Forced Absentee Voting (Oregon) is the WORST way to protect our democracy.
You can't Go to The Polls in Oregon even if you want to.
There is NO possibility of an Exit Poll (formal or informal) to check the accuracy of the vote.

The key to truly democratic elections is public control over the process. The genius of democracy is dispersal of power. This concept is sometimes called "many eyes." Polling place voting involves community, and places many eyes on who can vote, who did vote, and chain of custody. (Computerized counting removes the many eyes for crucial process #4, counting of the vote, unless accompanied by parallel public counting methods; some of these will be discussed at the end of this article.)

Removing the "many eyes" and replacing them with just a few eyes centralizes power. It forces the public to cede over control to insiders (government workers or vendors). Centralization of power produces a threat to the viability of a democratic system. Centralization of power is tidier than the "many eyes" process, but it is also unstable. When power is centralized, a democratic system can be toppled by a small handful of unethical individuals.

VOTE BY MAIL TRANSFERS CONTROL - With polling place voting, public citizens (poll workers) and observers monitor ballots and who votes. Unrestricted vote-by-mail transfers control to insiders, specifically, the IT guy, the database guy, the print shop guy, a mailing house person. Most absentee vote fraud convictions are perpetrated by persons with inside access.


http://www.blackboxvoting.org/

There is only one way to be sure:

*One Day voting, national holiday

*Paper Ballots

*Publicly Hand Counted at the voting station with live Inet Video feed
(No moving ballot boxes to another location for counting)

*Results posted on the door.

If it is important to you,
you will be there!

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[tavalon]

35. Well, make up for it then.

Create a useful OP explaining how we can get the people in Washington who are supposed robe on our side to actually behave thusly.

[Rochester]

34. That reminds me of a joke.

Little Johnny walked into the kitchen one morning when his father was reading the newspaper. Johnny looked at some headlines and said, "Dad, what's politics?" His father tried to explain it to him, but he couldn't make Johnny understand. After several failed tries, he came up with analogies. "Johnny, think of it this way. I run the household, so think of me as management. Your mother gets part of the money, so she's the government. The maid is the working class, you are the people, and your baby brother is the future." Johnny looked uncertain. "Go and think about it for awhile," his father said.
That afternoon, Johnny heard his baby brother crying. He went to check on him and found that he had soiled his diaper. Johnny went to tell his mother about it, but she was asleep. He went to tell his father about it instead, but he was having sex with the maid. Frustrated and unable to get anyone's attention, he forgot about it.
The next day, Johnny saw his father reading the newspaper again, and said, "Dad, I think I understand what politics is now." "Oh, really?" said his father. "That's great! Now let me hear you explain it in your own words."
Johnny said, "The management is screwing the working class while the government's asleep, the people are ignored, and the future is full of shit."

[SammyWinstonJack]

80. ...

:spray:

[Kurovski]

87. And that little boy was...

George W. Bush.

[Kablooie]

36. We thought being the party of NO was foolish. Nope. It won them the election.

Now being the party of let's destroy America seems foolish.

But you're right. The Democrats will get the blame and the Republicans might sweep the elections again.

Everyone thinks voting is based on logic. Figuring out who will do the best job.

WRONG!

It's pure emotion. Whoever plays your emotions the best wins, even if he is taking all your future away. He will still win.

[okieinpain]

37. yeah but it's the people fault that it's like this. n/t.

[Kip Humphrey]

38. pretty much. But there is one thing they are deadly afraid of...

hand counted paper ballots.

[DesertDiamond]

39. You are right. It comes back to us. We need to activate the power of our own lives.

We already have the power to change all of this. We just need to activate it. And help others to do the same.

[Enthusiast]

42. No question about

the Republican strategy of economic ruin. Their actions will cut hundreds of thousands of jobs just in time for the election. This is perfectly obvious.

[Name removed]

46. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JTFrog]

49. Yep, the misinformation brigade is alive and well at the new DU. n/t

[dionysus]

64. sad innit?

[kohodog]

50. I'm going to start selling bootstraps!

Any one want in??!!

[myrna minx]

52. K&R - Excellent post. n/t

[old mark]

53. K&R-But I didn't see anything about this on the TV News....nt

[Billsmile]

56. Anyway you slice it..

We're getting Republican or Republican-lite rule.

The Democrats look like the Washington Generals without a team captain.

[polichick]

59. If we give a shit about what's left of this "democracy" we'd better draft...

...a Democrat with the guts to go up against the corporate overlords asap!

[buck_lewis]

60. It's not just the GOP

that is pushing economic ruin. Both parties are doing it, and if you ignore half of the equation you will get the wrong result.

we are spending 25 pct of GDP and collecting 19 pct of GDP (in good years) in revenue. 20 pct is the most revenue you will get out of our economy, doesn't even matter what tax rates you choose. You can tax all the millionaires at a marginal rate of 100 pct and it won't be enough.

spending needs to come down and there isn't a serious politician (other than loony Ron Paul) that is interested in sticking his/her neck out. Elected Democrats are just as culpable as elected Republicans.

[Kurovski]

89. I think that's what everyone here is saying.

The op is expressing that.

And by the way, we are still the richest nation in the world, some people just want it all for themselves and actually want people to pay them more. More from those who already can't cover costs.

But you knew that already, dincha?

Taxes need to be raised or we need to withdraw from both wars immediately. The wars have been draining the economy, they were started without funding. In fact Bush lowered taxes and started two wars. That is nuts. That is criminal. In more ways than one.

[Kurovski]

92. Also, 70 percent of all americans say: tax the rich. Good call, no?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/03/29/us-usa-taxes-poll-idUSTRE62S44B20100329

[dionysus]

61. .

[treestar]

62. The prevailing thought seems to be that we are powerless

Which is pretty delusional when you think about it. Apparently people with big money buy ads and we have to vote for the people touted in the ads. We have no power to protest or do peaceful demonstrations and no access whatsoever to the media, which controls all.

That's a cop out.

[Kurovski]

90. People buy everything touted in ads, or making & selling ads wouldn't be a billion dollar industry

for goodness sake.

Raspberries, madam. A pint on all counts.

[AllyCat]

63. Then lets get busy. People are waking up, we just need to get it up and running

full tilt. We need to save ourselves!

[Starry Messenger]

66. k&r

[Jakes Progress]

67. The neocons are winning and grinning.

They have no morals. They have no souls. In a way you can't blame them for their slimy nature - scum is by nature slimy.

But the idiots who ruin their own live and the lives of millions of others by voting for right wing candidates are the death of America. I find I can rarely stand to be around people that I used to just disagree with. I am coming to see their stupidity and greed and hate as the real enemy. They are the rabbits who show the fox where the warren is hidden. They gleefully watch the fox eat their fellow rabbits and then are surprised when the fox eats them as they stupidly blame the rabbits they betrayed as the enemy. The fox is simply doing what soulless predators do. The stupid rabbits are the problem. I can't stand them anymore.

[blindpig]

68. Same as it ever was.

Our mistake has been that we ever thought different for a moment.

[xchrom]

72. recommend

[peacetalksforall]

74. e) Our world is ruled by The TriLateral Commission and Council of Foreign Relations and

many other groups under the Bilderberg Group - at that level there is no difference between Democrats and Republicans. Those who are at our level know that there is a difference in values. It's all a perfect setting for Dems and Repubs to thing that they are facing each other. This ownership and rule of us is coming from the top down and it includes all of us who are below the line that they have drawn.

[robcon]

88. What a load of crap. You didn't even use a sarcasm smilie.

n/t

[Kurovski]

91. Don't talk that way to ex-governor Jesse Ventura.

He is our honored guest today.

[tblue]

76. And in that game of chess, it was checkmate 2 years ago.

"We are the ones we've been waiting for" = "Please continue holding. Your call is very important to us."