"How to end this lunacy?" Participating in blogs is fine. Massive political participation is immeasurable. Campaign, write postcards, call and write Congress, register people to vote, drive people to the polls. Massive letter writing to your local representatives, schools boards, Principals, local newspapers concerning book banning g…
"How to end this lunacy?" Participating in blogs is fine. Massive political participation is immeasurable. Campaign, write postcards, call and write Congress, register people to vote, drive people to the polls. Massive letter writing to your local representatives, schools boards, Principals, local newspapers concerning book banning give vital support to educators struggling with outside forces taking over their classrooms.
Yes! This is the grunt work by which the Right united to take power. They learned from the Civil Rights movement. While the Left fractured.
It's our turn now. John Lewis' autobiographical 'Walking with the Wind' is an inspiration and road map. BLM has revived the alliance. Another reason so much effort is going into lying about BLM.
Too many of us were complacent, living in our bubble where we thought all was well with the world, unaware of the danger of the rising right. It took the election of DJT to wake us up.
I would say, in my life, starting with the Black Power movement rejecting white allies. With Louis Farrakhan's anti semitism infiltrating and dividing the Left to marginalize Jewish activists. With the Clinton's Wall Street neoliberalism driving a wedge in the Democratic party. With purity tests, pipe dreams of third parties and independent candidate Pied Pipers.
The Democratic Party and the DNC still stand as they did then. Democrats make no secret of the fact that we have a big tent. We must must must be aware of the propensity of Democrats to denigrate their own Party. What good does the constant picking apart do? It emboldens our enemies, dissolves our political resolve and disinvites people to join the Party. It discourages fund raising. It discourages talented people in running for office under the Democratic ticket.
"With purity tests, pipe dreams of third parties and independent candidate Pied Pipers". Lyrical sentences that contain no fact may be fun to compose but they are without substance and harm the Party. I respectfully invite you to reread you comment again and see if you have indeed imposed your own purity test against the Democratic Party.
We are at War. We are fighting for Democracy. Join together now or lose. Rick Wilson said it best in the run up to the 2020 election. "Do you want to be woke or do you want to win?"
Does fractured mean, that as Democratic's we have so many different extremes views that fit in the Democratic Party? Like from the Manchins to Bernies? Or that we stopped working together as one movement like during the civil rights movement of the 60s?
I meant that the Left was fractured. The Clintons contributed to leading the Democratic party astray. James Clyburn showed that we could unite and win, with a message of returning to our progressive roots. If he gets Childs on the Supreme Court it will be a great step to showing we have knowledge of and respect for the working class.
That's part of it. And thinking of the civil rights movement as "one movement," one organization, is far from accurate. The civil rights movement was a premier demonstration of "the left" fracturing. (I was there and know what I am talking about)
When did it not? The history of the Left is the history of factionalism, of True Believers splintering and splintering. The history of the civil rights movement is a history of splintering - "I'm more true/radical than you!" It's one of the reasons I left "The Left" 50 years ago - there's no likelihood of those people organizing themselves to send for Chinese takeout, let alone taking power. The factionalism is a function of their powerlessness.
The assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy fractured my faith just as I was graduating from high school. I lived my life head-down for decades after that.
You must be pretty young to not know of how the Democratic Party fractured in the 60s and 70s. You're the one who needs to go look up the dictionary definition of "fracture." You have no understanding of political history whatsoever, a function of your political illiteracy. I'm writing here from personal experience of going through all that history as a participant.
But Jack, you discount the impact one can have sharing HCR's "Letters" and comments from readers like you with many people on our individual email lists. I have gathered over the past 17 years more than 1,000 email addresses on my progressive email lists. At recent Exeter, NH Town Meetings, I setup a table with some copies of Heather's recent missives, asked if people were aware of HCR's "Letters From an American", and offered them one of the copies I had made. It was very good news that many people were following her daily or somewhat regularly. Also on the table, I had a sheet introducing people to Heather's "blog". THis "Choir" continues to educate and inform me...and I choose to share what I learn with people who may benefit from the information and turn info into action! You can do the same. There is no shortage of issues at every level of community to engage with.
While Exeter probably votes Democratic, New Hampshire has a Republican governor and two Republican-controlled legislative houses. Voter repression and who knows what else is on their agenda. I suspect they get boilerplate conservative legislatiion models from ALEC, too. Regaining control of State government is the biggest issue with which you should be engaging in November's election. Don't lose sight of the forest when dealing with the trees.
Agree. Two things come to mind. It is refreshing to be on a blog that is so far different from the media. It can be a good mind boost to go out and to the work of voting. It's a balance for sure.
It is not either/or. As HCR has been quoted 'when we sing to the choir, the choir sings back.' We share ideas here, learn, are inspired, and fortified. And then get on with our acrivism.
All of the above. Plus, those who can, run for local office. The insurrectionists harassed school boards, then ran for them, to enable their current campaign to indoctrinate children so they will stop turning into compassionate adults. More specifically, to indoctrinate straight white children and intimidate all other children.
Barbara, Read my comment today that lists some of the outrageous anti-education Bills passed by the majority Republican Legislature in the NH House. Many NH Republicans came to NH 15-20 years ago as part of the "Free State Project". They correctly figured they would move to the small government state of NH, where they could run for state and local office and exert an outsized influence over public policy and school policy. THey are systematically seeking to remove government from the support of schools...in support of privatizing education via Charter Schools. Herb Moyer
DeVos certainly was pushing for privatization wasn't she. What terrifies me is the movement to take over the teaching of our children, control the subject matter, interject indoctrination and ban books. Thanks for the history of New Hampshire. I didn't know that.
"How to end this lunacy?" Participating in blogs is fine. Massive political participation is immeasurable. Campaign, write postcards, call and write Congress, register people to vote, drive people to the polls. Massive letter writing to your local representatives, schools boards, Principals, local newspapers concerning book banning give vital support to educators struggling with outside forces taking over their classrooms.
Yes! This is the grunt work by which the Right united to take power. They learned from the Civil Rights movement. While the Left fractured.
It's our turn now. John Lewis' autobiographical 'Walking with the Wind' is an inspiration and road map. BLM has revived the alliance. Another reason so much effort is going into lying about BLM.
Too many of us were complacent, living in our bubble where we thought all was well with the world, unaware of the danger of the rising right. It took the election of DJT to wake us up.
My bubble ended when the media could not stop talking about trump and could not stop slamming Clinton.
No. I don’t think we really woke up until a couple years into the administration.
Exactamente.
When did the left fracture?
I would say, in my life, starting with the Black Power movement rejecting white allies. With Louis Farrakhan's anti semitism infiltrating and dividing the Left to marginalize Jewish activists. With the Clinton's Wall Street neoliberalism driving a wedge in the Democratic party. With purity tests, pipe dreams of third parties and independent candidate Pied Pipers.
Should I go on ...
The Democratic Party and the DNC still stand as they did then. Democrats make no secret of the fact that we have a big tent. We must must must be aware of the propensity of Democrats to denigrate their own Party. What good does the constant picking apart do? It emboldens our enemies, dissolves our political resolve and disinvites people to join the Party. It discourages fund raising. It discourages talented people in running for office under the Democratic ticket.
"With purity tests, pipe dreams of third parties and independent candidate Pied Pipers". Lyrical sentences that contain no fact may be fun to compose but they are without substance and harm the Party. I respectfully invite you to reread you comment again and see if you have indeed imposed your own purity test against the Democratic Party.
We are at War. We are fighting for Democracy. Join together now or lose. Rick Wilson said it best in the run up to the 2020 election. "Do you want to be woke or do you want to win?"
What if "woke"is what wins ...?
Good point!
🙄😳🙄
The organizations you mention here are not "the left." In fact, you are the political illiterate here.
I didn't mention them TC. Lin did. Please recheck the thread. Please stop name calling.
Yes, Farrakhan, a thorn in my side!
Does fractured mean, that as Democratic's we have so many different extremes views that fit in the Democratic Party? Like from the Manchins to Bernies? Or that we stopped working together as one movement like during the civil rights movement of the 60s?
I meant that the Left was fractured. The Clintons contributed to leading the Democratic party astray. James Clyburn showed that we could unite and win, with a message of returning to our progressive roots. If he gets Childs on the Supreme Court it will be a great step to showing we have knowledge of and respect for the working class.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/09/us/politics/michelle-childs-supreme-court.html
That's part of it. And thinking of the civil rights movement as "one movement," one organization, is far from accurate. The civil rights movement was a premier demonstration of "the left" fracturing. (I was there and know what I am talking about)
Exactly my question, Barbara .
When did it not? The history of the Left is the history of factionalism, of True Believers splintering and splintering. The history of the civil rights movement is a history of splintering - "I'm more true/radical than you!" It's one of the reasons I left "The Left" 50 years ago - there's no likelihood of those people organizing themselves to send for Chinese takeout, let alone taking power. The factionalism is a function of their powerlessness.
Sheesh. Civil Rights, Anti War, Womens Movement, AIDS activism, Gay Marriage, LGBTQ rights and BLM!!!! Sheesh. Seriously.
Did that fracture the Democratic Party? Maybe we should define just what fracture means.
The assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy fractured my faith just as I was graduating from high school. I lived my life head-down for decades after that.
You must be pretty young to not know of how the Democratic Party fractured in the 60s and 70s. You're the one who needs to go look up the dictionary definition of "fracture." You have no understanding of political history whatsoever, a function of your political illiteracy. I'm writing here from personal experience of going through all that history as a participant.
Wow TC take a moment please. Discussions on this blog do not merit a personal attack on someone.
How many postcards could be written during the minutes, if not hours, spent on blogs like this which amount to preaching to the choir?
But Jack, you discount the impact one can have sharing HCR's "Letters" and comments from readers like you with many people on our individual email lists. I have gathered over the past 17 years more than 1,000 email addresses on my progressive email lists. At recent Exeter, NH Town Meetings, I setup a table with some copies of Heather's recent missives, asked if people were aware of HCR's "Letters From an American", and offered them one of the copies I had made. It was very good news that many people were following her daily or somewhat regularly. Also on the table, I had a sheet introducing people to Heather's "blog". THis "Choir" continues to educate and inform me...and I choose to share what I learn with people who may benefit from the information and turn info into action! You can do the same. There is no shortage of issues at every level of community to engage with.
Exactly!
While Exeter probably votes Democratic, New Hampshire has a Republican governor and two Republican-controlled legislative houses. Voter repression and who knows what else is on their agenda. I suspect they get boilerplate conservative legislatiion models from ALEC, too. Regaining control of State government is the biggest issue with which you should be engaging in November's election. Don't lose sight of the forest when dealing with the trees.
Agree. Two things come to mind. It is refreshing to be on a blog that is so far different from the media. It can be a good mind boost to go out and to the work of voting. It's a balance for sure.
It is not either/or. As HCR has been quoted 'when we sing to the choir, the choir sings back.' We share ideas here, learn, are inspired, and fortified. And then get on with our acrivism.
Actually, I use reading and writing here for fuel for my postcard writing.
Me too!
All of the above. Plus, those who can, run for local office. The insurrectionists harassed school boards, then ran for them, to enable their current campaign to indoctrinate children so they will stop turning into compassionate adults. More specifically, to indoctrinate straight white children and intimidate all other children.
Barbara, Read my comment today that lists some of the outrageous anti-education Bills passed by the majority Republican Legislature in the NH House. Many NH Republicans came to NH 15-20 years ago as part of the "Free State Project". They correctly figured they would move to the small government state of NH, where they could run for state and local office and exert an outsized influence over public policy and school policy. THey are systematically seeking to remove government from the support of schools...in support of privatizing education via Charter Schools. Herb Moyer
DeVos certainly was pushing for privatization wasn't she. What terrifies me is the movement to take over the teaching of our children, control the subject matter, interject indoctrination and ban books. Thanks for the history of New Hampshire. I didn't know that.