A Tireless Minority of Political Arsonists

10 Responses to A Tireless Minority of Political Arsonists

1. randy ray haugen says:

   3/5/2005 at 8:27 am

   true indeed
   now it won’t be long until the minority become very irrate
   skyrocketing gas prices may well be georgie boys undoing
   one problem. we’re all getting pretty tired

   Reply
2. Mike says:

   3/5/2005 at 12:21 pm

   Ah yes…But, if “pro” is the opposite of “con”, then it logically follows that progress is the opposite of congress. Yes? No?

   Reply
3. Bob S-K says:

   3/5/2005 at 6:31 pm

   Great article this week by Hal Crowther about the astounding number of brush-fire-less people:
   http://indyweek.com/durham/current/cover.html

   Reply
4. Tom says:

   3/6/2005 at 1:19 pm

   Yeah, a friend of mine (staunchly anti-Republican) and i were speaking at dinner last night and he’s all but given up hope that we can do anything to change the way Amerika is heading. He and i agreed that the standard of living will continue to decrease at an ever faster rate in the coming years, and, despite this, the Democrats will continue to lose seats in Congress! We are truly a nation run by a majority of idiotic sheep voters who can’t think for themselves and only see headlines as news. Short of armed revolution (by whom?) there will be no change. Hell – there isn’t even any outrage (except in these safe web sites of rhetoric). The corporate pirates are getting a free ride (no jail time except for a short stint by “poor Martha”) and it’s business as usual in the good ol’ US of A: the rich get richer and screw everyone else.

   Reply
5. J. Clifford Cook says:

   3/6/2005 at 1:45 pm

   Tom, I have to disagree with your dismissive use of the phrase “these safe web sites of rhetoric”, a category in which you seem to place Irregular Times.

   Fact is, Tom, that these web sites of rhetoric make a real difference in getting information out to those people who care, serving as alternative media for the kind of people who aren’t satisfied just watching “Everybody Loves Raymond”.

   For the sitcom people, there’s not much we can do. Forcing people to pay attention whether they care or not isn’t an idea that I much care for.

   But, the fact is that Irregular Times does a hell of a lot more than just express outrage. We work on projects that increase networking between progressives (see the Irregular States directory). We also connect people to materials that they can use to express their outrage offline – postcards, posters, buttons, bumper stickers, and such.

   As for “armed revolution”, well, that’s about the least progressive idea I can possibly think of.

   America is a nation where 48 percent of voters chose to boot George W. Bush out of office. 48 percent of the population, if it decides to do something more than mope, can do a hell of a lot.

   The Republicans are counting on you and your friend continuing to mope, and do nothing else.

   Reply
6. randy ray haugen says:

   3/6/2005 at 3:03 pm

   another comment on “the safe wesites of retoric”
   the fact is they are not as safe as you may think tom
   somebody probably already keeping tabs on you and me
   and i’d guarentee they keep tabs on the folks at irregular times
   of course, i believe jerry garcia is working undercover for british intelligence

   Reply
7. J. Matthew says:

   3/6/2005 at 5:19 pm

   One of the problems with “armed revolutions” is that more often than not they tend to lead to more nastiness by the vanguard, just under new management.

   There are other ways, Tom. We just have to be creative. Violence is, by definition, not creative.

   Reply
8. Mike says:

   3/6/2005 at 11:23 pm

   I have to agree: any kind of “armed revolution” would undoubtedly lose in the current environment, and is the kind of thing that should be used as an absolutly LAST resort. Probably the best weapon that we have in our inventory is the most readily overlooked: Humor! Every political leader knows the danger to their power, either real or imagined, that effectively used HUMOR represents to them. We have LAUGHED more politicans out of office than any other country in the history of the world. And ,God knows, we have more material on this administration, than we have had on any of them in a LONG time. Let’s use it.

   Reply
9. Tom says:

   3/7/2005 at 9:15 am

   Yeah, but it’s not FUNNY anymore. I wasn’t suggesting progressives must resort to violence, i was just trying to point out that progressives of the past didn’t stand for all this b/s without DOING something about it, besides talk. I just don’t see politics as the way out right now. And although i’m moping (so what are you laughing at?) i’m yakking it up just like you. Is it helping? Doesn’t look it.

   Reply
10. J. Clifford Cook says:

    3/7/2005 at 9:34 am

    Tom, let’s look at what can be done.

    1. Words are important. Alternatives to the corporate media are essential for getting our message out, because we’re just not going to get a fair hearing on MSNBC, much less on FOX.

    2. In 2006, the Congressional elections are coming up. We, the progressive 48 percent, have the chance to hold Bush and the Republicans accountable through political means running from investigations all the way to impeachment – but only if we control the Congress.

    3. Non-governmental organizations are working hard to counter the Republican radical agenda of nationalism, and they need our support. Groups like the ACLU are uncovering truckloads of damning documents that can be used in criminal trials of Bush Administration officials. Organizations like the Sierra Club and People for the American Way are gathering information and beginning legal proceedings to undermine the ability of the Bush Administration to continue its attacks on our freedoms. Supporting these organizations helps to further the progressive cause even when the entire federal government is aligned against us.

    There are concrete things you can do to make a difference, Tom. Now, are you going to do something, or just keep complaining that it doesn’t make a difference what you do?

    Reply