I Am My Politics; And So Are You
I Am My Politics; And So Are You
D. S. Mitchell
Editor: Writing for Calamity News and Politics gives me a platform to discuss headline events and political policy. It also provides me a place to vent and fume. If somebody doesn’t like the drum I’m beating, they are fully able, and encouraged to move on; to a site that better satisfies their social view of the world.
My Son
Don’t get so wound up, it’s just politics”, my son told me one time. Well, whether I’m saying it to my son, or to a potential reader, or to a neighbor, the guy sitting next to me at the bar-that is the wrong attitude. In the end, politics is government policy, and government policy; in case you hadn’t noticed, effects everything in our lives. So the choices you make politically are a vision of who you are and what you want in the world around you. The schools, the hospitals, the parks, the highways, the airports, the waterways, international trade, economics, military defense, environmental action and social justice. Nearly every part of our daily life is effected in someway by the policies that our elected officials enact in Washington, D.C., or our state capitols. Got it? We are the politics we support.
Quite Honestly
Quite honestly, it should be obvious. If you vote for a convicted felon to be president you must expect him and his cronies to rip you off; and most likely he and they will do just that- so don’t be surprised. If you vote for a bigot, an individual that minimizes the accomplishments of those of a different religion, or with a different skin color, you can expect he/she will vote against human rights, or any law that might benefit those different than himself. These politicians aren’t hiding who they are (well, in some areas they are), they tell the citizens who they are and what they want to do in office. If you are listening, they will tell you. Please listen, because your vote and every other vote matters. It matters for more reasons than we often talk about. Voting for the person you trust to look out for your needs and wants is good for the soul. Until very recently, the idea that citizens could vote for their rulers was unimaginable. Don’t let those who died for your right to vote be disappointed in you.
A Dirty Affair
Don’t get me wrong. Politics is a dirty, cut throat business. I think I have called it mud wrestling without a referee. Winning the most seats in Congress means power for your team. Winning the White House means big power and gives your party the biggest bully pulpit in the world. Gaining access to such power costs money. Money in our country buys power. No doubt about it. Oligarchs are doing everything in their money’s power to buy elections and shape our ongoing culture. Be sure you are not buying into cultural lies and voting against your own best interests, I’m talking about basics, like Medicare, Social Security, Obama Care, SNAP, public education, and other services needed by the average American.
Elections
Politicians need to be watched. That is just the nature of being in a bribery prone position. Term limits would be helpful. Legislation to end Citizen’s United would be a great help in limiting the influence of money. It would be better to give each candidate a stated amount of money from the Federal Government and 6 months of campaign time, and we would probably have a less corrupt system. The worst thing a citizen can do is withdraw from the system. Standing back and NOT VOTING is not heroic, in fact, sadly it is cowardice. The only ones to benefit from a low voter turnout are the least popular.
Lobbyists
Lobbyist is a dirty word. Unless it is your lobbyist, representing an issue you care about. Lobbying is a prickly issue. Their job is to convince officials that their given cause, is the right cause. One of the main issues is the unlimited amount of money that pours into our election campaigns donated by special interest groups, including foreign corporations. And each group is paying a lobbyist or an army of lobbyists.
Engage And Listen
We as people are not helpless. Engage, take part, it will make you feel good. Maybe frustrated and even angry, but you always feel good when you work for your beliefs. Keep your eyes open. Read the newspaper, on-line and at the door. Turn the television channel off of FoxNews if you are conservative and switch to a month of MS-now. If you tend to gravitate to MSNBC turn it to FoxNews. Make it your business to punch your way out of your own private bubble. I don’t want you to forget your values, or even change your mind on issues, but it is important that you at least hear the other persons argument.
Rising Early
I was raring to go when I woke up. My morning started at 4 am with Joe and Mika. I felt a bit sorry for Mika this morning. I know it’s Joe Scarborough’s show, but my God he was on a wild rant. It probably had something to do with politics. LOL. I spent the rest of the morning making protest (resistance) calls. I called Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, and my Oregon 1st District Representative, Suzanne Bonamici. Faxes went out yesterday. This afternoon I will write each of them a letter. Not a long letter, but just a note following an outline I came up with. A template that keeps me on topic.
My Side Is Progressive
Each of the legislators representing me is a Democrat. Not too many of those critters left in Washington, D.C. now, and they are paying the price of being the under dogs. I see them being kicked around everyday, but they get up and dust themselves off and go do a photo-op, or a cable news interview. Which is exactly what they should do. Pick yourself up, and go out there and talk about how Progressive Democratic Socialists would do it differently. Zohran Mamdani has a lot to teach other candidates.
What is a Democratic Socialist?
Maybe you are uncomfortable with the label “socialist.” I can understand that the Republicans have associated socialism with communism for at least the last 50 years. According to Wikipedia, “Democratic socialism is a political and economic philosophy that advocates for a democratic, decentralized, or worker-managed economy, where the means of production serve the public good rather than private profit. It explicitly rejects authoritarian central planning and seeks to dismantle or heavily reform capitalism through peaceful, democratic means.” Basically that means eliminating the oligarchs. In a just world it is incomprehensible that a handful of individuals own 98% of the worlds wealth and all the power such money buys inside and outside of government.
Resistance
It will be hard to stop the demolition machine that lies at the heart of the Trump Administration. Currently, the GOP is holding all three branches of our government. Until the 2026 mid-terms I think resistance is the best strategy. 2028 looks a long way off, the progressive agenda may be dead. I’m concerned that the Progressive movement is to diffuse and unable to coalesce around a core commonality. Everybody wants a quick easy solution, where there are no quick easy solutions. “Drill baby, drill,” “Repeal & Replace,” “Lock her up”. I agree these are catchy phrases. Those chants, they get a crowd ginned up, no doubt about it, but it’s the boring, well thought out plan, with the largest number of positive beneficiaries, that creates good policy, and good government.
Republican Love Affair
I’m hoping that a combination of circumstances, Trump’s terrible performance as 47th president, special elections, strong candidates, with firm progressive values, and a constituency that is fucking tired of the Republican love affair with America’s wealthiest 400 families; will lead to a return of Senate and House control to “the loyal opposition,” in 2026. If the “common man”, allows the Republicans to hold onto the House, Senate and White House in 2026 I’m afraid our Democracy is headed the way of all the other past great societies, to extinction.
Stop Trump, vote progressive Democratic/Independent. Vote the blue wave.
Stand for Justice. Stand for what’s right. Join the Resistance
