Silence is Consent

If you don't speak up you accept what is happening. This site was born out of the mainstream media's inability to cover the news. I am just an American cititzen trying to spread the word in the era of FCC consolidation, post 9/11 Patriot Act hysteria, hackable voting machines and war without end. I rant and post news items I perceive to be relevant to our current situation.

All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.
- Thomas Jefferson

Social Security is not broken and therefore does not need to be fixed

So Called Social Security Crisis (SCSSC)

Comments, questions, corrections, rebuttals are always welcome.

Monday, July 07, 2003
 
Today, I want to pose a question. I'm not sure I have the answer, but it is something we should all be thinking about: How do we get rid of the current bunch of people that have a stranglehold on our government?

I pose this question after reading this article: The Times‘ William Safire: an old Nixon hand covers for Bush’s WMD lies, which is a critique of this article and it's author: 'You lied to us', (originally published on June 2, 2003 in the New York Times). Articles like Safire's demonstrate that a certain segment of the population will try to rationalize the WMD debate in any way they can, no matter what the evidence shows. Remember that last part: NO MATTER WHAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWS. This is not just a Republican/right wing phenomena. It happens with Democrats/liberals too. But it shows what the fight is about in the upcoming election.

There is an old axiom my father taught me that says that in an election, one-third vote Democrat, no matter what; one-third vote Republican, no matter what; and the last third are undecided. The party that wins them over, wins the election. I tend to believe that to a certain extent. I also think the two parties believe that, which is why they usually run to the extreme side of their platforms in the primaries, and then come back to the middle in the general election--to try to win that undecided one-third. So, one way to win the next election, if you subscribe to this theory, is to run the more centrist campaign and try to expose the other side as extremist.

I would like to offer a different take. I believe a higher percentage of the voting age population, not registered voters, lean more toward Democratic principles. Therefore, I believe that firing up the Democratic base would turn more of the voting age population out to register and vote and propel the Democratic candidate to victory. To do this, we would need a candidate who can turn out the party faithful who haven't been voting as well as more of the non-voters. If we happen to turn a few undecided heads, so much the better.

To show how this battle is playing out right now inside the Democratic Party, read these two pieces. First an article from the two heads of the DLC: Activists Are Out of Step. Then a reply the article: To the Heads of the DLC Who Seem More Interested in Following Than Leading: They Too Have Failed and Now are Frantically, Recklessly Trying to Preserve a Power Base Within a Losing Strategy .

So I guess that maybe the way to look at this is that we are not trying to sway those who normally vote, but instead are trying to get those who don't vote onto our side. If you don't vote or you know someone who doesn't, ask them or yourself, why not? The easy excuse is that 'my vote doesn't count'. Take an informal survey on this one. See how many people say that to you and then tell them that if everyone who said that voted, this country sure would look different. Start a conversation about it and do your best to bring them along.

The skinny on the Niger uranium from the source: What I Didn't Find in Africa. The Washington Post follows up: Ex-Envoy: Nuclear Report Ignored. The last few paragraphs of this story are very enlightening.

More U.S. casualties. 3 G.I.'s Killed in Iraqi Capital, One With U.S. Officials.

One on the troops: Troop Morale in Iraq Hits 'Rock Bottom'.

A Canadian view of our situatioin: Red, white and worried.

Reality in Iraq: "That is what you get for working with the Americans".

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